Patent · US Expired

Fiber optic feed network for radar

US4814773A · kind A · utility

36Cited by
5References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 11, 1983
Grant dateMar 21, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 11, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S7/03
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a radar having electrical transmitting and receiving circuitry, and an antenna for the radiation of microwave signals, there is provided an optical feed system which couples the antenna with the transmitting and receiving circuitry. The feed system includes a set of optical multiplexers interconnected by sets of optical fibers. Microwave energy of the radar is converted to optical radiation for communication to the antenna, and then converted back to the microwave energy. Electro-optic modulators and photoelectric detectors provide for the energy conversion. A plurality of signals, including both signals having the transmit waveform as well as control signals, can be simultaneously coupled via the optical fibers by utilization of radiation of differing frequencies. The multiplexers include dichroic mirrors for separation of the radiations of the differing frequencies. The fiber optic feed system retains the full beam steering capacity of the radar and permits the use of conventional electronic circuitry with the feed network of the optical feed system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.