System for and method of analyzing electromagnetic waves

Abstract

A high-frequency wave, e.g. from a target reflecting transmitted radar signals, arrives with different phasing at a plurality of spaced-apart receivers or at a single receiver movable with reference to the signal source. The wave components thus received are fed directly to an array of electromechanical input transducers on the entrance side of a piezoelectric crystal, or are transmitted to respective storage elements which temporarily register information of their phasing to modulate a local oscillation delivered to these input transducers, whereby micro-acoustic vibrations are generated in the crystal with a phase relationship corresponding to that of the original wave components. The acoustic waves in the crystal converge, possibly with the aid of an internal or external focusing surface, on the exit side of the crystal to excite one of a multiplicity of mechanoelectrical output transducers producing a signal indicative of that phase relationship. The system can be used to measure angle of incidence, relative radial velocity, source distance, or the harmonics content of the wave to be analyzed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.