Digital Processing Patents (Class 342/195)
  • Patent number: 8681035
    Abstract: A microwave imaging system uses microwave radiation provided by a microwave source to image targets. The system includes an array of antenna elements that are capable of being programmed with a respective direction coefficient to direct the microwave illumination from the microwave source toward a position on the target. The antenna elements are further capable of being programmed to receive reflected microwave illumination reflected from the position on the target. A processor is operable to measure an intensity of the reflected microwave illumination to determine a value of a pixel within an image of the target. Multiple beams can be directed towards the target to obtain corresponding pixel values for use by the processor in constructing the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Izhak Baharav, Robert C. Taber, Gregory S. Lee, John Stephen Kofol
  • Patent number: 8682507
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and system for improving real-time determination of flight parameters of an aircraft during flight. A selection module selects and delivers measured values of input parameters to an estimation unit, and the estimation unit uses the input parameters to estimate at least two selected flight parameters. The input parameters are received by the estimation unit on the basis of identified flight mechanics equations associated with the selected flight parameters. The estimation unit includes an extended Kalman filter, which is configured to receive the values of the input parameters and to output joint estimations of the selected flight parameters based on the flight mechanics equations, during the flight of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignees: Airbus Operations SAS, Onera (Office National d'etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales)
    Inventors: Pierre Ezerzere, Cedric Seren, Georges Hardier
  • Patent number: 8674875
    Abstract: The invention provides a security scanner that produces a radar profile of a clothed person or another object such as a bag carried by a person at a distance and does not require close proximity of the person or object to the scanner itself. The scanner includes a millimeter wave antenna system optimised for short-range active imaging and arranged to provide rapid high-resolution images of an object or person of interest and processing means for resolving the images so as to detect the presence of predetermined objects. The processing means preferably includes means for comparing contrasts in reflectivity in the scanned images with predetermined expected values from skin and light clothing. The processing means may also include means for detecting predetermined behavioral or physical traits such as the effect on gait on carried weighty objects or stiff structures strapped to the person from the images of a scanned object or person. The scanner may be incorporated within a turnstile access arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: MBDA UK Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Ralph Carter, Charles Anthony Rowatt
  • Patent number: 8665133
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving situational awareness on an in-trails procedures display. A radar system transmits a radar signal and receives and stores weather radar reflectivity values into a three-dimensional buffer. A processor determines whether any of the stored weather reflectivity values indicate the presence of a weather hazard and generates one or more weather hazard icons based on the stored weather reflectivity values. An in-trail procedures display device displays the generated weather hazard icons. Wake vortex information for other aircraft is generated and outputted on the in-trail procedures display. Also, the processor receives a request for an altitude change and generates an alert when the aircraft is determined not to be cleared to transition to the requested altitude based on a projected transition, any existing weather hazards, wake vortices of proximate aircraft, and in-trail procedures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Ratan Khatwa, Dave Pepitone
  • Patent number: 8665140
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a signal processing device, which includes an echo signal input unit for being inputted with echo signals caused by electromagnetic waves discharged from an antenna and reflected on one or more target objects, an echo signal level detector for detecting a level of each of the echo signals with reference to an azimuth and a distance to the antenna, a level change detector for detecting a level change between the echo signals from locations close to each other, the locations of the echo signals being such that the distances from the antenna are substantially the same but the azimuths are different, a pattern output module for comparing the level change with a predetermined reference pattern and outputting a level change pattern, and a missing determining module for determining a missing of a signal based on at least two of the level change patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company Limited
    Inventors: Kazuya Nakagawa, Hitoshi Maeno
  • Publication number: 20140049423
