Spectrum Analysis Patents (Class 342/192)
  • Patent number: 7106244
    Abstract: A system and a method for monitoring a freight container are provided. The method includes the steps of generating a resonant spectrum representative of an initial condition of internal surfaces and contents of the freight container, and saving the resonant spectrum for future comparison purposes. The method further includes generating a second resonant spectrum and comparing the second resonant spectrum with the initial resonant spectrum to determine whether there has been any tampering with the freight container. The method also includes identifying the contents of the freight container and generating loading diagrams of the contents and using polarity configuration characteristics of the internal surfaces of said freight container to determine whether the contents have moved or been shifted during transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Phalanx Group, LLC
    Inventor: Hsiongwei Hsu
  • Patent number: 7079073
    Abstract: Reception antenna elements are formed so that the reception beam axis in the vertical direction of at least one reception antenna element of a transmission/reception unit is displaced from the reception beam axes of the other antenna elements. Therefore, the amplitude (intensity) of the reception signals of the reception antennas which are caused by a target is different from the amplitude (intensity) of the reception signal of the reception antenna element, and the amplitude difference is varied depending on the orientations of the reception beam axes in the vertical direction of the reception antenna elements. Accordingly, the amplitude difference when the reception beam axes of the reception antenna elements are correctly oriented to a desired direction is measured in advance, and the amplitude difference thus measured is set as a target amplitude difference, whereby the mount angle of the transmission/reception unit can be easily and accurately adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Akihisa Fujita
  • Patent number: 7079072
    Abstract: A radar processor is disclosed for processing the radar return samples from a Doppler radar receiver to discriminate helicopter targets from fixed-wing targets. The radar processor defines the spectral components of the radar return components due to the helicopter rotor hub as the “signal” component; and the spectral components due to the target skin, ground clutter and white noise as the “noise” component. The radar processor implements the Neyman Pearson criterion to calculate a detection statistic. Whether the calculated detection statistic exceeds a threshold determines whether a “helicopter presents” or a “helicopter absent” target condition is declared. The radar processor utilizes helicopter rotor hub reflected signals, and requires only a few milliseconds on target, and may therefore be readily implemented by scanning surveillance systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Theagenis J. Abatzoglou
  • Patent number: 7075482
    Abstract: A Direction Finding DF Method and System Using Transmission Signature Differentiation is disclosed. Also disclosed is system that is able identify which signal is coming from which transmiitter. Futhermore, the syatem can take each respective transmitter's Line-of-Bearing (LOB) data and process them separately. The system is further capable of being fully automated in order to reduce to processing time and eliminate the necessity of human intervention. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the system can feasibly be remotely controlled by a network such that the information can be collected from other from similar systems. In this way, a far more efficient DF System can be achieved in which multiple transmitters' positions can be determined one quickly from a centralized command facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Network Fab Corporation
    Inventor: Lars Karlsson
  • Patent number: 7068216
    Abstract: A method for the linearization of frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar devices having non-linear, ramp-shaped, modulated transmitter frequency progression x(t). With this invention, a correction phase term for compensation of the phase error in the reception signal q(t) is calculated on the receiver side in this device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Kliewer, Georg Weiss
  • Patent number: 7068212
    Abstract: A series of police Doppler single mode radars and a multimode police Doppler radar, all with direction sensing capability are disclosed. A quadrature front end which mixes received RF with a local oscillator to generate two channels of Doppler signals, one channel being shifted by an integer multiple of 90 degrees in phase relative to the other by shifting either the RF or the local oscillator signal being fed to one mixer but not the other. The two Doppler signals are digitized and the samples are processed by a digital signal processor programmed to find one or more selected target speeds. Single modes disclosed are: stationary strongest target; stationary, fastest target; stationary, strongest and fastest targets; moving, strongest, opposite lane; moving, strongest, same lane; moving, fastest, opposite lane; moving, fastest and strongest, opposite lane; moving, fastest, same lane; moving fastest and strongest, same lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Applied Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Aker, Robert S. Gammenthaler
