Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

Body-worn antennas operate in combination with a direction finding processor to be able to detect the presence of electromagnetic radiation involved in communication as well as the direction of the source of the electromagnetic radiation. In one embodiment, a number of wide bandwidth antennas, 2 MHz to 40 GHz, are incorporated into a body-worn vest or garment such that an individual wearing the vest is being provided with a wearable system for indicating the direction of the source of incoming signals. If the orientation and geographic location of the individual are known via the use of a compass and/or by GPS receiver, the source of the radiation can be pinpointed by triangulation with inputs from other body-worn units. For omni-directional detection, pairs of antennas are provided with feed points or spigots which are fed in phase. Once an incoming source of electromagnetic radiation is detected, a direction finding analysis is conducted by sampling the spigots separately and proceeding with correlation interferometric direction finding. For troops in the field or police officers, the bearing of the source is most useful in knowing where the enemy or perpetrator is. In a preferred embodiment, each of the antennas is a meander line loaded antenna, in which the meander line loaded antennas are provided with a virtual ground plane passing through the body of the individual wearing the antennas. In order to provide the virtual ground plane, the antennas on the front of the vest provided are provided with corresponding duplicate meander line loaded antennas on the back of the vest. Meander line antennas are utilized due to their wide bandwidth performance, with the conductive plates in one embodiment being flexible conductive fabric. Depending on the processing of the outputs from the antennas on the vest or other garment, the system will work either with the individual in a standing mode or when the wearer is lying prone on the ground.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim