Patent ID: 8441392

Claim:
A method for locating in space, from a carrier, a target of azimuth A estimated target and of elevation angle S estimated target using at least one first linear antenna array with electronic scanning ARRAY_H comprising at least one individual antenna and at least one second linear antenna array with electronic scanning ARRAY_B comprising at least two individual antennas, said target emitting a signal in response to an interrogation from the carrier, the method comprising: step 1: creating a third combined linear antenna array ARRAY_C by coupling at least one individual antenna of the antenna array ARRAY_H and at least one individual antenna of the antenna array ARRAY_B, step 2: determining the monopulse angle Ψ Rx H (A,S) or Ψ Rx B (A,S), so as to define a first response acceptance zone ZAR 1 , by a measurement on the signal emitted by the target and received on one of the antenna arrays ARRAY_H or ARRAY_B, with A and S being the potential azimuth and elevation angle values of said target, step 3: determining the monopulse angle Ψ Rx C (A,S), so as to define a second response acceptance zone ZAR 2 , by a measurement on the signal emitted by the target and received on the combined antenna array ARRAY_C, said zone being formed by one or more windows in the plane (A,S), step 4: forming, from at least the information items Ψ Rx H (A,S) and Ψ Rx C (A,S) or Ψ Rx B (A,S) and Ψ Rx C (A,S), a third response acceptance zone ZAR 3 equal to the intersection of the two zones ZAR 1 and ZAR 2 defined previously and making it possible to locate the target from its coordinates (A estimated target , S estimated target ).