Patent ID: 6313784
Filing Date: 2001-11-06
Classification: F41G

Abstract:
A millimeter-wave antenna system for guiding a beamrider hypervelocity missile toward impact on a pre-selected target, the missile having thereon a millimeter wave receiver, said millimeter-wave antenna system being capable of beam-shaping so as to achieve zooming effect in response to the varying range of the missile in flight from the launch platform to the target, said antenna system comprising: a phased array antenna having four quadrants, each quadrant being comprised of a plurality of antenna elements for emitting and receiving millimeter-wave beam; a means for producing a sum of the amplitudes of the millimeter wave received by said four quadrants, the received millimeter wave having reflected from the missile and said sum containing the missile range information; a plurality of circulators, said circulators being coupled between said quadrants and said producing means, said circulators selectively routing received millimeter-wave to said producing means; and a means for receiving said range information from said producing means and, in response, electronically adjusting the amplitudes and phases of said quadrants so as to yield an emitting guidance beam that maintains constant energy density at the missile receiver regardless of the distance of the missile from the launch platform, said adjusting means being coupled between said producing means and said phased array antenna.