  • Patent number: 7053815
    Abstract: A radar tracking system for an anti-aircraft, missile, including angle tracking, doppler tracking and range tracking feedback loops operating on sum and difference channels. Fast fourier transform digital filters are used to provide a frequency spectrum of the sum and difference I.F. channels and detection and confirmation algorithms are employed for selecting the F.F.T. target ‘bin’. Adjacent F.F.T. bins are used to simulate a bin centered on the target frequency, shifts of the latter with target/missile acceleration causing frequency errors which are detected by a discriminator and used to control the target I.F. Confirmation of target acquisition is achieved by successive summations of the target bin power the totals being accumulated and compared with upper and lower thresholds. Confirmation and rejection results from total levels outside the thresholds while further accumulation and comparison follow the intermediate condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Alenia Marconi Systems Limited
    Inventors: David William Joynson, Nigel Stansfield, Peter James MacBean
  • Patent number: 7049999
    Abstract: A modulation circuit for a traffic surveillance Doppler radar system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the modulation circuit is utilized in a vehicular traffic surveillance Doppler radar system that processes a reflected double-modulated FM signal to determine a target range based upon a phase angle signal differential associated with the target. The modulation circuit may include a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter/voltage regulator/oscillator arrangement or a D/A converter/varactor device/oscillator arrangement. The modulation circuit generates a double-modulated FM signal based upon a frequency versus voltage characteristic associated with the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Applied Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: John L. Aker
  • Patent number: 7046192
    Abstract: A radar method of classifying generating or identifying helicopters, by generating a one-dimensional distance profile of the helicopter to be classified or to be identified by measuring the radar each of the helicopter fuselage, the radar echo of the rotor head of the main rotor and/or the radar echo of the main axis, and the radar echo of the rear rotor axis; determines the aspect angles in the azimuth and elevation directions relative to the axis of the radar antenna and the method also determines helicopter parameters from the measured radar echoes. The determined helicopter parameters are compared with stored helicopter parameters for different helicopter types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Dieter Nagel
  • Patent number: 7046190
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining range of a radar target is provided. Signal samples based on returns of a target during tracking are processed to produce a wideband envelope range estimate for components of target motion. The components of target motion include precession and spin motion. Ambiguous phase values are measured. An unambiguous phase value indicative of range is produced from the wideband envelope range estimate and measured ambiguous phase values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Fritz Steudel
  • Patent number: 7034743
    Abstract: An FM-CW radar detects at least one of the relative distance and the relative speed of a predetermined object based on the frequencies of projection portions observed in the frequency spectrums of beat signals in an ascending-modulation section and a descending-modulation section, where the projection portions are generated by one and the same object. The radar determines the moving speed of a predetermined moving object such as a vehicle or the like having the radar mounted thereon, and the frequency difference between the projection portions observed in the frequency spectrums of the beat signals in the ascending-modulation section and the descending-modulation section is inversely calculated, where the frequency difference corresponds to the stationary object, and a predetermined pair corresponding to the frequency difference is extracted on a priority basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoi Nakanishi, Toru Ishii, Tetsu Nishimura
  • Patent number: 7030808
    Abstract: Nonlinear target detection for the detection of extremely weak signals when buried in very high levels of noise is performed with improvement of the quality of the signals received in the data by the amplification of the signal to noise (S/N) ratio. The S/N ratio increases dramatically after the originally measured signal is passed through a nonlinear stochastic resonance filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel W. Repperger, Eric M. Alderman, M. Seddik Djouadi
  • Patent number: 7027940
