Patent GB-738756-A (GB)
Title: Radio beacon systems for position determination
IPC: G01S1/02
Filed: 1952-08-14
Abstract: 738,756. Radio navigation. GAUDILLERE, P. Aug. 14, 1952 [Aug. 16, 1951; July 24, 1952], No. 20441/52. Class 40 (7). In a navigation system for determining the position line of a mobile receiver M relative to two spaced transmitters A and B radiating carrier waves FA and FB of different frequency modulated respectively in amplitude or frequency by sinusoidal signals p and q of slightly different audio frequency, the locus of the points at which the instantaneous amplitudes of the modulation signals p and q are coincident, i.e. the isophase line, is a skew hyperbola and sweeps cyclically from one transmitter to the other with a recurrence frequency of (p - q). According to the present invention a reference " initial " signal S of frequency (p - q) synchronized with the movement of the isophase line is transmitted from a fixed point, e.g. A or B, a " position " signal L is generated at the mobile receiver when the isophase line passes through it and means are provided for measuring the time interval # between the initial and position signals, the loci of constant r being substantially true hyperbolµ. In order to avoid ambiguity the frequencies p and q are such that (p+q) < c/d, where c is the velocity of propagation of radio waves and d is the spacing between transmitters A and B. The difference between the frequencies p and q is less than 10 c/s. and is preferably equal to or less than 1 c/s. For d equal to 3000, 300 and 50 km., p and q may be of the order of 50, 500 and 3000 c/s. respectively. Means are provided for locking the frequencies p and q manually or automatically to maintain the sweep frequency (p - q) constant. The time interval # may be determined on the mobile receiver, i.e. " subjective " system, or the position signal generated at the mobile receiver may be transmitted to a fixed ground station where the value of # is determined, i.e. "objective" system. A second position line (time delay #<SP>1</SP>) intersecting the first may be determined by the use of a second pair of transmitters A<SP>1</SP> and B<SP>1</SP> perpendicular to the first pair and operating with the same modulation signals p and q but different carrier frequencies FA<SP>1</SP>FB<SP>1</SP>, thus enabling the position of the receiver to be determined. Means are described for communicating with any selected mobile receiver from the ground station. Generating position signal at mobile receiver.- In one embodiment, Fig. 4 (not shown), the received carriers are separated and demodulated. The p signal is applied in phase quadrature to the crossed stators of a phase meter and the q signal is applied to the rotor thereof, causing it to rotate at the sweep frequency (p - q) and actuate a contact to generate the position signal L when the two signals p and q are coincident. In a modification, Fig. 5, the signals p and q are applied to the rotors 22, 25 of two interconnected Selsyns 20, 21, the rotor 22 being locked so that rotor 25 rotates at the sweep frequency (p - q) and generates a position signal as above. Alternatively, Figs. 6 and 7 (not shown), the signals p and q are heterodyned and the beat frequency is shaped to give pulses of recurrence frequency (p - q) coincident with the coincidence condition of signals p and q. Measurement of time interval #.-In one embodiment, Fig. 8 (not shown), the mobile receiver comprises a phase meter of the type described above with respect to Figs. 4 and 5. and the shaft of the phase meter drives a radially-slotted disc interposed between a graduated fluorescent screen and a neon tube which is pulsed by the received initial signal S giving a luminous radial line on the screen whose angular position indicates the time interval #. In another embodiment, Fig. 9, the separated p and q signals are applied to the rotors 22, 25 of Selsyns 20, 21 as in Fig. 5, but the position of rotor. 22 is controlled by a reversible D.C. motor 44 and the rotor 25 carries a brush 45 connected to a negative voltage source 46 and bearing on a split conductive cylinder whose two halves 47, 48 are connected respectively to the inner control grids of pentodes 49, 50. The received positive initial signal S is applied in parallel to the outer control grids and the two anodes are connected respectively to the field windings of motor 44. As in Fig. 5, rotor 25 rotates at a frequency (p - q) so that the pentodes are alternately blocked for half the rotational period and the pentode which is unblocked when the initial signal is received delivers a current pulse to its associated motor field winding causing the motor to rotate rotor 22 until brush 45 is at the cylinder gap when the initial signal S is received, the resultant rotation of rotor 22 which is a measure of the required time interval # being indicated by a pointer 51. In both of the above embodiments a second indicator may be geared up from the first indicator to give a magnified measurement. Alternatively the time interval may be measured by employing a local pulse generator synchronized by the received signals p or q and counting electronically the number of pulses between reception of the initial signal S and generation of the position signal L, or the position signal L may be applied to the grid of a cathode-ray tube to intensity-modulate a timebase of recurrence frequency (p - q) triggered by the initial signal S. Indicating position of mobile receiver.