Patents by Inventor Bert L. Bradford

Bert L. Bradford has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6995705
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for Doppler track correlation for debris tracking in PCL radar applications. The disclosed embodiments describe the systems and methods used in the detection of debris pieces and the association of the Doppler signals from the debris pieces across multiple illumination channels. The present invention also provides computation of debris state vectors and the projection of trajectories to determine debris impact points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Bert L. Bradford, Sandra Lodwig, legal representative, Richard Lodwig, legal representative, Richard A. Lodwig, deceased
  • Publication number: 20040075605
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for Doppler track correlation for debris tracking in PCL radar applications. The disclosed embodiments describe the systems and methods used in the detection of debris pieces and the association of the Doppler signals from the debris pieces across multiple illumination channels. The present invention also provides computation of debris state vectors and the projection of trajectories to determine debris impact points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Applicant: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Bert L. Bradford, Richard A. Lodwig, Sandra Lodwig, Richard Lodwig
  • Patent number: 6498580
    Abstract: In a system for estimating the launch point of a missile, Doppler shifted signals reflected from the missile as it travels from its launch point are used in a Kalman filter to estimate the missile position, velocity and acceleration, in earth centered fixed coordinates. The coordinate system is rotated to a rotated earth fixed (REF) coordinate system in which the X-axis passes through the estimated missile launch point and the Z-axis is made parallel to the missile azimuth as represented by the missile velocity determined by the Kalman filter. The error in the downrange component of the missile launch point is then reduced to a minimum in the REF coordinate system using a square root information filter. The coordinate system is then rotated to a second rotated earth fixed coordinate system in which the X-axis passes through the updated launch point position and the Z-axis is positioned at 45 degrees from the missile azimuth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Bert L. Bradford
  • Patent number: 6137439
    Abstract: In a continuous wave Doppler system in which a fixed transmitter transmits a continuous wave signal to be reflected by moving targets and by fixed structure, an aircraft receives the reflective signals at two spaced apart antennas. The signals reflected from moving targets are distinguished from ground clutter reflected from fixed structure by the phase difference between the Doppler signals receive by the two antennas. The signals reflected from moving targets are distinguished from the ground clutter in response to the phase difference between the Doppler signals received by the two antennas being not equal to a phase difference value determined to be the phase difference for clutter signals. The phase difference value for clutter signals is determined from a function expressing the phase difference value as a linear variation with the Doppler frequency of the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Bert L. Bradford, Richard A. Lodwig
  • Patent number: 5912640
    Abstract: An estimate of the time of the boost engine cut-off of a missile is provided by irradiating the missile after it is launched with continuous wave signals. The reflected continuous wave signals are detected and an inflection in the Doppler measurements of the reflected continuous wave signals provide an initial estimate of the boost engine cut-off time. A Kalman filter is used to provide initial estimates of the position and velocity of the missile at the boost engine cut-off time and a square root information filter responding to the Doppler measurement residuals after boost engine cut-off reduces the error in the initial estimate of the boost engine cut-off time to a minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Bert L. Bradford, Richard A. Lodwig