Configurable electromagnetic reflector
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsThomas L. Weaver, Johann F. Thaheld
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Configurable passive electromagnetic reflectors are disclosed, as are aircraft comprising configurable passive electromagnetic reflectors and methods to use configurable passive electromagnetic reflectors. In one embodiment a system comprises a reflector comprising a surface having a plurality of addressable patches switchable between a reflective state and a non-reflective state, and a controller coupled to the reflector to provide signals to switch the plurality of addressable patches between the non-reflective state and the reflective state to configure the reflector to selectively reflect incident electromagnetic radiation toward a remote target. Other embodiments may be described.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- a reflector comprising a surface having a plurality of addressable patches switchable between a reflective state and a non-reflective state;
- and
- a controller coupled to the reflector, the controller configured to:
- determine a frequency and a direction of incident electromagnetic radiation;
- determine a reflector configuration to reflect the incident electromagnetic radiation to a remote target;
- and
- provide signals to switch at least a portion of the plurality of addressable patches between the non-reflective state and the reflective state to configure the reflector to reflect the incident electromagnetic radiation to the remote target based on the reflector configuration.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a body having an outer surface;
- a reflector mounted on the outer surface and comprising a surface having a plurality of addressable patches switchable between a reflective state and a non-reflective state;
- and
- a controller coupled to the reflector, the controller configured to:
- determine a frequency and a direction of incident electromagnetic radiation;
- determine a reflector configuration to reflect the incident electromagnetic radiation to a remote target;
- and
- provide signals to switch at least a portion of the plurality of addressable patches between the non-reflective state and the reflective state to configure the reflector to reflect the incident electromagnetic radiation to the remote target based on the reflector configuration.
A method, comprising:
- receiving, at a reflector comprising a surface having a plurality of addressable patches switchable between a reflective state and a non-reflective state, a radio frequency signal from a remote source;
- determine a frequency and a direction of the radio frequency signal;
- determine a reflector configuration to reflect the radio frequency signal to a remote target;
- and
- switching at least a portion of the plurality of addressable patches between the non-reflective state and the reflective state to configure the reflector to reflect the incident electromagnetic radiation to the remote target based on the reflector configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.