Transponder-type beacons

• US 3,241,137 A
• Filed: 05/05/1958
• Issued: 03/15/1966
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1958
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allen E. Smoll
• Original Assignee: Allen E. Smoll
• Inventors: Smoll, Allen E.
• Application Number:
  US03/733,792
• Time in Patent Office: 2,871 Days
• US Class Current: 342/187
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26

Claims

1. IN A RADAR BEACON SET FOR GENERATING REPLY PULSES IN RESPONSE TO INCOMING RADAR PULSES, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AN ANTENNA, A TRANSMIT-RECEIVE DUPLEX CONNECTED TO SAID ANTENNA, A RECEIVER CONNECTED TO SAID DUPLEXER FOR RECEIVING INCOMING PULSES, SAID RECEIVER COMPRISING A FIRST SUPERHETERODYNE MIXER FOR CONVERTING THE INCOMING PULSES TO AN INTERMEDIATE FREQUENCY, A LOCAL OSCILLATOR CONNECTED TO SAID MIXER FOR SUPPLYING A HETERODYNE SIGNAL THERETO, A FIRST INTERMEDIATE FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER CONNECTED TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID MIXER, A FIRST PASSIVE FREQUENCY STANDARD COMPRISING A FREQUENCY DISCRIMINATOR CONNECTED TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID AMPLIFIER TO SUPPLY A CONTROL SIGNAL FOR VARYING THE FREQUENCY OF SAID LOCAL OSCILLATOR SO AS TO BRING THE PULSES AT SAID FREQUENCY DISCRIMINATOR TO A PREDETERMINED FREQUENCY, A FIRST NORMALLY "ON" GATE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID FREQUENCY DISCRIMINATOR AND SAID LOCAL OSCILLATOR TO CONTROL THE SUPPLY OF SAID CONTROL SIGNAL THERETO, A TRANSMITTER CONNECTED TO SAID DUPLEXER FOR GENERATING REPLY PULSES, A MODULATOR CONNECTED BETWEEN THE OUTPUT OF SAID RECEIVER AND SAID TRANSMITTER TO CAUSE SAID TRANSMITTER TO GENERATE A REPLY PULSE IN RESPONSE TO EACH INCOMING PULSE, A SECOND SUPERHETERODYNE MIXER COUPLED TO SAID TRANSMITTER FOR RECEIVING THE PULSES GENERATED THEREBY, SAID LOCAL OSCILLATOR BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND MIXER TO SUPPLY A HETERODYNE SIGNAL THERETO, A SECOND INTERMEDIATE FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER CONNECTED TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID SECOND MIXER, A SECOND FREQUENCY STANDARD COMPRISING A SECOND MIXER, A SECOND CRIMINATOR CONNECTED TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID SECOND INTERMEDIATE FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER, A FREQUENCY CONTROLLER CONNECTED TO SAID TRANSMITTER FOR VARYING THE FREQUENCY THEREOF IN RESPONSE TO CONTROL SIGNALS FROM SAID SECOND FREQUENCY DISCRIMINATOR, A SECOND NORMALLY "OFF" GATE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SECOND DISCRIMINATOR AND SAID CONTROLLER TO CONTROL THE SUPPLY OF CONTROL SIGNALS THERETO, AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND GATES TO SAID MODULATOR FOR TURNING SAID FIRST GATE "OFF" WHILE TURNING SAID SECOND GATE "ON" WHILE SAID TRANSMITTER IS GENERATING A PULSE, SAID FIRST FREQUENCY DISCRIMINATOR BEING EFFECTIVE TO TUNE SAID LOCAL OSCILLATOR TO PROVIDE AN ACTIVE FREQUENCY STANDARD FOR SAID TRANSMITTER, WHILE SAID SECOND FREQUENCY DISCRIMINATOR IS EFFECTIVE TO TUNE SAID TRANSMITTER WITH REFERENCE TO SAID LOCAL OSCILLATOR SO THAT THE FREQUENCY OF THE TRANSMITTER PULSES WILL BE MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE FREQUENCY OF THE INCOMING PULSES.