    Abstract: A low cost, low power and lightweight swept sine wave analysis system that is affordable to engineers, university laboratories and students, providing accurate magnitude and phase response measurements over a wide bandwidth is described. An analog mixer mixes a local oscillator signal with an amplified input signal allowing AC signal coupling between input stages. This minimizes errors due to DC and low frequency drift. A computer graphical interface is used for controlling the acquisition hardware in real time, displaying results on the computer screen, and making the graphical results and numerical results immediately available for inclusion in documentation or spreadsheet applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Inventor: John F. Iannuzzi
  • Patent number: 7002509
    Abstract: A Method and System for Emitter Identification Using Transmission Signatures is disclosed. Also disclosed is a system that is able to take in the undemodulated IF of the receiver and perform identification algorithms on that data. The system is further able to perform these functions in real-time and present the operator with an intelligent evaluation as to the identification of an emitter, or the presence of a new emitter. Still further, the system is capable of being fully automated to reduce the processing time to react to the results of the emitter identification. Furthermore, the present invention can feasibly remotely control the emitter identification system over a network and collect the same information from similar systems. In this way, a far more efficient System can be achieved wherein emitters can be determined, tracked, or monitored more quickly from a centralized command facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Networkfab Corporation
    Inventor: Lars Karlsson
  • Patent number: 6999025
    Abstract: The invention concerns a passive radar receiver with an array of antennas for a OFDM received signal comprising frames of symbols each emitted on coded orthogonal carriers. After formatting received signals into digital symbols, dummy signals from dummy OFDM emitters at different distances from and in different directions relative to the receiver are generated and added to the signals picked up by the antennas. The modified received signals are filtered by means of inverse covariance matrices in order to eliminate at least unwanted zero Doppler effect signals and to provide an isotropic reception diagram without blind sector of direct path being generated and by detecting mobile targets along the direct path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Onera
    Inventor: Dominique Poullin
  • Patent number: 6999024
    Abstract: An average power value of a peak pair corresponding to a subjective target objective is converted into a radar cross section, to calculate a normalized average power value NP and a standard deviation DP representing a temporal dispersion of a power difference between peak pairs. When the value NP is larger than an automotive vehicle discriminating threshold THnp, the attribute of the subjective target objective is set to “automotive vehicle.” When the value NP is not larger than the threshold THnp and the deviation DP is larger than a human objective discriminating threshold THdp, the attribute of the subjective target objective is set to “non-vehicle objective: human objective.” Furthermore, when the value NP is not larger than the threshold THnp and the deviation DP is not larger than the threshold THdp, the attribute of the subjective target objective is set to “non-vehicle objective: non-human.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kumon, Yukimasa Tamatsu
  • Patent number: 6980151
    Abstract: A bi-static continuous wave radar system and related methods for detecting incoming threats from ballistic projectiles includes a remote source of RF illumination, and a local receiver installed in one or more target aircraft. A first receiving channel acquires direct path illumination from the source and provides a reference signal, and a second receiving channel acquires a scatter signal reflected by a projectile. A processor coupled to each receiver corrects scatter signal Doppler offset induced by relative source motion, isolates narrowband Doppler signals to derive signatures characteristic of the projectile, and by executing appropriate algorithms, compares the derived signatures to modeled signatures stored in memory. If the comparison yields a substantial similarity, the processor outputs a warning signal sufficient to initiate defensive countermeasures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul L. Mohan
  • Patent number: 6970129
    Abstract: Provided is a radar apparatus capable of continuously and stably making a detection of a target even if a reflected wave from a target already detected falls into obscurity due to the presence of low-frequency noises or reflected waves from other targets. An estimated value of information on a target to be obtained when the target is detected in the present cycle are acquired from the target detected in a previous cycle. When a peak compatible with the estimated value is detected in only one of a frequency-rising section and a frequency falling section of a radar wave, if the frequency of the non-detected peak pertains a low-frequency noise domain or if a side-by-side travel flag is set with respect to the target detected in the previous cycle, the non-detected peak is considered as buried by low-frequency noises or peaks of other targets, and a peak pair corresponding to the detected target is extrapolated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kumon, Yukimasa Tamatsu
