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US 4,359,683 AGranted
Microwave interferometer
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorJohn W. H. Chivers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microwave interferometer comprising a source of microwave energy the output of which is equally divided between an antenna and a short circuit. The antenna is adapted for the transmission of microwave energy to and the subsequent reception of reflected microwave energy from an object in close proximity to the antenna. The phase difference between the microwave radiation reflected from the short circuit and the object is directly proportional to the distance between the antenna and the object.
Claims8
Apparatus for measuring distance, comprising:
- a source of microwave energy;
- a first waveguide terminated in a short circuit;
- a second waveguide having a length and a cross-sectional area equal to the length and cross-sectional area, respectively, of the first waveguide and positioned substantially adjacent to said first waveguide;
- means for dividing energy from said source equally between said first and second waveguides;
- an antenna coupled to said second waveguide, tapered so as to terminate in an aperture of smaller cross-section area than that of the first and second waveguides for transmitting microwave energy to an object to be measured and receiving therefrom microwave energy reflected thereby;
- and
- means for detecting a phase difference between microwave energy reflected from said object and microwave energy reflected from said short circuit and providing an output signal proportional to said phase difference, the phase difference being related to the distance between said antenna and said object.
4 more elements
Apparatus as claimed in 1 wherein said dividing means is a hybrid tee.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.