Homing device
First Claim
1. A radio control system comprising:
- a transmitting antenna producing a high frequency alternating field having both horizontal and vertical components, a first receiving antenna producing an output that is primarily a function of said vertical component, a second receiving antenna producing an output that is primarily a function of its angular position to said horizontal component a third receiving antenna that is angularly positioned along with said second antenna and producing an output that is a function of its angular position to said horizontal component but which is of opposite electrical polarity with respect to the output of said second receiving antenna, first switch means actuated at an audio frequency and which when actuated adds the output of said first and second receiving antennas, second switch means actuated at an audio frequency and which when actuated adds the output of said first and third receiving antennas, conductor means receiving the alternate signals of said first and second switch means to provide an amplitude modulated signal the peaks and valleys of which correspond to the strength of said signals from said first and second switch means, means for detecting the amplitude modulated signal and providing a signal having peaks and valleys both of which are on one side of a reference voltage different from ground, signal adjusting means causing the voltage differential obtained by subtracting the valleys from a reference voltage which differential is in turn subtracted from the reference voltage while leaving the peaks substantially unchanged to provide a synthetic signal, filter means filtering the synthetic signal to provide a D.C. voltage, and means using the filtered synthetic signal for control.
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Abstract
A homing system utilizing a loop antenna positioned at approximately 45° to the vertical to provide an electromagnetic field having both horizontal and vertical components. These signal components are picked up by a vertical loop stick antenna alternately connected to one of two bifilar wound coils of a horizontal loop stick antenna to provide alternating signals. The strength diagrams for the alternating signals are cardioid shaped and are arranged back to back with their null point passing through the intersections of the back to back signals. The null point of both antenna systems occurs when the horizontal loopstick antennas are at right angles to the electromagnetic lines of force; and any time that the horizontal loop sticks are turned at an angle relative to their null point, a difference in signal strength exists between the two antenna systems. This is picked up, and is amplified at separate time intervals by a common amplifier. The separate signals are detected, than thrown on the opposite sides of a reference voltage and filtered to give a signal, the polarity of which is indicative of the side of the null point to which the antenna is positioned and the strength of which is indicative of the amount of deviation. The signals are passed to a stepper motor which both rotates the antenna towards the sending station, and steers the driving motor for bringing the vehicle to the transmitting station. A unique automatic gain control is utilized to overcome the great difference in signal strength that exists in the 1,000 foot range adjacent to the transmitting station.
14 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A radio control system comprising:
- a transmitting antenna producing a high frequency alternating field having both horizontal and vertical components, a first receiving antenna producing an output that is primarily a function of said vertical component, a second receiving antenna producing an output that is primarily a function of its angular position to said horizontal component a third receiving antenna that is angularly positioned along with said second antenna and producing an output that is a function of its angular position to said horizontal component but which is of opposite electrical polarity with respect to the output of said second receiving antenna, first switch means actuated at an audio frequency and which when actuated adds the output of said first and second receiving antennas, second switch means actuated at an audio frequency and which when actuated adds the output of said first and third receiving antennas, conductor means receiving the alternate signals of said first and second switch means to provide an amplitude modulated signal the peaks and valleys of which correspond to the strength of said signals from said first and second switch means, means for detecting the amplitude modulated signal and providing a signal having peaks and valleys both of which are on one side of a reference voltage different from ground, signal adjusting means causing the voltage differential obtained by subtracting the valleys from a reference voltage which differential is in turn subtracted from the reference voltage while leaving the peaks substantially unchanged to provide a synthetic signal, filter means filtering the synthetic signal to provide a D.C. voltage, and means using the filtered synthetic signal for control.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A direction sensing device comprising:
- a first antenna system the output signal of which differs in amplitude on opposite sides of its null point and the change in strength of which per degree of rotation differs on opposite sides of the null point, a second antenna system providing an output signal corresponding to said first antenna system but the corresponding points of which are on opposite sides of said null, said antenna systems being fixed relative to each other with their null points coinciding, means amplifying the output of both antenna systems separately, means detecting both amplified signals separately, means combining said detected signals by causing peaks of the detected signals to alternate with each other and with the alternating peak to be on opposite sides of a reference voltage different from ground, and means filtering the combined signal to produce a signal that is a function of the deviation of said antenna systems from said null.
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15. A direction sensing device comprising:
- a first antenna system the output signal of which differs in amplitude on opposite sides of its null point, a second antenna system the output signal of which differs in amplitude on opposite sides of its null point, said first and second antenna systems being rotatable in fixed phase relationship with each other, a first amplifier, a high Q circuit feeding said amplifier, a first switch means which when actuated communicates said first antenna system to said high Q circuit, second switch means which when actuated communicates said second antenna system to said high Q circuit, electronic clock means alternately actuating said first and second switch means, detection means detecting the output of said amplifier, an operational amplifier having inverting and noninverting inputs, third switch means operated by said electronic clock means and communicating the output of said detection means to said inverting input in unison with the actuation of first switch means, fourth switch means operated by said electronic clock means and communicating the output of said detection means to said noninverting input in unison with the actuation of said second switch means, and filter means filtering the output of said operational amplifier to provide a composite D.C. signal.
- View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A homing device comprising:
- first and second antenna systems providing signals from a sending station which signals have similar strength patterns that project on opposite sides of the null position for both systems, means for amplifying and detecting both signals relative to a reference voltage above ground and feeding respective detected signals to respective noninverting and inverting inputs of an operational amplifier having a constant biasing voltage corresponding to the null position of said first and second antenna systems, and filtering means to provide a composite signal the strength of which relative to the reference voltage indicates from which side of the null position the signal was received.
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19. A radio control system comprising:
- first and second antenna systems which provide different signals in response to direction from a transmitted source;
first means alternately communicating signals from said first and second antenna systems to amplifier means to produce a synthetic wave form;
second means detecting said synthetic wave form to give a pulsating D.C. voltage having crests and valleys;
third means producing a second synthetic wave form in which a first voltage differential between the crests and a reference voltage different from ground, and a second voltage differential between the valleys and said reference voltage, are caused to be on opposite sides of a reference voltage;
fourth means averaging peaks and valleys of said second synthetic wave form; and
means utilizing the average voltage so produced as a control function. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
- first and second antenna systems which provide different signals in response to direction from a transmitted source;
Specification