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:
May. 18, 1999
Filed:
Apr. 21, 1997
Peter W Hannan, Smithtown, NY (US);
Marconi Aerospace Systems Inc. Advanced Systems Division, Greenlawn, NY (US);
Abstract
Aircraft-mounted Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) antennas employ a linear array of radiator elements positioned transverse to the boresight axis. With an azimuth determination capability, but lacking elevation resolution, such antennas are subject to coning errors in determining the azimuth bearing of a target at an altitude differential. With use of a linear array (10) of multi-radiator elements (11, 12, 13), an output signal (23) having the characteristic of an amplitude which increases for off-boresight targets is provided. That signal is compared to a typical form of antenna system output signal (22), which has an amplitude which decreases for off-boresight targets. By such amplitude comparison, the angle (.beta.) to a target is determined and used to provide an azimuth correction factor (53). An apparent azimuth bearing (54) subject to coning error can then be corrected (55) to provide the true azimuth angle to a target (56).