    Abstract: Frequency swept radar signals are transmitted from a plurality of transmitter antennas with predetermined timing offsets between the frequency sweeps of respective ones of the transmitters. A combination of reflections of the transmitted frequency swept radar signals is received. A filter bank separates a plurality of beat signals from respective frequency bands in the received combination of reflections. Transmitter antennas at respective different spatial locations may be used and intermediate signals derived from the separated beat signals may be summed to form a synthetic aperture radar image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURFWET ENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventors: Adriaan Jan De Jong, Wilhelmus Lambertus van Rossum
  • Patent number: 8654007
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the general field of radar tracking applied to multi-static radar systems. It consists of a method for coherently merging the individual tracks generated from the various bistatic bases that make up the system so as to generate and maintain global tracks so that an object detected by a single bistatic base is represented by the corresponding track and an object detected by a number of bistatic bases and giving rise to the creation of a number of individual tracks is represented only by a single global track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Sébastien Allam, Emmanuel De Gramont, Wilfried Greverie, Jean-Claude Deltour, Mathieu Klein
  • Patent number: 8648743
    Abstract: A method and an arrangement are provided for producing a computed distribution of speeds of scatterers in a target volume (1701). An estimate distribution of speeds at which scatterers would move in the target volume is provided (1201). It is converted (1202) to a candidate autocorrelation function that represent autocorrelation data points that a pulse radar would measure from the current estimate distribution. The fit of a candidate ACF to a measured ACF is measured (1203). The estimate distribution is accepted if a measured fit fulfills a predefined acceptance criterion, or modified (1205) in which case processing returns to the conversion of the modified estimate distribution to an ACF. An accepted estimate distribution is output (1206) as a computed distribution of speeds that describes the actual distribution of speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Eigenor Oy
    Inventor: Jorn Sierwald
  • Patent number: 8643537
    Abstract: A method for considering an echo amplitude profile as a result of convoluting a single echo with a channel response sequence, wherein for multiple echo detection, an estimation task is broken into three major steps comprising estimating a channel response, recovering a full shape of a single echo, and iteratively updating the channel response and echo shape to increase their accuracy. The estimation of the channel response is treated as a single echo detection problem and includes estimating the strongest echo for its position and amplitude, removing an echo corresponding to this recovered channel from the echo amplitude profile, and repeating the preceding steps for the next strongest echo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Jing Liu
  • Publication number: 20140015709
    Abstract: There is provided a waveguide connecting structure, including first, second, third and fourth waveguides. A first coupling window at one of magnetic field planes of the third waveguide couples the first and third waveguides in such a manner that the electric field planes of both are in parallel. A second coupling window formed at one of the electric field planes of the third waveguide couples the second and third waveguides in such a manner that the electric field planes of the second waveguide is in parallel with the magnetic field planes of the first waveguide. A third coupling window formed at the other one of the electric field planes couples the fourth and third waveguides in such a manner that the electric field planes of the fourth waveguide is in parallel with the magnetic field planes of the first waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventors: Tetsu SHIJO, Koh HASHIMOTO, Shuichi OBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20140009325
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for separating, or de-interleaving, a stream of radar pulses, interleaved in time, received by a receiving antenna (10) and receiver (12) from several radar sources. De-interleaving the stream of received pulses may include forming clusters of pulses having similar parameter values around anchor points, where each cluster is defined by a window around its anchor point. The dimensions of each window may be determined by a weighted distance, i.e., a measure of dissimilarity, calculated using weights. Each weight may depend inversely on the measurement error in the parameter with which the weight is associated. Each anchor point may have a set of weights adjusted to its parameter values, and which may change as operating conditions change. The weights may be determined using a method including a calibration step, which may include injecting pulses with known parameters into the receiver (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventor: George D. Hammack
  • Patent number: 8624776
    Abstract: A radar or sonar system amplifies the signal received by an antenna of the radar system or a transducer of the sonar system is amplified and then subject to linear demodulation by a linear receiver. There may be an anti-aliasing filter and an analog-to-digital converter between the amplifier and the linear receiver. The system may also have a digital signal processor with a network stack running in the processor. That processor may also have a network interface media access controller, where the system operates at different ranges, the modulator may produce pulses of two pulse patterns differing in pulse duration and inter-pulse spacing, those pulse patterns are introduced and used to form two radar images with the two images being derived from data acquired in a duration not more than twenty times larger than the larger inter-pulse spacing, or for a radar system, larger than one half of the antenna resolution time. One or more look-up tables may be used to control the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Raymarine UK Limited
