Research/Patents/US 5781148
US 5781148

CONTINUOUS WAVE RADAR ALTIMETER

Assignee

GEC-MARCONI LIMITED, THE GROVE, WARREN LANE, STANMORE, MIDDLESEX HA7 4LY, UNITED KINGDOM

Filed

May 20, 1988

Granted

Jul 14, 1998

Location

HOCKLEY GB

Abstract

A continuous wave radar altimeter comprises a memory (24, 26), means for storing in the memory in digital form an array of return signals representative of the variation of reflected amplitude with path length, means (27), for addressing the memory for identifying a peak return representative of the highest objects on the terrain, means (28) responsive to the array for determining the signal-to-noise ratio thereof, and means (29) responsive to the height at which the said peak return occurs and to the signal-to-noise ratio to determine a "center of area" height representative of the lowest surface on the terrain. The altimeter thus provides not only the peak level, representing for example the tops of trees and buildings, but also the ground level.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Imposed

Nov 28, 1988

Rescinded

May 30, 1997

Duration

8 years, 6 months

Inventor

  • 1ROBERT A. SEVERWRIGHT

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Back to patent indexSource: USPTO 35 USC §181 secrecy order records