The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 21, 1993
Filed:
Jun. 24, 1992
William M Waters, Millersville, MD (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A transmit/receive layer is provided adjacent to an array of antenna elements. The transmit/receive layer has an array of transmit receive modules, each module associated with one of the antenna elements. An analog to digital converter and a digital to optical converter of one of the modules couple an RF signal from the associated antenna element to optical fibers. An optical to RF converter in each of the modules converts an amplitude modulated optical transmit signal from an optical fiber to an RF transmit signal for transmission by the associated antenna element. Frequency down and up converters can be added to perform super heterodyne frequency conversion based on a reference frequency control signal transmitted over the optical fibers. At the ends of the optical fibers opposite to the transmit/receive layer, a receive layer, a transmit layer, transmit and receive beamforming layers, dedicated signal synthesizer, control signals, and amplitude modulated optical diode lasers and photodiodes are provided. The transmit layer provides an array of amplitude modulated laser diodes, each associated with one of the antenna elements. The receive layer provides an array of receive optical to digital converters coupled to the optical fibers. A matrix of switches selects appropriate signals from the M.times.N array of parallel receiving beams for subsequent radar target surveillance, tracking, and identification processing.