Traveling wave interferometry particularly for solar power satellites
First Claim
1. A method for use in scientific measurement and analysis and comprising:
- (a) generating travelling interference fringes by radiating at least two different periodic waves at two different frequencies, one from each of two different radiators;
(b) receiving, mixing and filtering said radiated waves to detect at least one beat signal; and
(c) detecting the phase of said beat signal relative to a reference signal of the same frequency.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for use in scientific measurement analysis and control. Travelling interference fringes are generated by radiating at least two different periodic waves at two different frequencies, one from each of two different radiators. The waves are received, mixed and filtered to detect at least one beat signal from these waves which represents the travelling interference fringe. The phase of that beat signal is detected relative to a reference signal of the same frequency as the beat signal. The radiated waves may be received at a second antenna and the phase of the beat of the waves at the first antenna is compared to the phase of the beat as observed at the second antenna. A third wave may be radiated from the first antenna to provide a reference signal which is the beat generated by the third wave and the other wave from the same radiator.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method for use in scientific measurement and analysis and comprising:
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(a) generating travelling interference fringes by radiating at least two different periodic waves at two different frequencies, one from each of two different radiators; (b) receiving, mixing and filtering said radiated waves to detect at least one beat signal; and (c) detecting the phase of said beat signal relative to a reference signal of the same frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6)
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4. A method for creating a moving interference fringe pattern and providing a signal which is related to the distance between the fringes, the method comprising:
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(a) radiating two periodic waves at two different frequencies, one from one radiator and the other from another radiator; (b) receiving both of said waves at each of at least two spaced apart receiving antennas; (c) mixing and filtering the signals which are generated by both of said waves at each of said receiving antennas to detect a beat of said signals; and (d) detecting the phase difference of each of said beats.
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5. A method for creating a moving interference fringe pattern and for providing a signal which is related to the position of said fringes relative to a receiving antenna, the method comprising:
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(a) radiating a carrier wave and a sideband wave from a first radiator; (b) radiating the opposite sideband wave from a second radiator; (c) receiving, mixing and filtering signals generated by said waves at a receiving antenna to detect a beat of the carrier with each of its sidebands; and (d) detecting the phase difference of said beats. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method for generating an electrical signal for use in making a geometrical measurement, said method comprising:
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(a) radiating a first sinusoidally varying wave from a first radiator at a first frequency; (b) radiating a second, sinusoidally varying wave from a second radiator at a second frequency which is different than said first frequency; (c) receiving both of said waves at each of at least two spaced apart receiving antennas spaced from said first and second radiators; (d) mixing and filtering the two signals which are generated by said waves arriving at each antenna to produce a beat signal for each of said antennas; and (e) detecting the phase difference between said beat signals. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method for generating an electrical signal for use in metering the distance between two points in space, said method comprising:
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(a) radiating a first, electromagnetic, sinusoidally varying, wave at a first frequency from a first radiator located at one of said points; (b) radiating a second electromagnetic, sinusoidally varying wave from a second radiator located at the other of said points at a frequency which is different than said first frequency; (c) receiving both of said waves at each of at least two spaced apart receiving antennas spaced from said points; (d) mixing the two signals from each of said antennas which are generated by said waves to produce a beat signal for each of said antennas; and (e) detecting the phase difference between said beat signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for generating an electrical signal for compensating the phase of sinusoidally varying waves at the same frequency ω
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T from two points so that they will be in phase along a substantially planar wave front at a receiving location, said method comprising;
(a) radiating a first, sinusoidally varying reference wave from a first one of said points at a first frequency; (b) radiating a second, sinusoidally varying reference wave from said first point at a second, different frequency; (c) radiating a third sinusoidally varying wave from said second point at a frequency which is different from the frequency of said two waves from said first point; (d) receiving, mixing and filtering said reference waves at a location on earth to produce a reference beat signal; (e) receiving, mixing and filtering one of said reference waves and said wave from said second point at said location on earth to produce a second beat signal; and (f) detecting the phase difference between said beat signals. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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T from two points so that they will be in phase along a substantially planar wave front at a receiving location, said method comprising;
