US3723955A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Beam former
Assignee: Control Data Corp
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Filing: 1965-11-15
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Granted: 1973-03-27
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Expires: 1985-11-15
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for producing a beam of radiated energy comprises an array of transducers, a source of reference pulses for determining the frequency of the energy to be transmitted, a frequency divider connected to each of the transducers, and a source of clock pulses connected to the frequency dividers which determine the phase delay between the signals coupled to the respective transducers as a function of clock pulse frequency. Each of the frequency dividers includes an enabling input and an inhibit input with the output of each divider being coupled to its own inhibit input and the enabling input of the next adjacent divider. The reference pulses are coupled to the enabling input of the frequency divider associated with the first transducer. Where desired to shift the beam between 0* and 180*, the phase of the voltage applied to every other transducer element is shifted an additional 180* beyond that provided by the frequency divider.
Inventors
- 👤 J Lyons
- 👤 Filippis T De
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:46
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01Q; H01Q3/00; H01Q3/26; H01Q3/30; H01Q3/34; G; G01; G01S; G01S15/00; G01S15/88; G01S15/89; G01S15/8906; G01S15/8909; G01S15/8915; G01S15/8918; G10; G10K; G10K11/00; G10K11/18; G10K11/26; G10K11/34; G10K11/341; G10K11/346
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
Beam forming apparatus for use with an array of transducer elements, comprising at least one frequency divider connected to each of said transducer elements, means for applying clock pulses to said dividers , means for applying reference pulses having a preselected frequency to the first of said dividers, each of said dividers having an enabling input for enabling operation thereof and an inhibit input for preventing the divider from dividing the clock pulses, the output of each divider being coupled to its own inhibit input and the enabling input of the next adjacent divider.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
94 words
Beam forming apparatus for use with an array of transducer elements, comprising at least one frequency divider connected to each of said transducer elements, means for applying clock pulses to said dividers , means for applying reference pulses having a preselected frequency to the first of said dividers, each of said dividers having an enabling input for enabling operation thereof and an inhibit input for preventing the divider from dividing the clock pulses, the output of each divider being coupled to its own inhibit input and the enabling input of the next adjacent divider.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, including bistable means connected between the output of each divider and its associated transducer element, said bistable means changing state each timE a pulse appears at the output of its divider.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said reference pulses have a frequency twice the frequency of the energy to be translated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transducers are spaced so that the propagation time between adjacent transducers is less than half the period of the energy to be translated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, including means for inserting a phase difference of 180* between adjacent transducer elements.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
118 words
Beam forming apparatus for applying a plurality of progressively phased voltages to a linear array of spaced radiators, comprising a multi-stage digital delay means connected to each transducer for coupling said voltages to said transducer elements, each of said digital delay means being operable in response to the output of the next preceding delay means, means for simultaneously applying clock pulses to all of said delay means, said delay means producing a delayed output upon receipt of a preselected number of clock pulses, and means for applying a signal having a preselected frequency to the input of the first of said digital delay means only, said preselected frequency determining the frequency of the energy transmitted by said array.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
118 words
Beam forming apparatus for applying a plurality of progressively phased voltages to a linear array of spaced radiators, comprising a multi-stage digital delay means connected to each transducer for coupling said voltages to said transducer elements, each of said digital delay means being operable in response to the output of the next preceding delay means, means for simultaneously applying clock pulses to all of said delay means, said delay means producing a delayed output upon receipt of a preselected number of clock pulses, and means for applying a signal having a preselected frequency to the input of the first of said digital delay means only, said preselected frequency determining the frequency of the energy transmitted by said array.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
Beam forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of said digital delay means comprises an n stage frequency divider responsive to said clock pulses and having an enabling input and an inhibit input, said enabling inputs being connected to the output of the preceding divider, said inhibit inputs being connected to the outputs of the associated dividers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
173 words
Apparatus for producing a beam of radiated energy comprising an array of transducer elements, said transducer elements being spaced so that the propagation time of the energy between adjacent elements is less than half the translated frequency, two digital dividers coupled to each of said transducer elements, means for applying clock pulses to said dividers, means for applying reference pulses having a preselected frequency to one of the dividers associated with the first of said transducers, means for applying the complements of said reference pulses to the other divider associated with said first transducer, each of said dividers having an enabling input for enabling operation thereof and an inhibit input for preventing the divider from dividing the clock pulses, the output of each divider being coupled to its own inhibit input and the enabling input of one of the dividers associated with the next adjacent transducer, and bistable means connected to each pair of dividers and their associated transducers for introducing an additional 180* phase shift in the voltages applied to said transducers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
173 words
Apparatus for producing a beam of radiated energy comprising an array of transducer elements, said transducer elements being spaced so that the propagation time of the energy between adjacent elements is less than half the translated frequency, two digital dividers coupled to each of said transducer elements, means for applying clock pulses to said dividers, means for applying reference pulses having a preselected frequency to one of the dividers associated with the first of said transducers, means for applying the complements of said reference pulses to the other divider associated with said first transducer, each of said dividers having an enabling input for enabling operation thereof and an inhibit input for preventing the divider from dividing the clock pulses, the output of each divider being coupled to its own inhibit input and the enabling input of one of the dividers associated with the next adjacent transducer, and bistable means connected to each pair of dividers and their associated transducers for introducing an additional 180* phase shift in the voltages applied to said transducers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus for steering a beam of energy comprising an array of linear transducer elements, the propagation time of the energy between adjacent transducer elements being less than one-half the period of the frequency to be transmitted, means including variable delay means for producing a plurality of successively phased voltages to be applied to the respective transducers, and means for shifting the phase of the voltage applied to every other transducer element an additional 180*.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus for steering a beam of energy comprising an array of linear transducer elements, the propagation time of the energy between adjacent transducer elements being less than one-half the period of the frequency to be transmitted, means including variable delay means for producing a plurality of successively phased voltages to be applied to the respective transducers, and means for shifting the phase of the voltage applied to every other transducer element an additional 180*.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means for shifting comprises a bistable multivibrator connected between each transducer element and its associated delay means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-03-26 | 1976-09-25 | 1977-03-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-03-26 | 1980-09-25 | 1981-03-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-03-26 | 1984-09-25 | 1985-03-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |