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Abstract

A cylindrical phased array antenna system capable of scanning at rates faster than the information rate of signals being received so that no information is lost by the scanning process. The array is configured to add the capability to provide multidimensional separation of multiple signals and to eliminate the sensitivity loss due to sampling. The cylindrical phased array is comprised of the means to decompose the distribution of current on the radiator elements caused by wave incidence into component signals which are the Fourier spatial harmonics of the distribution, heterodyne means to differentially phase shift these component signals at rates exceeding 4 .pi. radians per cycle of the highest frequency present in the information content of the incident wave, and means to form multiple complex-weighted sums (beams) of the component signals. The means for beam summation selectively forms a coherent sum at only one of its multiplicity of output ports, the particular port being a periodic function of the signal frequency. The ambiguities which arise in frequency measurement capabilities due to the periodicity are resolved by auxiliary means for coarse frequency measurement.

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