Microwave pulse generator and pulse-echo ranging system
US6597309B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 12, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jul 22, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 12, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K3/335
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A pulse-echo ranging system is described employing a microwave transducer head (100) providing an echo profile output signal which is largely compatible with receivers (204) and echo processing systems (206) designed for acoustic transducers. The transducer head employs novel microwave pulse generators (20a, 20b) each utilizing a microwave cavity (20a, 20b) excited by an avalanche discharge through a small signal diode (D2a, D2b) initiated by avalanche of a driver transistor (TR1a, TR1b) by a trigger pulse. Repeated pulse from one generator (2a) are transmitted by an antenna (12) towards a target, and return are mixed with pulses from the second generator (26) which are subject to a progressively swept delay relative to the transmitter pulses. The mixer output is applied to a tuned amplified (110) to extract components at an alias frequency related to the sweep rate of the delay relative to the transmitter frequency. The aliased signal is passed to a receiver (204) and echo processing system (206).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.