  • Patent number: 6967617
    Abstract: A correlating polarimeter is provided for correlating a received waveform of a wideband electromagnetic signal with a predetermined waveform. The correlating polarimeter may include a first antenna for receiving an electromagnetic signal and a modulator interconnected with the first antenna for modulating the electromagnetic signal whereby a modulated electromagnetic signal results which contains a different polarization state for each frequency of the electromagnetic signal with the amplitude of each frequency component of the modulated electromagnetic signal being a function of the particular polarization state of each frequency component of the electromagnetic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Robert W. McMillan, Ernest J. Holder
  • Patent number: 6956521
    Abstract: A radar device includes a mixer that mixes an output of a transmit antenna 4 and an input of a receive antenna 6, an LPF 8, an A/D converter 9 that samples an output signal of the LPF 8 and subjects the sampled signal to A/D conversion, an FFT processing device 10 that subjects the converted signal to high-speed Fourier transformation, an aliasing discriminating/correcting device that discriminates a signal having a frequency component where aliasing occurs from a result by the FFT processing device 10 and corrects the signal to a signal of a normal frequency component where no aliasing occurs to obtain a distance and relative velocity data of the object, and a target object selecting device that selects necessary data from the distance and relative velocity data of the object which are obtained from the aliasing discriminating/correcting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Kai
  • Patent number: 6950054
    Abstract: A handheld radar frequency scanner system for detecting objects concealed on a person, the system includes a radar transmitter coupled to a transmit antenna that is configured and positioned to direct a radar signal at a person, a radar receiver coupled to a receive antenna that is configured to detect a portion of the radar signal reflected by the person, and a processor connected to the radar receiver and operable to process the portions of the radar signals detected by the radar receiver to determine whether the person is carrying a concealed object. The system may produce a real-time alert, such as an audible alert, when a concealed object is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: CyTerra Corporation
    Inventors: William Steinway, Gregory Stilwell, Herbert Duvoisin, III, David H. Fine
  • Patent number: 6943727
    Abstract: In a method for determination of the length of objects in traffic, especially passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians, radar signals are transmitted by a vehicle, the radar signals are reflected by an object being measured, the reflected radar signals are received in the vehicle, the frequency spectra of the reflected radar signals are evaluated, and the reflection peaks contained in the frequency spectra are determined. Length measurement, by means of known radar sensors, from a vehicle is made possible by the fact that the width of the reflection peaks is determined, and that the length of the object being measured is determined by means of the determined width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Marc-Michael Meinecke, Ralph Mende, Marc Behrens
  • Patent number: 6924763
    Abstract: The invention concerns a passive radar receiver for a received orthogonal frequency division multiplex-type signal consisting of symbol frames each emitted on coded orthogonal carriers. After formatting the received signals into digital symbols (S1 S1), a filtering circuit (2) eliminates by subtraction or using a covariance matrix, in the symbol signal at least unwanted signals with null Doppler effect so as to apply a filtered signal (X?) including essentially signals backscattered by mobile targets to a Doppler-distance correlator (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: ONERA
    Inventor: Dominique Poullin
  • Patent number: 6924762
    Abstract: A radar is provided which transmits a radar wave whose frequency is so modulated as to rise, fall, and be kept constant cyclically. The radar uses beat signals produced by the radar wave and radar echoes received by two antennas to produce radar data on a target. When it is impossible to pair frequency peaks of the beat signals in a modulated frequency-rising and -falling ranges, the radar determines that the frequency peaks have arisen from different objects so that they overlap each other and uses frequency peaks of the beat signals in a constant modulated frequency range to acquire the radar data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Miyake, Kazuma Natsume
  • Patent number: 6919839
