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:
Mar. 07, 2006
Filed:
Jul. 11, 2001
Richard Kirchofer, Cocoa, FL (US);
Raymond Nielsen, Orlando, FL (US);
Richard Kirchofer, Cocoa, FL (US);
Raymond Nielsen, Orlando, FL (US);
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for selectively receiving radio frequency (RF) signals which utilizes an array of antenna elements including a center antenna for receiving the RF signal, a navigational controller using coordinate information to determine pointing vectors pointing to respective RF signal sources, and beam-forming electronics connected to the array of antenna elements and the navigational controller for forming reception lobes. Each reception lobe points in the direction of a determined pointing vector. For accurate and precise measurements, a constant phase center is maintained by adjusting the center antenna to the same phase shift for each of the lobes and steering the lobes by adjusting the phase shift of the antenna elements surrounding the center antenna.