Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

Patent Granted Sarnoff on Radar System For Detecting Planes and Missiles JL HE Official Gaieitc of the U. S. Patent Office pub- lished in its October, 1951 issue a description of an invention made by Brig. General David SarnoflF, Chair- man of the Board of the Radio Corporation of America, of an automatic early warning system. The U.S. Patent Office has granted him Patent No. 2571386, which he assigned to the RCA. The invention relates to an automatic early warn- ing system which combines the principles of television, radar, microwave relay and the latest methods of de- tection and direaion-finding. The new system can uti- lize equipment already developed and in use. In describing the principles of the system disclosed m this patent. Dr. Elmer W. Engstrom, Vice President in Charge of RCA Laboratories Division with head- quarters at the David SarnofF Research Center, Prince- ton, N. J., said: "General Samoff's patent discloses a method and means for sur\'eillance of a string of areas oflF-shore, or remote from the borders of a countr)', for detection of planes, guided missiles, enemy vessels, or other targets in those areas. It provides for instantaneous communi- cation of running target positions to a central intel- ligence station or command post within the country. "The patent describes a method and means for dis- patching fighter aircraft and directing them to the enemy planes, guided missiles, or the like that have been de- tected. "It also describes means for early interception of report and control signals sent from and to a guided missile, and the radiating of identical signals for jam- ming of the channel, or counter-controlling of the missile. "The system proposed by General Sarnoff would en- able detection at much greater distances than is now feasible. At the same time it would transmit the in- formation to a Control Center that could act immedi- ately. By this new method, countermeasures will have a greater opponunity to deal with enemy planes or guided missiles that might be carrying atomic bombs and to destroy them at sea before they can re.ich their targets on land. "A further object of this invention is to provide an improved radar fence with a greater depth of protected area. "The patent specification includes information about an airborne radar net for national defense in which a succession of planes leaving shore on a predetermined course, search the specified area with radar equipment. The information thus compiled, is then relayed auto- matically from the lead plane successively through the trailing planes and finally to the Control Center on the home b.ise. In this way, the radar net is moved con- tinuously across vast distances covering possible enemy invasion routes. "By adding a television camera to the plane's equip- ment, as e.xplained in the patent specification, the radar information, together with dial readings indicating air- speed, compass bearing, altitude of the craft and any other needed facts, can be relayed to the Control Center in the form of a continuously changing television picture. 'General SarnoflF's patent also describes means for mtercepting the control and position signals trans- mitted by an enemy to and from a guided missile and the immediate radiation of identical signals for the pur- pose of eliminating enemy control over the winged weapon. In this way, the missile could be directed on a new path which would be continued until its fuel is exhausted and it falls harmlessly into the sea or on an uninhabited land are.i. "In a variation of the same military application, the patent specification describes an arrangement for the early detection of enemy planes or long-range radio- controlled missiles, and describes a method for dispatch- (Continued on Page 25) In General SarnofF's proposed system, properly spaced planes would provide a rador "fence" giving greater depth of protected area. RADIO AGE 23