    Inventors: Richard Jales, Andrew Lawrence, Matthieu Maindrou
  • Patent number: 8610621
    Abstract: A method for transmission and detection in an adaptive-on-transmit (AT) system operating in the electromagnetic spectrum comprising determining a waveform-filter pair; and employing the waveform-filter pair in transmission and detection, wherein two or more are provided of the group consisting of an auto-correlation function sidelobe level reduction proportional to a the filter length, K, or better, an out-of-band spectral suppression of at least about 40 dB, and a frequency spectrum power tail power decay of K?4 or better.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Arrowhead Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Ana Vazquez Alejos, Muhammad Dawood
  • Patent number: 8610041
    Abstract: A system for engaging hostile air or space threats with a defensive missile, where the defensive missile comprises an antenna for receiving global positioning system (GPS) signals. A global positioning system receiver is coupled to said antenna, for receiving global positioning system signals directly from global positioning system satellites and global positioning system signals reflected from the threat. A processing arrangement processes the direct and reflected global positioning system signals for determining the position and velocity of the threat. Vectoring controls are coupled to the processing arrangement, and are responsive to the location of the threat for directing the defensive missile toward the threat. In a particular embodiment, the antenna of the defensive missile is directionally controllable, and the defensive missile includes an antenna direction controller responsive to the processor for directing at least a beam of the antenna toward the threat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Jonathan A. Boardman
  • Patent number: 8604971
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is devised for detecting objects of interest in which frequency-scanned RF in the HF region of the electromagnetic spectrum is projected out across a given area and returns are detected and converted into image data in which phase, amplitude, range and frequency associated with the incoming data is correlated with frequency-dependent range templates to determine the existence of, the range of and the direction of the objects of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Apostolos, Richard J. Millard
  • Publication number: 20130321199
    Abstract: A passive radar device includes: a pulse-by-pulse range compression unit executing cross-correlation processing between received signals of a direct wave and scattered wave on each of pulses divided by a direct-wave reception unit and a scattered-wave reception unit, and calculating a pulse-by-pulse range profile; a block-by-block Doppler processing unit calculating a first Doppler frequency spectrum by executing pulse-direction Fourier transform in block units each grouping plural pulses; a Doppler frequency cell-associated range migration compensation unit compensating a range-direction movement amount with respect to the first Doppler frequency spectrum on a Doppler-frequency-cell-by-Doppler-frequency-cell basis and on a block-by-block basis; and a block-direction Doppler processing unit calculating a second Doppler frequency spectrum by executing block-direction Fourier transform on an output from the Doppler frequency cell-associated range migration compensation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kei Suwa, Tadashi Oshima, Shohei Nakamura, Toshio Wakayama
  • Patent number: 8598501
    Abstract: A sensor system uses ground emitters to illuminate a projectile in flight with a polarized RF beam. By monitoring the polarization modulation of RF signals received from antenna elements mounted on the projectile, both angular orientation and angular rate signals can be derived and used in the inertial solution in place of the gyroscope. Depending on the spacing and positional accuracies of the RF ground emitters, position information of the projectile may also be derived, which eliminates the need for accelerometers. When RF signals of ground emitter/s are blocked from the guided projectile, the sensor deploys another plurality of RF antennas mounted on the projectile nose to determine position and velocity vectors and orientation of incoming targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Guidance an Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: A. Douglas Meyer, Mostafa A. Karam, Charles A. Lee, Charles H. Volk
  • Patent number: 8593338
    Abstract: A new approach to radar imaging is described herein, in which radar pulses are transmitted with an uneven sampling scheme and subsequently processed with novel algorithms to produce images of equivalent resolution and quality as standard images produced using standard synthetic aperture radar (SAR) waveforms and processing techniques. The radar data collected with these waveforms can be used to create many other useful products such as moving target indication (MTI) and high resolution terrain information (HRTI). The waveform and the correction algorithms described herein allow the algorithms of these other radar products to take advantage of the quality Doppler resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Areté Associates
