Feb.

20, 1951

F, w, LYLE
SHORT-WAVE BROADCAST NET

2,542,823

Filed Oct. 19, 1945

3 ,\_//54

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WITNESSES:

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Patented Feb. 20, 1951

2,542,213

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,542,823
SHORT-WAVE BROADCAST NET Frederick. W. Lyle, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignori to
' Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pitts-

burgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania

Application October 19, 1945, Serial No. 623,373 4 Claims. (Cl. 250-15)

1
My invention relates to radio broadcasting sys tems, and, in particular, relates to such systems employing ultra short-wave lengths. Electric waves of the length of those in what

transmitters. Thus even when the most lofty practicable structures are used for the trans mitter antennas, relay stations must be located within about 80 miles of each other. In order is known as broadcast band, i. e., having a length 5 to relay programs from the east coast to the west coast. this would obviously require a concatenaa of the order of 300 meters have been found to tion. of something like 30 relay stations. Prac follow the curvature of the earth so that they tical di?iculties of the nature of distortion of are readily received by stations a hundred or the. signals in passing through such a lengthy even thousands miles distant from the trans chain, and the cost of such a large number of mitter. However, the recent extensive exploita installations makethe practicability of using such tion of ultra short-waves having wave lengths systems open to question. of the order of some centimeters has shown, that The number of relay stations may be reduced such waves act similarly to ordinary light. waves if it is possible to produce radiation of the radio in that substantially all their energy is propagat ed in straight lines, as a result of which they do 15 waves from some point much higher above the earths surface than buildings, towers or other not follow the curvature of the earths surface. structures rigid-1y attached thereto. Experience In consequence of this, such ultra short-waves during the war in locating airplanes, ships and cannot be received, by listeners located so far other objects by means of the ultra short-waves along the earths surface from the transmitter than the radiating antenna of the latter is not 20 employed in radar has shown that almost all con ducting bodies re?ect electric waves incident upon within their line of sight. In other Words, recep them, and that even with the low intensity of the tion is limited to the horizon distance, as seen electromagnetic energy actually incident upon such from the transmitting antenna. This fact calls objects, and the scattering of that energy in re for placing the transmitting antenna on some lofty structure, such as a. building top or a tower; 25 ?ecting, the amount of energy returned from a ship or plane of ordinary size even several hun butas a practical. matter, the elevation thus at dred miles away gives a satisfactorily perceptible tainable in the desired broadcasting centers which output current in present day radio receivers. are usually located in large cities is limited to a height of a few hundred feet. The curvature In accordance with my invention, I obtain, in of the earth is such that the horizon distance, 30 effect, the broadcasting of ultra short-radio wave programs. by locating in the air above a broad even with such elevations, is only of the order of casting transmitter some object, such as an auto 40 miles, and the area which can be served by such a short-range broadcasting station is thus gy-ro, helicopter, airplane, balloon, or the like on which I focus the radiation output of the trans limited to about that radius. For operating broadcasting chains, it is desira 35 mitter. This object reflects a certain fraction of the energy incident upon'it to receivers located ble to locate broadcasting stations in large cities on the earth within its horizon distance, and also all over the country and in many cases to have to other receivers carried by similar elevated these broadcast the same program. It is thus craft located beyond the horizon; and these re desirable to transmit programs from one station to another. For ordinary sound programs, tele 40 ceivers modulate transmitters located upon the earth-ts surface within their horizon. The last phone lines may frequently be used for this pur mentioned transmitters focus their output on pose but for certain types of programs, for ex similar elevated craft located above them which ample, television, the frequency ranges to be again re?ect a portion of the output of the sectransmitted are so high as to make telephone cables impracticable. Attempts have been made 45 ond transmitter, thereby forming a link in a relay ing chain. By reason of the fact that aircraft, to avoid this difficulty by transmitting the pro such as I have described, may rise to heights grams from station to station by radio, but the many times greater than the top of earth-borne limitation of horizon distance has made it neces structures, the horizon distance of such an ar sary to provide relay stations which pick up the
program from a transmitting station and re
50

broadcast it to the next relay station. How ever, in order that the relay stations should be within line of sight of each other, it is necessary that they should be distant from each other by not over twice the horizonv distance of their 55

rangement is far greater than that possible with earth-borne broadcasting antennas and relay
systems, and thenumber of links in a relay chain

is correspondingly reduced.
For the very highest elevations of the re?ecting

craft mentioned above, it is desirable to have

52,542,823
3
them flying free in space. It is, however, with in the purview my invention to have them linked to earth by suitable cables'which thus
4 ..

taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a broad

maintain them in a captive condition where the greatest possible reduction in the number of relay L1 cordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of the use of links is not found desirable. radio energy re?ected from the moon with re While I have described the elevated re?ecting ceivers located on the earths surface for broad bodies as aircraft, it will be recognized that the

casting station and relay stations employing air~ craft and grounded transmitter stations in ac

primary requisite of any broadcasting system is simply the provision of some re?ecting material located high above the earths surface, and the.
focusing thereon or radiation from a grounded transmitter. It may even be possible to employ ' masses of gas vapor or the like high in the at mosphere for this purpose. In astonishing as it may seem at ?rst sight, investigation has shown that the moon itself has su?icient surface
area so that it may be employed as the re?ected

casting programs in accordance with my inven

tion.

Referring in detail to Fig. 1, vthe curved line i

represents the earths surface on which is lo

cated a broadcast transmitter 2, preferably of the ultra short-wave'type, i. e., using waves of
a length of the order of 10 centimeters or less.

body for radio programs beamed upon it by a

by re?ection from the moon at any point on the earths hemisphere'from which the moon is visi ble at the time, will be of sufficient strength to

The station 2 is provided, in ways too well known in the art to require detailed description here, with an oscillation generating system suitably modulated either by amplitude modulation or fre
cast or transmit to other points on the earths surface. The antenna of the station 2 preferably

transmitter of size and structure quite practicable N P.). quency modulation, in accordance with a sound or picture program which it is desired to broad at the present day and that the signal received

satisfactariiy operate present

radio receivers.

comprises a paraboloidal re?ector, of any type well known in the art capable of concentrating

the radiant energy from the transmitter in a While the reflection from ordinary aircraft concentrated beam indicated by the divergent which is picked up by radar is probably almost line 3.-e. The amount of divergence in the beam entirely diffuse, and my invention contemplates emanating from the station 2 is exaggerated for such-re?ection, it is also within the purview of purposes of illustration in the drawing, but may my invention to provide specular or other direc be confined to substantially as small an angle tive re?ectors which shall confine most of the as desired, in accordance with the principles well reflected energy to beams transmitted in particu knownin the art, by properly proportioning its lar directions, such, for example, as those in focal length and aperture to the dimensions of which the receiver of a sound elevated relay sta tion is located. Re?ectors properly shaped to :I the dipole or other antenna located at its focus. Directly above the station 2, or at least within thus de?ect the beam transmitted to the aircraft the con?nes of the beam transmitted therefrom, from the subjacent ground transmitter can is located an aircraft 5, or other conductive ob readily be. designed by those skilled in the art ject, which, for purposes of illustration, is shown and may be maintained in proper position on diagrammatically as an autogyro. However, bal the aircraft by gyrostatic devices or the like. loons or other lighter-than-air type of craft, heli While I have described the transmitters of the copters, ordinary airplanes or clouds 0f vapor relay stations as located on the earth, it is within capable of re?ecting the radio waves are within the purview of my invention to have such trans the scope of my invention as substitutes for the mitters carried by the aircraft of the relay sta aircraft 5, and these may be free or may be held tion itself. captive to the earth by a suitable linking cable. One object of my invention is, accordingly, to Radiation will be diffusely re?ected from the provide a system for broadcasting radio sound surfaces of the aircraft 5 if the latter be of a or television programs, or the like which shall type ordinary in the art, and some of this radia employ re?ection from aircraft or other detached conducting objects as the source'of radiation . tion will return to the earth at points anywhere within the horizon distant where there may be actually reaching receivers which are located on located receivers 6 and 1. While such receivers the earths surface. ' may employ ordinary non-directive receiving 'an Another object of my invention is to provide a tennas, it will be preferable to'employ paraboloi broadcasting station in which re?ection from air dal receiving reflectors too well known in the art craft or other detached conducting objects to re to require extended description here. The re ceivers on other elevated detached objects is em ceiversii and i may be those belonging to mem ployed to constitute each link of a radio relaying
system. < ,

