Patent · US Expired

Passive ranging system for radiosondes

US5107261A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
6References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 23, 1990
Grant dateApr 21, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 23, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01W1/08
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A passive ranging system for determining the slant range from a ground station to a drifting radiosonde. In one embodiment, the ground station receives meteorological data ranging and internal temperature signals from the radiosonde. The data signals are read out as ambient conditions of the atmosphere and the range signal is phase-compared to a reference signal at periodic intervals. Changes in frequency due to temperature fluctuations in the radiosonde components are factored into the phase-comparison, and the resultant change in phase represents movement of the radiosonde. In another embodiment the range tone from a remote broadcast station is retransmitted by the radiosonde and received at the ground station simultaneously with the same tone directly from the broadcast station. The phase lag is measured and coupled with measurements of direction from the ground station to the radiosonde, and with the distance between the ground station and the broadcast station for determining the slant range.

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