Frederick W Williams

US Patent:

8004453, Aug 23, 2011

Filed:

Oct 16, 1972

Appl. No.:

05/298674

Inventors:

Andrew E. Vall - Torrance CA, US
Frederick C. Williams - Topanga CA, US

Assignee:

Raytheon Company - Waltham MA

International Classification:

G01S 13/00

US Classification:

342 62, 342 77

Abstract:

There is disclosed an elevation null command generator (ENCG) for use in airborne monopulse radar, and a novel missile guidance system made possible by use of the ENGC. The ENCG provides an accurate means of directing the elevation monopulse plane of a radar antenna at a patch of ground defined by a range signal generated within the radar or its associated equipment. It is shown that within the system range can define the elevation angle of concern. The ENCG includes a central range gate centered at the command range and a plurality of pairs of range gates, the two gates of each pair being time spaced before and after the central range gate, and has circuit means for normalizing the output of the range gates to eliminate the bias effects of strong targets adjacent to the monopulse null plane and ground surface intersection.

US Patent:

45339163, Aug 6, 1985

Filed:

Aug 30, 1968

Appl. No.:

4/756691

Inventors:

Frederick C. Williams - Topanga CA

Assignee:

Hughes Aircraft Company - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

G01S 1368

US Classification:

343 74

Abstract:

This disclosure relates to an improved airborne monopulse radar system used for tracking ground targets. The system includes a null command generator designed to provide an error signal proportional to the angle between a preselected target azimuth and the monopulse antenna difference pattern null azimuth which error signal is unaffected by the presence of moving targets within the area under radar surveillance. The error signal is applied to the monopulse antenna drive servomechanism in order to physically reorient the antenna to have the difference pattern null and the preselected target aligned along the same azimuth.

US Patent:

42765510, Jun 30, 1981

Filed:

Jun 1, 1979

Appl. No.:

6/044618

Inventors:

Frederick C. Williams - Topanga CA
Wolfgang H. Kummer - Santa Monica CA

Assignee:

Hughes Aircraft Company - Culver City CA

International Classification:

H04B 700

US Classification:

343100SA

Abstract:

The herein disclosed electronically scanned antennas comprise a plurality of frequency scanned antenna sections each of which have a plurality of radiating elements and a plurality of phase shifters individually coupled to the antenna sections. Spatial steering of the beam over a predetermined angular subtense is provided in response to a change in frequency of the applied electromagnetic energy. The phase shifters are programmed to adjust the relative phase of the energy processed by each of the antenna sections so as to provide an energy beam having a coherent phase front. A first embodiment incorporates a plurality of serpentine feedlines disposed in a linear arrangement along with a plurality of phase shifters coupled thereto, which cause the plurality of feedlines to have the electrical characteristics of a single continuous feedline. A second embodiment incorporates the plurality of phase shifters as adapted to a thinned array antenna configuration.

US Patent:

43397522, Jul 13, 1982

Filed:

Jun 15, 1971

Appl. No.:

5/154238

Inventors:

Frederick C. Williams - Topanga CA
William W. Clements - Los Angeles CA

Assignee:

Hughes Aircraft Company - Culver City CA

International Classification:

G01S 1390

US Classification:

343 5CM

Abstract:

A synthetic array processor wherein radar data, received from an area to be mapped during a plurality of subarray flight path segments, is electronically focused in parallel processing channels to form a series of approximately rectangularly shaped low azimuth resolution maps; and signals associated with corresponding portions of each low resolution map are further processed by means of digital filtering techniques to provide, in a format readily adapted for display, a high azimuth resolution map.

US Patent:

39784827, Aug 31, 1976

Filed:

Mar 24, 1975

Appl. No.:

5/561523

Inventors:

Frederick C. Williams - Topanga CA
Elvin E. Herman - Pacific Palisades CA

Assignee:

Hughes Aircraft Company - Culver City CA

International Classification:

G01S 906

US Classification:

343 11R

Abstract:

A thinned array real time radar system having an antenna array with receiving elements spaced more than one wavelength apart and having a dynamic means for programming the focus of the array so that it is time sequentially focused to accommodate radar echoes over a range interval from a near range out to infinity to provide an improvement in azimuth resolution, the improvement being substantially large for the near ranges. The system includes a separate mixer for every element of the array for receiving return energy therefrom and with each mixer having a separate local oscillator input. The local oscillator frequency varies as a prescribed first function during each period of processing over the selected range interval and the path length distribution of the feeds between the local oscillator and each individual mixer vaires as a prescribed second function. The first and second functions may be separable functions of an expression approximating the time-space variations of the spherical phase front received by the antenna array. The local oscillator feed is selected so that the distance from the local oscillator to each particular mixer varies as a function of the distance squared from the center of the array or processing point of the array.

US Patent:

42271940, Oct 7, 1980

Filed:

Jan 4, 1971

Appl. No.:

5/106293

Inventors:

Elvin E. Herman - Pacific Palisades CA
Frederick C. Williams - Topanga CA

Assignee:

Hughes Aircraft Company - Culver City CA

International Classification:

G01S 1390

US Classification:

343 5CM

Abstract:

The method and apparatus for processing bipolar coherent sidelooking radar data to achieve continuous real time synthetic array mapping in the form of focused line-by-line imagery. Received radar data is correlated such that a number of subarrays are vectorially combined with appropriate quadratic phase corrections to continuously form the total synthetic array. Each subarray is accumulated in a recirculating (feedback) channel which applies a linear phase correction and amplitude weighting, which in turn reduces the arithmetic operations required to form the array. The subarrays are updated by continuously subtracting out the oldest data and adding new data to yield continuous line-by-line imagery. Alternate accumulator and feedback channels are employed in an interleaved fashion to minimize the buildup of "round-off" errors which result from digital multiplications. The invention is adaptable to all-range-focusing and operation at various pointing angles.

US Patent:

42198119, Aug 26, 1980

Filed:

Feb 7, 1975

Appl. No.:

5/548040

Inventors:

Elvin E. Herman - Pacific Palisades CA
Frederick C. Williams - Topanga CA

Assignee:

Hughes Aircraft Company - Culver City CA

International Classification:

G01S 902

US Classification:

343 5CM

Abstract:

A system for automatically focusing a synthetic array through derivation of focus error signals which may be used such as by summing a priori data so that the synthetic array data may be optimally focused. Focus error data is derived by forming the synthetic array in three sub-array. The resultant outputs of these three sub-arrays are further processed together to extract data corresponding to the degree of total array defocus. For purposes of imagery generation, the phase and amplitudes of these three sub-array resultants are vectorially summed together and the resultant is magnitude detected to yield imagery output corresponding to the full synthetic array. For derivation of focus error data, the mean (bisector of the relative phase angle between the two end sub-array resultant vectors is measured. This derived bisector's phase angle is compared to the phase angle of the central sub-array resultant vector. The angle of the bisector relative to the central sub-array resultant is representative of the degree of defocus, and the sign of the angle is indicative of whether the array is over or under-defocused.