bers of the ordinary home-radio or television

audience, or they may be receivers used to modu-

Still another object of my invention is to pro vide a system for broadcasting radio or television programs or the like in which the radiant energy is ?rst sent out by a transmitter located on the ground and thereafter reflected from an aircraft or other elevated conducting body located in the

late the output of local broadcasting stations of

ordinary type. ' .

Where it is desired to relay the output of the broadcasting station 2 to some distant point, anv elevated conductive object 8, of one of the gen 65 eral types mentioned in connection with aircraft atmosphere above the transmitter. 5, may be located somewhere beyond the horizon Another object of my invention is to provide from aircraft 5 at a suf?cient elevation so that a broadcasting system for radio and television
programs and the like in which the moon is used
as a re?ector of radiant energy modulated in ac

surface.

it is within line of'sight of aircraft 5. For ex ample, if the elevations of the aircrafts 5 and ii cordance with the desired transmission which 70 are the same, the aircraft 8 may be positioned approximately twice the. horizon distance from emanates from a transmitter located on the earths surface to receivers located on the earths The aircraft 8 may carry a suitable receiver which may be made to modulate a small trans Other objects of invention will become ap parent upon reading the following description 575 mittercapable of relaying the transmitted sige
aircraft 5. ' ' ' ' '

5.

12,542,823

c
1. A radio program broadcasting system coma
prising a transmitter located on the earths sur

hal to a- station 9 located on the earths surface somewhere. within the horizon distance from the
aircraft 8. For example, the station 9 may be .directly below the aircraft 8 where so desirable

face' and radiating ultra short-wave program modulated radiant energy, a ?rst body of solid

for certain purposes.

The station 9 comprises,

re?ecting material unsupported from the earths

the radiant energy in a beam focused upon the

surface located above said transmitter and in the path of said energy, a second body of solid connection with broadcasting station 2, which re?ecting material elevated sufficiently above an transmits a beam of radiation onto the surface other point on the earths surface to be within of the aircraft 8. This radiation will again be 10 line-of-sight of the ?rst-mentioned body, a re di?usely re?ected and may be received anywhere ceiver associated with the second-mentioned re within the horizon distance of the aircraft 8- by ?ecting material for receiving said radiant en auditor receivers, or may be received by 'a. second ergy, and means for modulating the output of relay aircraft (not shown) located in relation to a second transmitter by the output of said re the aircraft 8 in the similar way to that in which ceiver. the relay aircraft 8 is located relative to the air 2. A radio program broadcasting system com craft 5. prising a transmitter located on the earths sur Where the aircraft 8 is one of the captive type, face and radiating an ultra short-wave program it may be desirable for the output of the receiver modulated radiant energy, a body of solid re~ on aircraft 8 to be transmitted to the station 9 20 ?ecting material unsupported from the earths by suitable conductors carried on the tying surface, located above said transmitter and in cable. the path of said energy, a second body of re It may be desirable in certain instances where ?ecting material elevated sufficiently above an no auditors are so positioned as to make diffuse other point on the earths surface to be within re?ection of radio from the aircrafts 5 or 8 de 25 line-of-sight of the ?rst-mentioned body, a re sirable to provide the aircraft 5 or 8 with suita ceiver associated with the second-mentioned re ble shaped specular or other directive re?ecting ?ecting material for receiving said radiant en surfaces upon which the beam from the trans ergy, and means for modulating the output of a mitters 2 and 9 are incident. ,Such re?ecting second transmitter located on the earths sur surfaces may be shaped to reflect the incident _ face Within the horizon distance of the second beam in the form of an outgoing beam directed mentioned re?ecting material by the output of toward a desired receiver for the same. For ex said receiver. ample, the reflector on aircraft 5 may transmit 3. A radio program broadcasting system com
prising a transmitter located on the earths sur

in addition to a suitable receiver, a transmitter of the same general type as that described in

