Distributed Array for Direction and Frequency Finding
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An optical imaging receiver comprising:
- a phased-array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a first pattern configured to receive RF signals from at least one RF source;
a plurality of electro-optic modulators corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements, each modulator configured to modulate an optical carrier with a received RF signal to generate a plurality of modulated optical signals;
a plurality of optical channels configured to carry the plurality of modulated optical signals and configured to cause interference amongst the optical signals, each of the plurality of optical channels having an output to emanate the corresponding modulated optical signal out of the corresponding optical channel, the outputs of the plurality of optical channels arranged in a second pattern which does not correspond to the first pattern;
a plurality of photodetectors for recording the optical signal interference; and
a module for computationally reconstructing RF sources in k-space from the recorded interference.
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Abstract
An optical imaging system and method that reconstructs RF sources in k-space by utilizing interference amongst modulated optical beams. The system and method involves recording with photodetectors the interference pattern produced by RF-modulated optical beams conveyed by optical fibers having unequal lengths. The photodetectors record the interference, and computational analysis using known tomography reconstruction methods is performed to reconstruct the RF sources in k-space.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. An optical imaging receiver comprising:
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a phased-array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a first pattern configured to receive RF signals from at least one RF source; a plurality of electro-optic modulators corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements, each modulator configured to modulate an optical carrier with a received RF signal to generate a plurality of modulated optical signals; a plurality of optical channels configured to carry the plurality of modulated optical signals and configured to cause interference amongst the optical signals, each of the plurality of optical channels having an output to emanate the corresponding modulated optical signal out of the corresponding optical channel, the outputs of the plurality of optical channels arranged in a second pattern which does not correspond to the first pattern; a plurality of photodetectors for recording the optical signal interference; and a module for computationally reconstructing RF sources in k-space from the recorded interference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An optical imaging receiver comprising:
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a phased-array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a first pattern configured to receive RF signals from at least one RF source; a plurality of electro-optic modulators corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements, each modulator configured to modulate an optical carrier with a received RF signal to generate a plurality of modulated optical signals; a plurality of optical fibers arranged in a second pattern which corresponds to the first pattern, each of the plurality of optical fibers having varying lengths; a plurality of photodetectors for recording optical signal interference occurring after the optical signals are released from their respective optical fibers; and a module for computationally reconstructing RF sources in k-space from the recorded interference. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 35)
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12. A method utilized by an optical imaging receiver for RF signal processing, comprising:
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receiving incoming RF signals at a phased-array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a first pattern; modulating the received RF signals from each of the plurality of antenna elements onto an optical carrier to generate a plurality of modulated optical signals; directing the plurality of modulated optical signals to a plurality of optical channels, configured to cause interference amongst the optical signals, each of the plurality of optical channels having an output to emanate the corresponding modulated optical signal out of the corresponding optical channel, the outputs of the plurality of optical channels arranged in a second pattern which does not correspond to the first pattern; providing a plurality of photodetectors for recording the optical signal interference; and computationally reconstructing RF sources in k-space from the recorded interference. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method utilized by an optical imaging receiver for RF signal processing, comprising:
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receiving incoming RF signals at a phased-array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a first pattern; modulating the received RF signals from each of the plurality of antenna elements onto an optical carrier to generate a plurality of modulated optical signals; using a plurality of optical fibers, arranged in a second pattern which corresponds to the first pattern, the optical fibers having varying lengths; providing a plurality of photodetectors for recording optical signal interference occurring after the optical signals are released from their respective optical fibers; and computationally reconstructing RF sources in k-space from the recorded interference. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 36)
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23. An imaging receiver comprising:
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an antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a first pattern configured to receive RF radiation; a plurality of electro-optic modulators corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements, each modulator configured to modulate an optical carrier with the received RF radiation to generate a plurality of modulated optical signals; a plurality of optical channels configured to carry the plurality of modulated optical signals; a plurality of optical-phase adjustment means corresponding to the plurality of optical channels; a plurality of optical-channel outputs arranged in a second pattern wherein the second pattern is a scaled and substantially planarized version of the first pattern; a means for effecting substantially unequal time delays between a wave-front of the received RF radiation and the optical-channel outputs for at least some of the different optical channels; a compound optical channel coupled to the plurality of optical-channel outputs and configured to cause interference amongst the modulated optical signals; and a plurality of photodetectors for recording the optical signal interference, wherein the plurality of optical-phase adjustment means may be adjusted to substantially cancel the unequal RF phase delays incurred due to the unequal time delays at a selected frequency of the RF radiation. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 33)
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28. A method utilized by an optical imaging receiver for RF signal processing, comprising:
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receiving incoming RF signals at an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a first pattern; modulating the received RF signals from each of the plurality of antenna elements, onto an optical carrier to generate a plurality of modulated optical signals; directing the plurality of modulated optical signals to a plurality of optical channels configured to carry the plurality of modulated optical signals; arranging a plurality of optical-channel outputs in a second pattern wherein the second pattern is a scaled and substantially planarized version of the first pattern; introducing substantially unequal time delays between a wave-front of the received RF radiation and the optical-channel outputs for at least some of the different optical channels; coupling a compound optical channel to the plurality of optical-channel outputs which are configured to cause interference amongst the modulated optical signals; and providing a plurality of photodetectors for recording the optical signal interference, wherein the time delays may be adjusted to substantially cancel the unequal RF phase delays incurred due to the unequal time delays at a selected frequency of the RF radiation. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 34)
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Specification