Direction finder antenna system
AssigneeElta Systems Ltd.
InventorsMoshe Fireaizen, Aharon Razon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A direction finder antenna system and method are described. The direction finder antenna system comprises a rotatable platform comprising at least two antenna units at selected distance between them, a motor configured for moving the rotatable platform at a motion pattern, and a signal collection circuit configured for receiving data on signal portions collected by said at least two antenna units with respect to different angular positions of said at least two antenna units. The signal collection circuit generates output data indicative of direction of origin of collected signal.
Claims31
A direction finder antenna system, comprising:
- a rotatable platform comprising at least two antenna units positioned on the rotatable platform at selected distance therebetween;
- a motor configured for moving the rotatable platform at a motion pattern;
- a control circuit comprising a signal collection circuit configured for receiving data on signal portions collected by said at least two antenna units with respect to different angular positions of said at least two antenna units and generate output data indicative of direction of origin of collected signal;
- wherein said control circuit is configured for determining data indicative of phase difference between signal portions collected by said first and second antenna units for different angular positions of said rotatable platform between absolute maximal and minimal phase difference, and for determining magnitude of said relation between phase difference between signal portions collected by said first and second antenna units and angular orientation of said rotatable platform, and provide output data indicative of direction of origins of the collected signal comprising azimuth within plane of rotation of said rotatable platform and elevation with respect to said plane determined in accordance with a zero phase difference position, wherein the selected distance between the at least two antenna units is smaller than a half wavelength of the collected signal.
A method for use in finding direction of origin of electromagnetic radiation signal, the method comprising:
- providing at least first and second antenna units positioned on a rotatable platform;
- moving said rotatable platform in a selected motion pattern;
- determining phase difference in signal portions collected by said first and second antenna units;
- and
- determining a relation between the phase difference in collected signal portions and angular position of said rotatable platform between absolute maximal and minimal phase difference and utilizing said relation to determine azimuth of said origin within a plane defined by said rotatable platform in accordance with a zero phase difference position;
- and
- determining magnitude of said phase difference in collected signal portions and angular position of said rotatable platform throughout rotation path of said rotatable platform and utilizing said magnitude to determine elevation of said origin with respect to said plane define by the rotatable platform;
- and
- wherein providing at least first and second antenna units comprises providing a distance d between the first and second antenna units that is smaller than a half wavelength of the collected signal.
A system comprising at least two antenna units, said at least two antenna units being positioned on a rotatable platform at a selected distance between them, said rotatable platform is adapted for rotating at a selected angular frequency, said at least two antenna units being configured for collecting electromagnetic radiation of a selected frequency range and to provide output data indicative of phase relation between signal portions collected by said at least two antenna units between absolute maximal and minimal phase difference, thereby providing data indicative of direction of origin of said electromagnetic radiation comprising azimuth and elevation with respect to the plane of rotation;
- wherein azimuth direction is determined in accordance with zero phase difference position, and wherein a distance d between the at least two antenna units positioned on the rotatable platform is smaller than a half wavelength of the collected signal portions.
An aerial vehicle comprising one or more rotors, at least first and second two antenna units mounted on respectively first and second positions on at least one of said rotors, and a signal collection circuit configured for receiving data on signal portions collected by said first and second antenna units while rotating with said at least one rotor, and analyze phase difference between the signal portions with respect to different angular positions of said rotor between absolute maximal and minimal phase difference, thereby generating output data indicative of direction of origin of collected signal in accordance with a zero phase difference position, wherein said output data comprising azimuth and elevation with respect to the plane of rotation, wherein a distance d between the first and second positioned on at least one of said rotors is smaller than a half wavelength of the collected signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.