Wideband beamformer
First Claim
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1. A wideband beamformer comprising:
- first beamforming means having means for coupling to an array of sensor elements for forming sets of sector beams numbering N, each set having a number NS of sector beams, equal for all sets, each sector beam covering an angular sector, thereby providing a total of NNS sector beams, said sector beams of said sets being in a one-to-one correspondence with corresponding sector beams covering like angular sectors and said sector beams of each set in totality spanning an angular region and for providing signals representative of said sector beams at output terminals, said output terminals being in one-to-one correspondence with said NNS sector beams for providing time delays to said sector beam representative signals for time aligning representative signals of corresponding sector beams; and
second beamforming means having input terminals coupled to receive said time aligned sector beam representative signals for providing phase-shifts to said time aligned sector beam representative signals to form sub-sector beams, numbering MS, within and angularly spanning each sector beam, thereby providing MS NS sub-sector beams.
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Abstract
A beamformer that accommodates signals of substantially wider bandwith than conventional phase-shift beamformers by processing signals coupled from an array of sensor elements in a multi-stage sequence of operations that alternate between phase-shift beamforming and time-delay steering.
62 Citations
5 Claims
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1. A wideband beamformer comprising:
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first beamforming means having means for coupling to an array of sensor elements for forming sets of sector beams numbering N, each set having a number NS of sector beams, equal for all sets, each sector beam covering an angular sector, thereby providing a total of NNS sector beams, said sector beams of said sets being in a one-to-one correspondence with corresponding sector beams covering like angular sectors and said sector beams of each set in totality spanning an angular region and for providing signals representative of said sector beams at output terminals, said output terminals being in one-to-one correspondence with said NNS sector beams for providing time delays to said sector beam representative signals for time aligning representative signals of corresponding sector beams; and second beamforming means having input terminals coupled to receive said time aligned sector beam representative signals for providing phase-shifts to said time aligned sector beam representative signals to form sub-sector beams, numbering MS, within and angularly spanning each sector beam, thereby providing MS NS sub-sector beams. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for forming a beam, which comprises:
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positioning a plurality of sensor elements to form sensor element array; forming a multiplicity of subarrays, all having substantially equal angular coverage, from said sensor element array; coupling each subarray to a corresponding one of a multiplicity of angular sector phase-shift beamformers, said angular sector phase-shift beamformers having a plurality of output terminals, of equal number for all angular sector phase-shift beamformers, with corresponding output terminals being related to an angular sector within said angular region; coupling corresponding output terminals to time-delay circuits to time align signals from corresponding output terminals; coupling said time delay circuits to a subsector phase-shift beamformer having output terminals for phase-shifting said time aligned signals to form a plurality of subsector beams within said angular sector and provide signals representative of each of said subsector beams at a corresponding one of said output terminals.
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Specification