Patent ID: 11921184
Assignee: LOCATA CORPORATION PTY LTD
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 8:
9. An apparatus for characterising the environment of a user platform, said apparatus comprising:
an antenna array having a plurality of spatially distributed antenna elements;, a switching network for activating said antenna elements in a predetermined sequence for transmitting or receiving signals;, a transmitter operatively associated with said antenna array for generating a signal and transmitting said signal through the sequentially activated antenna elements;, and, a receiver operatively associated with said antenna array for:, receiving incoming signals through said sequentially activated antenna elements;
applying phase or gain manipulations to received incoming signals in substantial synchronisation with said predetermined sequence, said phase or gain manipulations incorporating round-trip path corrections for said antenna array and being selected for forming a reciprocal beam of said antenna array in a predetermined direction;, accumulating the manipulated incoming signals over an integration period to form said reciprocal beam; and, inferring the presence of an object in said predetermined direction based on the detection in said reciprocal beam of a return of the transmitted signal.