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26. An apparatus for use in making a geometrical measurement relative to two spaced points, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a first radiator and signal generating means connected thereto for radiating a first periodic wave from a first one of said points at a first frequency; (b) a second, radiator and signal generating means connected thereto for radiating a second, periodic wave from the second one of said points at a second frequency spaced from said first frequency; (c) a first receiving antenna spaced from both of said radiators for receiving said waves; (d) a second receiving antenna spaced from both of said radiators and from said first receiving antenna for receiving said waves; (e) mixing and filtering means connected to said first and to second receiving antennas for detecting the beat signals of said waves as received at each of said receiving antennas; and (f) phase detecting means for detecting the phase difference between each of said beat signals. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for use in adjusting an array of at least two transmitting antennas to make waves radiated from them at an operating frequency arrive in phase at a receiving antenna means, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for radiating a first periodic reference wave from a first one of said transmitting antennas; (b) means for radiating a second, periodic reference wave from said first radiating antenna at a sideband frequency spaced from the frequency of said first reference wave; (c) means for radiating a third periodic wave from the second one of said transmitting antennas at a second sideband frequency spaced on the opposite side of said second reference wave by a frequency band equal to the spacing of the frequency of said first reference wave from said second reference wave; (d) a receiving antenna spaced from said transmitting antennas for receiving all of said waves; (e) mixing and filtering means coupled to said receiving antenna for detecting the beat signal derived from said first reference wave and said second reference wave to provide a reference beat signal and for detecting the beat signal derived from said second reference wave and said third wave; and (f) phase detecting means for detecting the phase difference between said beat signals. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for phase compensating sinusoidally varying waves at the same frequency, ω
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T, from at least two points so that they will be substantially focused to constructively reinforce at a single point at a receiving location, said method comprising;
(a) Radiating a first, sinusoidally varying reference wave at a frequency different from ω
T from a reference point;(b) Radiating a second sinusoidally varying reference wave from said reference point at a second frequency which is different from ω
T and from said first wave;(c) Radiating a third sinusoidally varying wave from one of said two points at a frequency of ω
T ;(d) Receiving, mixing and filtering said reference waves at a location on earth to produce a reference beat signal; (e) Receiving, mixing and filtering one of said reference waves and said wave from one of said two points at said location on earth to produce a second beat signal; (f) Detecting the phase difference between said beat signals; (g) Shifting the phase of the third sinusoidally varying wave by a phase angle equal to said detected phase difference between said beat signals so that the phase difference between said beat signals will become zero; and (h) Repeating steps (c) through (g) for a wave radiated at a frequency ω
T from the second one of said two points. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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T, from at least two points so that they will be substantially focused to constructively reinforce at a single point at a receiving location, said method comprising;
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39. A method for steering a beam of radiated waves which is radiated from a plurality of spaced subarray radiators forming a radiating antenna field, from incidence upon a first point with a planar wave front to incidence upon a second point with a planar wave front, said method comprising:
- shifting the wave radiated from each subarray radiator by a phase shift φ
P for each subarray radiator defined by the expression;
##EQU18## wherein DO represents the distance between said points of incidence, ω
T represents the frequency of the radiated waves, x represents the distance from a selected one of said subarray radiators to a point which results from the projection of the position of the subarray radiator having the phase of its radiated wave being shifted, onto the plane defined by said first point, said second point and said selected subarray and then projection onto the plane passing through said selected subarray perpendicularly to a line joining said selected subarray and said second point, θ
c represents the angle between a line joining said first point of incidence with said second point of incidence and a line passing through said first point of incidence and perpendicular to a line joining said second point of incidence and one of said radiators, L represents the distance from said second point of incidence to said one radiator, and c is the speed of light.
- shifting the wave radiated from each subarray radiator by a phase shift φ
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44. A method for phase adjusting the subarray radiators of an antenna array while the array is radiating at a primary operating frequency, said method comprising:
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(a) radiating a wave from a subarray radiator at a frequency which is spaced from said primary operating frequency; (b) comparing the phase of said wave to the phase of a reference signal at the same frequency as a signal derived from said wave to determine the phase difference; (c) calculating a phase compensation angle for said subarray which will bring the radiation from said subarray into a selected phase relationship with the radiation from said array at said operating frequency; (d) adjusting the phase of said subarray by said phase compensation angle; and (e) repeating said steps (a) through (d), in sequence, for others of said radiators.
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Specification