    Inventors: Jeremy Francis Burri, Michael Howard Farris, Matthew Michael Pohlman, Randall Edward Potter
  • Patent number: 8593335
    Abstract: A method includes inputting an echo signal from an antenna for discharging an electromagnetic wave to a predetermined area and receiving an echo signal reflected on a target object, outputting a level of the echo signal from every location so as to associate the level with a distance from the antenna in an azimuth direction where the electromagnetic wave is discharged, calculating a degree of change in the level of the echo signal from mutually adjacent locations among all the locations concerned, performing edge emphasis processing for the level of the echo signal in the azimuth direction based on the degree of change and outputting an edge-emphasized echo signal, and performing scan-to-scan correlation processing to calculate a correlation value of the echo signals of two or more scans using the edge-emphasized echo signals, where the echo signals from the entire predetermined area is used as one scan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: FURUNO Electric Company Limited
    Inventor: Kazuya Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8587473
    Abstract: A method for onboard determination of a roll angle of a projectile. The method including: transmitting a polarized RF signal from a reference source, with a predetermined polarization plane; receiving the signal at a pair of polarized RF sensor cavities positioned symmetrical on the projectile with respect to a reference roll position on the projectile; measuring a difference between an output of the pair of polarized RF sensor cavities resulting from the received signal to determine zero output roll positions of the projectile; and comparing an output of the pair of polarized RF sensor cavities at each of the zero output positions to determine when the projectile is parallel to the predetermined polarization plane. The method can also include analyzing an output of at least one third sensor positioned on the projectile to determine whether the roll angle position of the projectile is up as compared to the horizon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Omnitek Partners LLC
    Inventors: Jahangir S. Rastegar, Carlos M. Pereira
  • Patent number: 8587468
    Abstract: A method, a system and a program product for deinterleaving and classifying an incoming unknown radar pulse pattern uses a library of state machines that mesh with a library of known radar pulse patterns of a library of known radar emitter sources. A continuous sequence of radar pulse descriptor words is secured for the incoming unknown radar pulse pattern and a plurality of state machines that may mesh with the continuous sequence of radar pulse descriptor words is selected from the library of state machines. The plurality of state machines that may mesh with the incoming unknown radar pulse pattern is operated upon the incoming unknown radar pulse pattern. Radar emitter sources that correlate with state machines that actually mesh with the incoming unknown radar pulse pattern are designated as radar emitter sources that comprise the incoming unknown radar pulse pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: SRC, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Patrick Card, Paul Guy Springer
  • Patent number: 8586901
    Abstract: Embodiments of a guidance section that compensates for boresight error (BSE) caused by effects of a composite radome. The guidance section includes a BSE compensation element to add high-pass filtered noise to compensated BSE data. The guidance section also includes and a Kalman filter to generate line-of-sight rate (LOSR) BSE noise from the compensated BSE data and the added high-pass filtered noise. In some embodiments, a method for generating a revised BSE correction matrix is provided. The revised BSE correction matrix may compensate for BSE caused by effects in the composite radome and may correct for relative target velocity error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Robert L. Kesselring
  • Patent number: 8576110
    Abstract: A method of detecting a target in a room using a radar system having a transmitter for irradiating the object, a sensor for receiving reflected radiation, and circuitry for analyzing the reflected radiation to determine at least one characteristic thereof, the method including determining at least one parameter for each wall of a plurality of walls of a room containing the target; determining possible signal paths between the target and the sensor for paths including up to N reflections based on the at least one parameter of each wall and the location of the sensor; calculating target image locations based on the possible signal paths; and processing the received radiation to determine a target location based on target image locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Mark L. Valentine
  • Patent number: 8569669
    Abstract: A SAR image recorded by a reconnaissance system is transferred as a reference edge image together with the data of the trajectory as a reference. The signal of the infrared seeker head of the missile is converted into a virtual SAR edge image and compared to the SAR reference image to calculate the precise position of the missile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: LFK-Lenkflugkoerpersysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Holicki, Nikolaus Schweyer, Juergen Zoz
  • Patent number: 8564473
