Patent ID: 8179302

Claim:
An apparatus for transmitting and receiving radio-frequency signals, comprising: a cylindrical antenna array, which comprises an omnidirectional channel; an IFF interrogator connected to the cylindrical antenna array; an IFF transponder connected to the cylindrical antenna array; wherein the apparatus includes a means for sharing the omnidirectional channel between the IFF interrogator and the IFF transponder, said means having a radio-frequency switch arranged so that the omnidirectional channel is connected on transmit either to the IFF interrogator or to the IFF transponder, the radio-frequency switch connecting the omnidirectional channel on transmit to the IFF transponder by default, the IFF interrogator providing a trigger signal to the radio-frequency switch to be connected on transmit to the omnidirectional channel, the radio-frequency switch switching back to its default state when a predefined time has elapsed or the trigger signal has been removed.