Telecommunications – Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter – Signal selection based on frequency
Reexamination Certificate
1982-12-29
2001-07-03
Blum, Theodore M. (Department: 3662)
Telecommunications
Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter
Signal selection based on frequency
C455S196100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256485
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention pertains in general to radio receivers and in particular to a wideband, multichannel receiver which produces a digital output.
BACKGROUND ART
There are numerous requirements for a radio receiver which can cover an extremely wide frequency band while guaranteeing a high probability of intercept for any signal within this band. This is particularly true with regard to electronic warfare receivers which are used to receive a signal that does not have a previously known carrier frequency.
Receiver systems have been developed which utilize a sweeping local oscillator signal to provide a greater reception bandwidth. Such receivers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,165 to Ready and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,954,465 to White. It has been found, however, that there are substantial practical limitations to the intercept bandwidth of such systems. The maximum bandwidths are typically limited by a specific circuit common to the entire receiver. This can take the form of a maximum rate for a digital sampler or the maximum possible IF bandwidth. Due to these restrictions there is a limit to the maximum bandwidth which can be received by such receivers while guaranteeing a very high probability of intercept.
In view of the need for a receiver system having an extremely wide intercept bandwidth, there exists a requirement for a receiver which can be incrementally expanded channel by channel to proportionately widen the intercept bandwidth while the system is not limited to the maximum performance for a single circuit or component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a wideband radio receiver which includes a signal distribution circuit for receiving an input signal and providing the input signal to a plurality of output terminals. The receiver further includes a system timing circuit and a plurality of frequency domain samplers which are connected respectively to the distribution circuit output terminals for receiving the input signal. Each of the frequency domain samplers includes a sweep oscillator for generating a repetitive sweep signal which is triggered by the system timing circuit. The sweep oscillators in the receiver are triggered sequentially by the system timing circuit. Each frequency domain sampler also includes a mixer connected to receive the input signal and the sweep signal for the corresponding frequency domain sampler, a frequency weighting filter connected to receive the output of the mixer, a dispersive delay line connected to receive the output of the frequency weighting filter and a digitizing circuit operating in response to the system timing circuit for digitizing the output of the dispersive delay line to produce a digital channel output. The radio receiver includes a circuit for storing for a limited time the digital channel outputs from the frequency domain samplers. Additional circuitry is provided to read selected ones of the stored digital channel outputs to produce a digital output signal for the radio receiver.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2954465 (1960-09-01), White
patent: 3745571 (1973-07-01), Chwastyk et al.
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Blum Theodore M.
Raytheon Company
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