    Abstract: A method for constructing focused radar images includes chopping the radar illumination period into p sub-periods, two successive sub-periods overlapping temporally; choosing n successive sub-periods from among the p sub-periods, and for each of the n chosen sub-periods, performing radar acquisitions to generate an image IM_0x of resolution R0; and applying an autofocus processing to each of the n images IM_0x generated; combining the n images so as to generate at least one new focused radar image IM_1x. The method is applied notably to the production of high-resolution SAR images with the help of an aircraft equipped with a radar antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Luc Bosser, Joan Broussolle, Julien Lafaix
  • Patent number: 8558731
    Abstract: A method of determining an angle within the beam to a target using an airborne radar includes receiving first data associated with first returns associated with a first portion of an antenna. The method further includes receiving second data associated with second returns associated with a second portion of an antenna, wherein the first portion is not identical to the second portion. The method further includes determining the angle within the beam to the target using the first and second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel L. Woodell
  • Patent number: 8558730
    Abstract: A method for detecting precipitation in a region monitored by radar beams includes ascertaining a first average power of a first backscattered radar signal, ascertaining a second average power of a second backscattered radar signal, and detecting an existence of a homogenous medium when the average powers conform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Alebel Arage Hassen
  • Patent number: 8547273
    Abstract: The invention provides a pulse radar apparatus, and a control method thereof, that permits to readily downsize and to lower its cost and allows information on an object to be detected in high precision by removing an influence of noise when a gain of a variable gain amplifier is discontinuously changed corresponding to detected distance, with a simple configuration. A variable gain amplifier 135 configured to adjust a gain corresponding to a distance gate is used to be able to detect weak reflected wave from a distant object and to amplify a reflected wave from a short distance with a low gain. An offset noise from the variable gain amplifier 135 is prepared together with interference noise and self-mixing noise in advance as a replica signal of unwanted wave and the replica signal is removed from a baseband signal in detecting the object T.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignees: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Aoyagi, Kazutaka Kamimura, Yoshihito Ishida
  • Publication number: 20130241767
    Abstract: Electromagnetic wave structure modulation apparatus comprises an encoded device that has an electromagnetic wave-transparent material having a three-dimensional volume and electromagnetic wave-opaque walls, and a plurality of electromagnetic wave-opaque projections projecting into the electromagnetic wave-transparent material. The apparatus further comprises an interrogating device that has a transceiver operable to transmit an electromagnetic wave into the electromagnetic wave-transparent material, the electromagnetic wave being modulated and reflected by the electromagnetic wave-opaque walls and projections, an antenna operable to receive the reflected electromagnetic waves, and a decoder operable to decode the received reflected electromagnetic waves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Inventor: Duke Loi
  • Patent number: 8531330
    Abstract: A method and device for recognizing a pulse repetition interval (PRI) modulation type of a radar signal are provided. The method for recognizing a pulse repetition interval (PRI) modulation type includes: extracting time of arrival (TOA) information of pulses aligned in time order from a received radar signal; generating a PRI sequence based on a difference of adjacent TOAs in the TOA information of pulses; generating a difference of PRIs (DPRI) sequence by using a difference of the adjacent PRIs in the PRI sequence; generating respective symbol sequences by using specific partition rules from the PRI sequence and the DPRI sequence; and calculating characteristic factors from the symbol sequences, and comparing the characteristic factors with threshold values for discriminating a PRI modulation type to determine the PRI modulation type. Thus, the PRI modulation type, a promising feature for radar signal identification, can be precisely derived.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Agency For Defense Development
    Inventors: Kyu-Ha Song, Jin-Woo Han, Byung-Koo Park, Je-Il Jo
  • Patent number: 8525725
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method and system for detecting and determining the position of a target or intruder using a plurality of sensors positioned throughout a secured perimeter and a single antenna. The system of the present disclosure detects and determines the position of a target by first analyzing the return signal strength values of each of the sensors. Next, Zvalues for each of the sensors are calculated. Based on the Zvalues, certain sensors are selected to compute a signal strength center-of-mass location, which is then used to determine the position of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Vibeke Libby, Troy E. Wenski, Allen R. Lorenz
  • Publication number: 20130222178