    Abstract: A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) compensates for ionospheric distortions based upon measurement of the group delay, particularly when operating in the VHF/UHF band. The SAR is based upon a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) technique for estimating the effective ionospheric conditions, which is referred to as the group delay approach. The group delay approach is divided into a 1-dimensional (range) approach and a 2-dimensional (range and cross-range) approach. The group delay measures the effective or observed TEC, which is used to reduce the ionospheric distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Edward R. Beadle, Paul D. Anderson, Steve Richter, John F. Dishman, Emile Ganthier
  • Patent number: 6917784
    Abstract: An imaging system uses ‘RF daylight’ created by an RF illumination source, such as a television broadcast tower, to passively generate RF scattering coefficients for multiple points within a prescribed three-dimensional volume being illuminated by the RF transmitter. The scattering coefficients provide a complex interference pattern having amplitude and phase components that contain all information necessary to recreate a three-dimensional monochromatic image of the illuminated scene. Coherent complex correlation provides scene information content that is only a function of scene scattering and collector geometry. The scene information may be coupled to an image utility subsystem, such as a virtual reality simulator, for generation of a three-dimensional image of the illuminated scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Gayle Patrick Martin, John W. Shipley
  • Patent number: 6914553
    Abstract: A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for a moveable platform includes an antenna, a radar transmitter and radar receiver cooperating with the antenna. A radar processor is connected to the radar transmitter and radar receiver to account for the Faraday rotation introduced by propagation through the ionosphere by estimating an individual ionospheric distortion for each received echo pulse based upon a measured Faraday rotation, and reducing the ionospheric distortion for each received echo pulse based upon the estimated individual ionospheric distortion associated therewith for providing a compensated echo pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Edward R. Beadle, Paul D. Anderson, Steve Richter, John F. Dishman, Emile Ganthier
  • Patent number: 6906663
    Abstract: A system is provided for substantially continuously monitoring an electromagnetic intensity of short pulses of electromagnetic fields (E-fields) having frequencies within a broad frequency range. The system includes at least one antenna capable of sensing one or more pulses of E-fields and converting the pulses into radio frequency (RF) signals having an energy level correlated to the intensities of the E-fields. The system additionally includes at least one equalizer that normalizes the energy levels of RF signals across the broad range of frequencies and at least one modulation device that adjusts the energy levels of the RF signals output by the equalizer. The system further includes at least one RF power sensor for periodically measuring the energy levels of the RF signals output from the modulation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Gary P. Johnston
  • Patent number: 6906661
    Abstract: In an object-detecting system using an FM-CW wave, points f1 to f4 corresponding to detection peaks of a reflected wave from a road-side object such as guardrail and points m1 and m2 corresponding to detection peaks of a reflected wave from a moving object such as a reflector of a preceding vehicle are indicated on two-dimensional coordinates along with the shape of a road ahead of a subject vehicle. Among the points f1 to f4, m1 and m2, the points f1 to f4 are determined as being provided by the reflected wave from the road-side object, and a distance from the subject vehicle to the object and a speed of the subject vehicle relative the object are calculated using the remaining points m1 and m2 excluding the points f1 to f4. Thus, only the moving object except the road-side object can be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiichiro Sawamoto, Hiroyuki Ando
  • Patent number: 6903678
    Abstract: A vehicle radar system extracts peak frequencies fbu and fbd of respective beat signals B1 to B9 representing the frequency difference between a transmission signal fs and a plurality of received signals fr1 to fr9. The phase difference of respective beat signals B1 to B9 at the peak frequencies fbu and fbd is converted into a frequency signal. In the case of reflection from a close range road surface or raindrops, the phase difference of each beat signal is irregular. The peak frequency intensity of a converted frequency signal is small. This system compares the peak frequency intensity of the converted frequency signal with predetermined criterion intensity. Then, the system identifies an objective with a close range road surface or raindrops when the peak frequency intensity of the converted frequency signal is not larger than the predetermined criterion intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kumon, Yukimasa Tamatsu
  • Patent number: 6894638
