APPARATUS AND METHOD USING WAVEFRONT PHASE MEASUREMENTS TO DETERMINE GEOMETRICAL RELATIONSHIPS

摘要

An apparatus (20) includes a microwave source (21) that produces a microwave feed beam (22), and a first pair of microwave sensors (50, 52) that each intercept and receive a portion of the microwave feed beam (22). The two microwave sensors (50, 52) are spaced apart from each other along a first-pair axis (54). A first phase-comparison device (84) has as it inputs the output signals of the two microwave sensors (50, 52), and as an output a first phase comparison of the first-sensor output signal (56) and the second-sensor output signal (58). A first geometrical calculator (110) has as an input the first phase comparison and as an output a geometrical relationship of the first-pair axis to an other feature. This geometrical relationship output may be used to generate a control signal (114) that is used to alter the geometrical relationship. There may be additional microwave sensors operating in a similar manner but spaced to provide information for other geometrical axes or allow improvements in geometrical measurements.