    Abstract: A dual mode ground penetrating radar includes an enclosure which houses radar electronics. The dual mode ground penetrating radar includes a enclosure housing radar electronics. The dual mode ground penetrating radar further includes a first antenna feed having ferrite loading and extending outside of the enclosure. The dual mode ground penetrating radar further includes a second antenna feed spaced apart from the first antenna feed, the second antenna feed having ferrite loading and extending outside of the enclosure. An RF signal is provided in at least one of the first and second antenna feeds by the radar electronics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology
    Inventor: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology
  • Patent number: 8519883
    Abstract: A motion detector system includes the ability to detect motion through the use of a Doppler radar sensor or a combination of PIR sensors and a Doppler radar sensor. The system includes an outdoor light fixture having one or more lamps and a housing coupled to the outdoor light fixture. The housing includes a Doppler radar sensor and a microprocessor for analyzing the signals received by the Doppler radar sensor. Alternatively, the housing includes a combination of PIR sensors and a Doppler radar sensor and a microprocessor for analyzing the signals received from these sensors. The lamps in the light fixture are activated when either the PIR sensor or the Doppler radar sensor generates a signal indicating motion within the monitored area. Alternatively, the lamps can be activated when either the PIR sensor or the Doppler radar sensor senses predetermined number of motion activities over a limited time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company
    Inventors: George Michael Drake, Ryan Crist, Tyler Fleig, Milton Dallas, Scott Kroeger, Norm Siegel, Charlie Ketelhohn
  • Patent number: 8508402
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for detecting, locating and identifying objects located above ground or below ground in an area of interest, comprising an airborne vehicle which circumscribes the area of interest and which includes a built-in radar having an antenna with a respective transmitter and receiver, signal-processing means, data-storage means and graphical interface means. According to the invention, the area of interest has been pre-referenced and the radar is a heterodyne ground penetration radar (GPR). The signal transmitted by the antenna generates a beam that illuminates a strip of earth, consisting of a sinusoidal electromagnetic signal having a frequency that is varied in precise pre-determined progressive steps. This signal is mixed with the received (reflected) signal, thereby producing two sets of values corresponding to the phases of each frequency step or stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
    Inventors: Mario Manuel Duran Toro, Marcelo Walter Guarini Herrmann
  • Patent number: 8508403
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting the presence of subsurface objects within a medium is provided. In some embodiments, the imaging and detection system operates in a multistatic mode to collect radar return signals generated by an array of transceiver antenna pairs that is positioned across the surface and that travels down the surface. The imaging and detection system pre-processes the return signal to suppress certain undesirable effects. The imaging and detection system then generates synthetic aperture radar images from real aperture radar images generated from the pre-processed return signal. The imaging and detection system then post-processes the synthetic aperture radar images to improve detection of subsurface objects. The imaging and detection system identifies peaks in the energy levels of the post-processed image frame, which indicates the presence of a subsurface object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: David W. Paglieroni, N. Reginald Beer
  • Patent number: 8497477
    Abstract: A system and technique for imaging a subject at a scene overcomes the weaknesses in the existing gain fluctuation techniques by switching the environmental temperature at the scene at a rate sufficiently fast enough to obtain subsequent samples in a time period where the gain has not fluctuated sufficiently to have a negative effect on detection sensitivity. This technique is utilized in conjunction with the method of subsequent subtraction of alternate samples which both reveals the reflectance of the scene and removes gain fluctuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: MVT Equity LLC
    Inventor: Thomas D. Williams
  • Patent number: 8493264
    Abstract: In the case where radar image data obtained from a radar device equipped in a flying body and optical image data of a district taken by the radar device are synthesized to produce a terrestrial object information judging image, the radar image data are approximated to a black and white panchromatic image character. The radar image data approximated to the black and white panchromatic character and the optical image data are aligned in position and then synthesized. As a suitable embodiment, in an approximation processing of the radar image data to the black and white panchromatic image character, histogram conversion processing is carried out in accordance with a histogram characteristic of the radar image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Pasco Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Sasakawa
  • Patent number: 8477063
