Radome illumination system
AssigneeNavman New Zealand
InventorDonald Korte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A visual illumination system incorporated between upper and lower radar dome assemblies external to a ship or boat's bridge or cockpit is disclosed. The visual illumination system provides a visual indication of those sectors in which the radar antenna is transmitting for personnel moving around the upper deck. The visual illumination system may also provide a visual indication of which sectors are currently blanked, thereby reducing a user's risk of inadvertent exposure to electromagnetic radiation. Visual indicators such as LEDs are spaced in sectors about the radar assembly with each LED being energized when the antenna transmits in its sector. The visual illumination system may be also installed on masthead assemblies where the radar antenna is not enclosed within a radar dome.
Claims17
A radar system comprising:
- an antenna system to transmit and receive radar signals in multiple directions within multiple sectors;
- a radar controller to energize the antenna system to transmit radar signals in selected directions in the sectors;
- a visual illumination system associated with the antenna system and which includes in at least one sector an energizable visual indicator;
- and
- a visual interface circuit to receive a signal from the radar controller to energize the visual indicator in the sector when the antenna system transmits a radar signal in the sector.
A method of indicating to a user that a radar system antenna is transmitting radiation in a sector of a field of vision of the radar system antenna, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one visual indicator in the sector;
- determining when the radar system antenna is transmitting in the sector;
- and
- energizing a visual indicator in the sector when the antenna is transmitting in the sector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.