    Abstract: A radar signal processing unit comprises a Fourier transform section 1 for executing Fourier transform of the received signal to a frequency signal, a frequency domain power calculation section 2 for calculating a power spectrum of electric power for each frequency from the frequency signal, an abnormal echo removal section 3 for determining the abnormal echo based on the power value of the power spectrum and outputting only the power spectrum not corresponding to the abnormal echo, an incoherent processing section 4 for performing incoherent integration of only the power spectrum not corresponding to the abnormal echo and averaging, and a signal detection section 5 for calculating the physical quantity of the atmosphere from the incoherent-integrated power spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoya Matsuda, Toshio Wakayama
  • Patent number: 6875978
    Abstract: A synthetic aperture ladar system using a mode locked laser transmitter. The inventive system (12) includes a mode locked laser transmitter (22), a receiver (40) adapted to detect signals transmitted by said laser (22) and reflected by an object (32) and a signal processor (50) for analyzing the signals. The laser (22) is particularly novel as a synthetic aperture ladar transmitter inasmuch as it includes a mode locking mechanism (180). The mode locking mechanism (180) causes the laser to output energy at all modes within the gain profile in phase with one another. The result is a series of coherent pulses which may be used for synthetic aperture ladar applications. In a particular embodiment, the present teachings are implemented in a multifunctional laser which, in its operational mode, outputs a mode locked beam for synthetic aperture ladar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Maurice J. Halmos
  • Patent number: 6867727
    Abstract: A system-of-systems avionics architecture that is compatible with futuristic multi-function multi-platform sensor applications. The method and device of the invention is based on localized “adaptive” waveform and spectrum allocation for ultra-wideband radio frequency and microwave signals. The invention includes a plurality of system platforms with each platform comprising a common radio frequency front end for receiving ultra-wideband signals, a common radio frequency back end for transmitting ultra-wideband signals and a plurality of sensors for exchanging data between platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Atindra Mitra
  • Patent number: 6867731
    Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method for suppressing external interference in radar data provided by a plurality of sensors from a main sensor array, the data being pre-processed. The noise suppression system includes a first processing module and a second processing module. The first processing module receives the radar data and produces matched radar data while the second processing module receives the radar data and produces mis-matched radar data. The system further includes a beamformer that is in communication with the first processing module and an adaptive beamformer that is in communication with the second processing module and the beamformer. The beamformer receives the matched radar data and produces beamformed matched radar data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Raytheon Canada Limited
    Inventors: Reza Dizaji, Tony Ponsford, Rick McKerracher
  • Patent number: 6864826
    Abstract: Radar apparatus and methods of use thereof for imaging and/or spectrometric analysis. The invention employs pulsed radar signals for magnifying, imaging, scale measuring, identifying and/or typecasting the composition of substances by radargrammetric imaging and/or statistical analysis of energy/frequency spectrums. The invention may be used to locate and/or distinguish a substance from other substances, to image a substance/feature and to monitor the movement of an imaged substance/feature. The systems and methods can be adapted for a variety of applications at a wide range of scales and distances, from large scale, long range applications such as geophysical imaging/analysis, to the small scale such as material typecasting applications and small scale (including microscopic) imaging/analysis, including biological and medical imaging and diagnostic applications. The invention includes novel antenna assemblies and novel data processing techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Inventor: George Colin Stove
  • Patent number: 6861977
    Abstract: This invention relates to radar signal processing. In particular, this invention concerns signal processing of agile Pulse Repetition Time (PRT) sampled signal transmitted using spread spectrum technique. This invention solves, in particular, the incompatibility between Doppler processing and spread spectrum such providing an improved anti-jamming technique without narrowing the Doppler range. The method for deconvolution comprises combining the pulses with the same carrier in a burst, transforming the obtained signals from time to frequency domain, and deconvolving the obtained spectra. In a first embodiment of this invention, such a deconvolution method is adapted to irregular PRT sampled signal comprises an irregular samples to regular zero-padded samples conversion step between the combination and the transformation steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Thales Netherland B.V.