-The two time intervals # and #<SP>1</SP> derived from the signals radiated by transmitters A, B and A<SP>1</SP>, B<SP>1</SP> may be displayed on separate cathode-ray tubes and projected on to a single screen or they may be displayed as the x and y co-ordinates of a luminous spot on the rectangular raster of a single cathode-ray tube whose field (vertical) timebase is synchronized by the initial signal S from the network AB, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12 in which the display is produced at a fixed ground station, Fig. 12. In this system the frequencies p and q are such that p=n (p - q) and the AB network is divided into n hyperbolic channels defined by coincidence hyperbolµ constituting the loci of points at which the passage of the isophase line coincides with the reception of a reference signal of recurrence frequency p. The cathode-ray tube raster has n lines. At the mobile receiver, Fig. 11, a delayed L signal is derived from the position signal, the delay time relative to the initial signal S for network AB being one of n discrete values corresponding to the particular channel in which the receiver is located and the signal is further delayed by an amount #<SP>11</SP>=#<SP>1</SP>/n and then applied to intensity-modulate the cathoderay tube so that the number of the horizontal line on which the signal is displayed corresponds to the channel in the A, B network occupied by the receiver and its displacement along the line indicates the value of #<SP>1</SP>. As shown in Fig. 11, the signals p, q and S are applied to a motor Selsyn system 20, 21, 60, as described with respect to Fig. 9 which displays the value of r at 60a and generates a position signal L of frequency (p - q) which is converted into a pulse of duration 1/p at 60b and applied to a coincidence pentode 62 together with a pulse train of recurrence frequency p obtained by shaping the p signal at 60c to give a delayed L signal which is further delayed by #<SP>11</SP> by means of a variable delay device 63a controlled by a phasemeter 64 responsive to the signals of the A<SP>1</SP>, B<SP>1</SP> network, which are handled in circuit E<SP>1</SP> corresponding to circuit E from the signals of the A.B. network ; the resultant further delayed L signal is transmitted at 65 on a carrier FL. At the ground station, Fig. 12, the signals p and S transmitted from transmitter A are separated and applied to synchronize the line and field timebases 73, 72 of the display cathode-ray tube 75 which is intensity-modulated by the doubly-displayed L signal received at 66. A similar display could be produced at any one mobile receiver, the response indicating the location of that receiver being brighter than the responses indicating the locations of other receivers. Communication system.-In order to communicate selectively with a mobile receiver whose position is displayed at the ground station, Fig. 12, the initial signals S and S<SP>1</SP> are applied from 70 and 80a to phase shifters 79, 78 controlled respectively by cursors 76, 74 aligned with the position spot, the outputs C, C<SP>1</SP> from the phase shifters being radiated from transmitter 82. At the mobile receiver M, Fig. 11, the received signals C, C<SP>1</SP> are applied respectively to coincidence pentodes 83, 84 together with the delayed position signal L from 60b and the position signal L<SP>1</SP> from 60d so that when L and L<SP>1</SP> coincide with C and C<SP>1</SP> respectively, relay 85 closes to render a communication receiver 86 operative for at least one sweep period. Initial signal S.-This may be generated at a monitor receiver R adjacent one of the transmitters by any of the methods employed for generating the position signal L at a mobile receiver. Alternatively it may be generated at one of the transmitters, the phase of the signal being locked to that of the transmitted p or q signals, Fig. 10 (not shown). Frequency and phase control of frequencies p and q.-The frequencies p and q are preferably chosen such that p=(K+1)(p - q) and q= K(p - q), where K and (K + 1) are reducible to prime factors of low order, e.g. K=80, 224 or 384. The frequency q may be taken as master and the frequency p derived therefrom at a monitor receiver adjacent transmitter A by multiplying the received frequency q by (K + 1) and then dividing by K, Fig. 2 (not shown). Alternatively a master frequency (p - q) may be generated at transmitter A and applied either to synchronize electromagnetically controlled tuning forks, Fig. 3 (not shown), or to control frequency multipliers at A and B, or alt