diant energy incident upon it and a certain fraction of this radiated energy, will, as illus

aircraft 8. Alternatively, the shaped re?ector on 35 face and radiating ultra short-wave program the aircraft 5 may be used to beam a certain modulated radiant energy in the form of a beam, portion of the incident energy directly to the re means for focussing said beam upon a solid ceivers 6 or 'i when it is desired to do so. More body of re?ecting material positioned above the over the provision of special surfaces particu earths surface and free to move relative thereto, larly adapted to diffusely re?ect radiation about 40 a second body of reflecting material located above the aircraft 5 and 8 are likewise contemplated the earths surface within line-of-sight of the by this invention. ?rst-mentioned re?ecting material, a receiver for Referring in particular to Fig. 2, investigation said radiant energy associated with said second has shown it to be entirely feasible to broadcast body of re?ecting material, and means for mod radio and television programs by short-wave by ulating the output of a second transmitter in ac employing the moon as a diffuse re?ector. In cordance with the output of said receiver. Fig. 2, the curve 1 represents a portion of the 4. A radio program broadcasting system com earths surface having a transmitting station 2 prising a ?rst transmitter located on the earths suitably located on its surface. The transmit surface and radiating ultra short-wave progra lting station 2 is of the same general type de M modulated radiant energy in the form of a beam, scribed in connection with Fig. 1, and is designed means for focussing said beam upon a solid body to transmit a concentrated beam of radiant en of re?ecting material which is moving relative ergy and direct it toward the surface of the moon to said surface, a second body of solid reflecting I I. It is, of course, desirable that the beam from material located above the earths surface with~ the transmitter 2 shall be so proportioned that be in line-of-sight of the ?rst-mentioned re?ecting nearly all of its radiated energy strikes the material, a receiver for said radiant energy asso moons surface. ciated with said second body of re?ecting mate The surface of the moon will diffuse the ra rial, and means for modulating the output of a

second transmitter, by the output of said receiver,

said second transmitter being located on the

trated by the broken lines [2, l3, be re?ected to receivers hi, it which may be located anywhere upon that hemisphere of the earths surface
from which the moon is visible at the time. In

earths surface within the horizon distance of said second body of re?ecting material. FREDERICK W. LYLE.
65

vestigation has shown that by employing trans

mitters, re?ectors and receivers of a type now conventional in the radio art, sufficient re?ected energy will be received at any point, such as hi

REFERENCES CITED
The following references are of record in the '

mitter 2 in accordance with any desired sound or

?le of this patent: or ii, to produce satisfactorily audible signals. UNITED STATES PATENTS By modulating the transmission from the trans 70 Number Name Date
806,052 Blackmore ______ __ Nov. 28, 1905

television program, the latter may be reproduced on the receivers located at such points as [4 and

IS with satisfactory audibility. I claim as my invention;

1,927,394 1,939,345

Darbord et a1 _____ __ Sept. 19, 1933 Gerth et al. ______ __ Dec. 12, 1933

76

(Other references on following page)

2,542,823

7
UNITED STATES PATENTS
Number Name , Date

Westinghouse Proposes Flying "Iele-FM Stae

tions, Electronic Industries, Sept. 1945, pages

1,981,884 2,042,302
2,177,061

94, 95, 234 and 238. ' Taylor et a1. _____ __ Nov. 27, 1934 Stratovision, Radio-Craft, Frantz et a1. _____ __ May 26, 1936 5 pages 17 and 45.
Gerhard ________ __ Oct. 24, 1939

October 1945,
,

Extra-Terrestrial Relays, Wireless World,

October 1945, pages 305 to 308. Can We ,Radio the Planets? Radio News,

OTHER REFERENCES

February 1927, pages 946, 947, 1045, 1046 and New Radio Concept Would End Chains," The ' New York Times, August 10, 1945, pages 1'7, 001- 10 1047. Zworykin Extends Range of Ultra Short umn 1 and 18, column 2. Waves, Radio and Television, January 1939, Next Is Stratovision, New York Herald Trib page 525. une, August 10, 1945, page 1, column 2 and 3,
and 15, column 2 and 3.