    Abstract: A obstacle detection system comprises a transmission antenna operable to radiate a radio frequency (RF) signal and a transmitter operable to control transmission of the RF signal from the antenna. The obstacle detection system also comprises a receiver antenna operable to receive a reflection of the RF signal; and processing circuitry operable to analyze a plurality of characteristics of a radar cross section (RCS) of the received reflection to identify an obstacle and one or more physical attributes of the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Meyers, Long Bui, Yi-Chi Shih, Alan G. Cornett
  • Publication number: 20130162465
    Abstract: A radar device includes a signal generator that generates an intermittent signal having a prescribed signal width and signal interval, a transmission signal position adjuster that outputs a transmission signal while adjusting positions of the intermittent signal on the time axis, an RF transmitter that transmits the transmission signal, an RF receiver that receives a reception signal including reflection waves reflected from an object in a measurement subject space, an AD converter that converts the reception signal into a digital signal, and an object detector that detects the object based on the reception signal. The transmission signal position adjuster outputs a transmission signal in which positions of respective signal units of the intermittent signal on the time axis are adjusted in units of a time adjustment amount that is shorter than a sampling interval of the AD converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirohito Mukai, Takaaki Kishigami, Yoichi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8466834
    Abstract: A method of radar-imaging a scene in the far-field of a one-dimensional radar array, comprises providing an array of backscatter data D(fm, x?n) of the scene, these backscatter data being associated to a plurality of positions x?n, n=0 . . . N?1, N>1, that are regularly spaced along an axis of the radar array. The backscatter data for each radar array position x?n are sampled in frequency domain, at different frequencies fm, m=0 . . . M?1, M>1, defined by fm=fc?B/2+m??f, where fc represents the center frequency, B the bandwidth and ?f the frequency step of the sampling. A radar reflectivity image 1 (?m?, ?n?) is computed in a pseudo-polar coordinate system based upon the formula (2) with formula (3) where j represents the imaginary unit, formula (A) is the baseband frequency, FFT2D denotes the 2D Fast Fourier Transform operator, ?m?, m?=0 . . . M?1, and ?n?, n?=0 . . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: The European Union, Represented by the European Commission
    Inventor: Joaquim Fortuny-Guasch
  • Patent number: 8436766
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for radar pulse compression signal processing. Methods include generating a function that quantifies radar signal characteristics and using a processor to calculate time-domain derivatives of the function in the frequency domain. Methods also include generating a function that quantifies radar signal characteristics as a sum of sidelobe levels; and using a processor to control the sidelobe levels by obtaining gradients of the function in the spectral domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Technology Service Corporation
    Inventor: Carroll J. Nunn
  • Patent number: 8432253
    Abstract: Active RFID technologies are used to tag assets and people within buildings or open areas, such as parking lots or military bases; and to identify, preferably within a few meters, the real-time location (RTL) of the tag, i.e. to create a real-time location system, known as an RTLS. A novel and complex algorithm is provided that combines signal strength computations with factors that incorporate physical realities, such as walls and floors, to determine a tag's real-time location more accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Al-Qemmah Letechnologia Al-Ma'Loumat Co. (SIMTIX)
    Inventors: Robert Ainsbury, Immad Adawiya, Khalid Omar
  • Patent number: 8427363
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes tagging a track as a live track if a tagging statistic is greater than a tagging statistic threshold and tagging the track as a virtual track if the tagging statistic is less than the tagging statistic threshold. In another aspect, an article includes a machine-readable medium that stores executable instructions to determine whether a track is a live track or a virtual track. The instructions causing a machine to tag a track as a live track if a tagging statistic is greater than a tagging statistic threshold and tag the track as a virtual track if the tagging statistic is less than the tagging statistic threshold. In a further aspect, an apparatus includes circuitry to tag a track as a live track if a tagging statistic is greater than a tagging statistic threshold and tag the track as a virtual track if the tagging statistic is less than the tagging statistic threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Joel E. Lamendola, Maxim Raykin, Stanley J. Poreda
  • Patent number: 8416120
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of sensor network localization through reconstruction of a radiation pattern with a characteristic value of an antenna depending on orientation thereof. The method can minimize errors using an antenna characteristic value and a signal strength depending on the orientation. In addition, the method can minimize errors using an artificial neural network to characterize a distorted radiation pattern of an antenna and using it for the localization of a triangulation method. Furthermore, the method can increases the localization rate even in a passive localization method by characterizing an asymmetric antenna radiation pattern and constructing the antenna characteristic through an artificial neural network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Sungkyunkwan University Foundation for Corporate Collaboration