    Inventor: Radmila Erkocevic-Pribic
  • Patent number: 6856280
    Abstract: A method for determining the directional angle of radar objects using a multibeam radar, including the steps of: (a) recording the frequency spectra of the radar echoes for a plurality of beams; (b) seeking a measuring frequency near a frequency maximum assigned to the radar object; and (c) comparing the phases and/or amplitudes of the radar echoes at the measuring frequency with reference patterns known for various directional angles, steps (b) and (c) being executed repeatedly, each time for different measuring frequencies, and the directional angles obtained for the various measuring frequencies being checked for consistency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Sonja Eder, Benoit Budiscak
  • Patent number: 6856278
    Abstract: A radar performs accurate and appropriate pairing even if peaks of approximately identical signal intensities or even if a plurality of peak groups having identical representative beam bearings exist in the frequency spectrum. First, the peak frequency of a peak which appears in the frequency spectrum is determined for each of an up-modulating interval and a down-modulating interval in predetermined beam bearings, and signal-intensity profiles in the beam bearings are extracted with regard to a plurality of beam portions which are adjacent to the beam bearings. Next, the correlation level between the signal-intensity profiles at the up-modulating interval and the down-modulating interval is determined, and pairing is performed in sequence starting from the profiles having a higher correlation level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoi Nakanishi, Toru Ishii, Tetsu Nishimura
  • Patent number: 6850552
    Abstract: Simultaneous improvement in resolution, frequency range, dynamic ranges, as well as signal-to-noise ratio of spectrum analysis is possible by the huge increase in speed and capacity of digital data processing. In coherent pulse sounding (especially in monostatic Radar and Sonar), precise determination of the frequency, amplitude, and phase of wanted signals and unwanted interferers in the frequency domain and their elimination in the time domain data set leads to substantial improvement in the dynamic range of the analysis. Thus, a new apparatus and method of unevenly spaced transmitter pulses becomes feasible to increase the number of samples in a time period limited by the coherency requirements of the data set. The invented apparatus and method overcomes the inherent limitation in dynamic range of the spectral amplitudes due to cross-talk and sparse sampling. Non-linear spectrum analysis can improve signal-to noise further. Pre-cleaning of spread-spectrum data is another application of this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Inventor: Klaus Bibl
  • Publication number: 20040263379
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, devices, and apparatus to interrogate a clothed individual with electromagnetic radiation to determine if a concealed weapon is being carried. This determination includes establishing data corresponding to an image of the individual and processing data sets corresponding to a number of spatial frequency representations of different image portions to evaluate if the concealed weapon is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Inventor: Paul E. Keller
  • Publication number: 20040257270
    Abstract: The invention concerns a passive radar receiver with an array of antennas for a OFDM received signal comprising frames of symbols each emitted on coded orthogonal carriers. After formatting received signals into digital symbols, dummy signals from dummy OFDM emitters at different distances from and in different directions relative to the receiver are generated and added to the signals picked up by the antennas. The modified received signals are filtered by means of inverse covariance matrices in order to eliminate at least unwanted zero Doppler effect signals and to provide an isotropic reception diagram without blind sector of direct path being generated and by detecting mobile targets along the direct path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventor: Dominique Poullin
  • Publication number: 20040257268
    Abstract: A series of police doppler single mode radars and a multimode police doppler radar, all with direction sensing capability are disclosed. A duadrature front end which mixes received RF with a local oscillator to generate two channels of doppler signals, one channel being shifted by an integer multiple of 90 degrees in phase relative to the other by shifting either the RF or the local oscillator signal being fed to one mixer but not the other. The two doppler signals are digitized and the samples are processed by a digital signal processor programmed to find one or more selected target speeds. Single modes disclosed are: stationary strongest target; stationary, fastest target; stationary, strongest and fastest targets; moving, strongest, opposite lane; moving, strongest, same lane; moving, fastest, opposite lane; moving, fastest and strongest, opposite lane; moving, fastest, same lane; moving fastest and strongest, same lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Applicant: APPLIED CONCEPTS, INC.
