Airborne weather radar system with aircraft altitude and antenna tilt angle dependent sensitivity time control
AssigneeAlliedSignal Inc.
InventorDaryal Kuntman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sensitivity time control (STC) data for an airborne weather radar system is provided as a function of aircraft altitude and radar system antenna tilt angle to normalize radar return signals at high as well as low aircraft altitudes. In one form of the invention the STC data is used to adjust the gain of a signal applied to a radar system received by a system antenna and in another form of the invention the STC data is used to establish a desired threshold for said signal.
Claims10
An airborne weather radar system, comprising:
- control means for providing a trigger signal for initiating radar transmission;
- transmitter means connected to the control means and responsive to the trigger signal therefrom for providing a transmitter signal;
- antenna means connected to the transmitter means and responsive to the transmitter signal for transmitting a radar signal which is intercepted by a target, with said antenna means receiving a return signal from the target and thereupon providing an output signal;
- receiver means connected to the antenna means for receiving the output signal therefrom and for providing a receiver signal;
- means for providing a signal corresponding to the altitude of an aircraft on which the radar system is mounted;
- means for providing a signal corresponding to the tilt angle of the radar system antenna;
- sensitivity time control (STC) generator means connected to the aircraft altitude and antenna tilt angle signal means, and connected to the control means, and responsive to the aircraft altitude signal, the antenna tilt angle signal and the trigger signal for providing an STC signal as a function of time from transmission of the radar signal, aircraft altitude and antenna tilt angle;
- and
- utilization means connected to the STC generator means and to the output of the antenna means and responsive to the STC signal and the antenna output signal for providing a signal which is indicative of a normalized return signal from the target at high as well as low aircraft altitudes.
A method for normalizing airborne weather radar system return signals from a target at high as well as low aircraft altitudes, comprising the steps of:
- receiving the return signals;
- providing a sensitivity time control (STC) output as a function of time from transmission of a radar signal, aircraft altitude and radar antenna system tilt angle;
- and
- utilizing the STC output and the received return signal for providing an output which is indicative of a normalized return signal at high as well as low aircraft altitudes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.