    Inventors: Jong Tae Kim, Chae Seok Lim
  • Patent number: 8416118
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting chaff is disclosed. The method includes receiving range profile data including a plurality of samples, determining an average power for a first group of samples of the range profile data and a second group of samples of the range profile data, comparing the average power for the first group of samples to a first threshold value and the average power for the second group of samples to a second threshold value, and identifying a chaff detection if an average power of at least one of the first and second groups of samples exceeds its respective threshold value. The system includes a computer readable medium and a processor in communication with the computer readable storage medium and configured to perform the receiving, determining, comparing and detecting steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Rao M. Nuthalapati
  • Patent number: 8415596
    Abstract: A method for determining a location of a flying target included identifying and measuring the target by at least two seeker systems disposed at a distance from one another. The position of the target relative to at least one of the two seeker systems is determined from measurement data derived therefrom. The position of the target is measured inconspicuously and without active radiation, in that the seeker systems are data-networked, passive target tracking systems for missiles, which autonomously track the target and align the missile with the target. The measurement data determined by the data-networked seeker systems are combined, and the location of the target is determined from the combined data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Diehl BGT Defence GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Raimund Dold, Thomas Kuhn, Wilhelm Hinding
  • Patent number: 8410976
    Abstract: An object ranging system operates by transmitting pulses derived from a frequency-swept signal and determining the beat frequency of a combination of the frequency-swept signal and its reflection from an object. A second (or higher) order harmonic is derived from the combination signal. Accordingly, determination of the beat frequency, and hence object range, is significantly enhanced. The frequency sweep is such that frequency changes occur at a substantially higher rate at the beginning of each the pulse repetition interval than at the end. Accordingly, because the frequency changes are concentrated in the period of pulse transmission, even reflections 'from a close object, where the time delay between the source signal and the reflection is very short, will cause a high beat frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jerzy Wieslaw Szajnowski, Paul Ratliff, Wojciech Machowski
  • Patent number: 8410977
    Abstract: Systems and methods for representing a weather hazard without also including a large percentage of non-hazard area. An exemplary system includes a memory that stores radar reflectivity data in a three-dimensional buffer, a display device and a processor that is in data communication with the memory and the display device. The processor receives a two-dimensional shape based on a portion of the data stored in the three-dimensional buffer, then finds a center of the shape. Next the processor finds the furthest away point of the shape in a plurality of regions sharing the center as a common point and generates a polygon based on the furthest away points. The display device displays the generated polygon. The shape is associated with hazardous weather information determined from the radar reflectivity data stored in the three-dimensional buffer. The display device is an aircraft weather radar display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney A. Rowen, Brian P. Bunch
  • Patent number: 8405540
    Abstract: A method detects a target in a sequence of radar images, wherein each image is partitioned into a grid of cells, and wherein each cell has a corresponding position in an image coordinate system associated with a location in a world coordinate system. For each most recent image in a sliding temporal window of images, intensities of each cell are determined, and the subset of the cells having highest intensities is stored as a set of current needles. A set of hypotheses, obtained by using a state transition model and corresponding maximum limits, is determined for the current set of needles and appended to a set of queues. The hypotheses for the previous sets of needles to the corresponding set of queues are updated, and a maximum likelihood in the set of queues are selected to detect the location of targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Fatih M. Porikli
  • Patent number: 8406277
    Abstract: Radiolocalization receiver for a satellite radiolocalization system like GPs, Galileo or the like, including a staged correlation and accumulation unit, in which the correlation data is biased in order to be to always non-negative. Thanks to this feature, the accumulated data grow monotonically during the accumulation. Overflow rate of a first correlation stage (100, 150-153) is scaled down respect to the rate of the input data. Thus the higher correlation stages (200, 154-158) can be used in multiplex. The bit-flip rate in memories is very low, with an effective reduction of dynamic power consumption. The logic structure of the accumulator is also simplified by the invention, thus further savings in silicon space and power are possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Phil Young