    Inventors: John L. Aker, Robert S. Gammenthaler
  • Publication number: 20040252047
    Abstract: A radar is provided which transmits a radar wave whose frequency is so modulated as to rise, fall, and be kept constant cyclically. The radar uses beat signals produced by the radar wave and radar echoes received by two antennas to produce radar data on a target. When it is impossible to pair frequency peaks of the beat signals in a modulated frequency-rising and -falling ranges, the radar determines that the frequency peaks have arisen from different objects so that they overlap each other and uses frequency peaks of the beat signals in a constant modulated frequency range to acquire the radar data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Miyake, Kazuma Natsume
  • Patent number: 6831590
    Abstract: A concealed object detection system for detecting objects concealed on a person includes radar transponders that are each configured and positioned to direct a radar signal at a person and to detect a portion of the radar signal reflected by the person. A processor connected to the radar transponders processes the portions of the radar signals detected by the radar transponders to determine whether the person is carrying a concealed object. The system may produce a real-time alert, such as an audible alert, when a concealed object is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: CyTerra Corporation
    Inventors: William Steinway, Gregory Stilwell, Herbert Duvoisin, III, David H. Fine
  • Publication number: 20040246167
    Abstract: An average power value of a peak pair corresponding to a subjective target objective is converted into a radar cross section, to calculate a normalized average power value NP and a standard deviation DP representing a temporal dispersion of a power difference between peak pairs. When the value NP is larger than an automotive vehicle discriminating threshold THnp, the attribute of the subjective target objective is set to “automotive vehicle.” When the value NP is not larger than the threshold THnp and the deviation DP is larger than a human objective discriminating threshold THdp, the attribute of the subjective target objective is set to “non-vehicle objective: human objective.” Furthermore, when the value NP is not larger than the threshold THnp and the deviation DP is not larger than the threshold THdp, the attribute of the subjective target objective is set to “non-vehicle objective: non-human.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kumon, Yukimasa Tamatsu
  • Publication number: 20040239549
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer readable medium are provided for creating a quantitative, three-dimensional representation of a surface of a human subject. Data representing a physical appearance of a human subject is gathered using inverse synthetic aperture radar. A source signal is directed toward the human subject as the target rotates through a range of motion and a return signal is collected. The returned signal is transformed into a quantitative representation of the surface data. The quantitative representation can be added to an archive or can be checked against an archive to determine if the human target is indexed in the archive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: Douglas P. Morgan, William P. Green
  • Publication number: 20040239556
    Abstract: A radar method of classifying generating or identifying helicopters, by generating a one-dimensional distance profile of the helicopter to be classified or to be identified by measuring the radar each of the helicopter fuselage, the radar echo of the rotor head of the main rotor and/or the radar echo of the main axis, and the radar echo of the rear rotor axis; determines the aspect angles in the azimuth and elevation directions relative to the axis of the radar antenna and the method also determines helicopter parameters from the measured radar echoes. The determined helicopter parameters and are compared with stored helicopter parameters for different helicopter types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Dieter Nagel
  • Patent number: 6822606
    Abstract: This invention relates to a spectral generator and a spectral generation method for receiving pre-processed range-doppler-sensor data and generating at least one noise-reduced high-resolution spectrum therefrom. The spectral generator comprises a window generator that generates a window which defines a plurality of range-doppler cells. The spectral generator further comprises a covariance matrix calculator that is in communication with the window generator to receive the range-doppler-sensor data within the window and calculate a covariance matrix estimate for a range-doppler cell of interest in the window. The spectral generator also includes a spectral calculator that is in communication with the covariance matrix calculator to calculate a high-resolution spectral vector based on a location matrix and a noise subspace matrix estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Raytheon Canada Limited
    Inventors: Tony Ponsford, Reza Dizaji
  • Publication number: 20040227662
    Abstract: In an object-detecting system using an FM-CW wave, points f1 to f4 corresponding to detection peaks of a reflected wave from a road-side object such as guardrail and points m1 and m2 corresponding to detection peaks of a reflected wave from a moving object such as a reflector of a preceding vehicle are indicated on two-dimensional coordinates along with the shape of a road ahead of a subject vehicle. Among the points f1 to f4, m1 and m2, the points f1 to f4 are determined as being provided by the reflected wave from the road-side object, and a distance from the subject vehicle to the object and a speed of the subject vehicle relative the object are calculated using the remaining points m1 and m2 excluding the points f1 to f4. Thus, only the moving object except the road-side object can be detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Inventors: Kiichiro Sawamoto, Hiroyuki Ando
  • Publication number: 20040222919
    Abstract: Disclosed is a radar apparatus equipped with a function for detecting an FM-AM conversion noise peak. When the direction of radiation is swept, any peak whose level remains substantially unchanged is judged to be a peak due to FM-AM conversion noise. Further, when FM modulation is stopped, any peak appearing in a region not lower than 50 kHz is judged to be a noise peak.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Inventor: Osamu Isaji