Patents by Inventor Kai-Bor Yu

Kai-Bor Yu 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: 9780446
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing an antenna. A current radiation pattern is identified for the antenna using initial coefficients for a modulation function for the antenna. A first constraint is applied to the current radiation pattern to form a modified radiation pattern. New coefficients for the modulation function are identified as coefficients for which a difference between a radiation pattern for the antenna generated using the coefficients and the modified radiation pattern is reduced. A second constraint is applied to a set of coefficients in the new coefficients to form modified coefficients for the modulation function. The steps of applying the first constraint, identifying the new coefficients for the modulation function, and applying the second constraint are iterated until a new radiation pattern based on the modified coefficients for the modulation function meets the first constraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu
  • Patent number: 9379436
    Abstract: A method for electronically compensating for quantization errors and bit toggle errors with phase shifters. A new bit state for a phase shifter associated with an element is identified based on a desired phase shift for the element. The new bit state minimizes a quantization error and a bit toggle error between the desired phase shift for the element and an actual phase shift that results when a current bit state is switched to the new bit state. A command is sent to the phase shifter to switch from the current bit state to the new bit state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu
  • Patent number: 8736484
    Abstract: A system and method for increasing the effective angular resolution of a multi-function phased array radar system is provided. The system is operative to simultaneously transmit a plurality of overlapping sub-beams covering a representative central beam. A de-convolution process is applied to received return signals. The process includes determining the reflectivity within sub-beamwidth resolution cells defined by the overlapping sub-beams. Generated sub-beamwidth data provides the radar system with an effective angular resolution beyond that of any single transmitted beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Kai-Bor Yu, Manuel F. Fernandez, Svetlana M. Bachmann
  • Patent number: 8633850
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying locations of objects. A portion of a sum signal corresponding to angular locations and velocities with respect to a sensor system that are different from a selected angular location and a selected velocity with respect to the sensor system, respectively, is modified to form a set of modified sum signals. A portion of a difference signal corresponding to the angular locations and the velocities with respect to the sensor system that are different from the selected angular location and the selected velocity with respect to the sensor system, respectively, is modified to form a modified difference signal. An angular location of a target object is identified with respect to the sensor system using the set of modified sum signals and the modified difference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu
  • Publication number: 20130106647
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying locations of objects. A portion of a sum signal corresponding to angular locations and velocities with respect to a sensor system that are different from a selected angular location and a selected velocity with respect to the sensor system, respectively, is modified to form a set of modified sum signals. A portion of a difference signal corresponding to the angular locations and the velocities with respect to the sensor system that are different from the selected angular location and the selected velocity with respect to the sensor system, respectively, is modified to form a modified difference signal. An angular location of a target object is identified with respect to the sensor system using the set of modified sum signals and the modified difference signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu
  • Publication number: 20120038504
    Abstract: A system and method for increasing the effective angular resolution of a multi-function phased array radar system is provided. The system is operative to simultaneously transmit a plurality of overlapping sub-beams covering a representative central beam. A de-convolution process is applied to received return signals. The process includes determining the reflectivity within sub-beamwidth resolution cells defined by the overlapping sub-beams. Generated sub-beamwidth data provides the radar system with an effective angular resolution beyond that of any single transmitted beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Kai-Bor Yu, Manuel F. Fernandez, Svetlana M. Bachmann
  • Patent number: 7859451
    Abstract: A method for determining target angles based on data received from a monopulse radar array antenna includes receiving from a beamformer that generates beams from signals generated by the monopulse radar antenna signals having data indicative of a sum beam, an azimuth difference beam, an elevation difference beam, and a delta-delta beam; based on the received signals, determining by the processor an azimuth monopulse ratio, an elevation monopulse ratio, a first complementary monopulse ratio based on the ratio of the delta-delta beam to the delta elevation beam, and a second complementary monopulse ratio based on the ratio of the delta-delta beam to the delta azimuth beam; determining an azimuth angle by the processor based on the azimuth monopulse ratio and the first complementary monopulse ratio; determining an elevation angle by the processor based on the elevation monopulse ratio and the second complementary monopulse ratio; providing an output signal indicative of the azimuth angle; and providing an output
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Kai-Bor Yu, Peter G. Kaup
  • Publication number: 20100123617
    Abstract: A method for determining target angles based on data received from a monopulse radar array antenna includes receiving from a beamformer that generates beams from signals generated by the monopulse radar antenna signals having data indicative of a sum beam, an azimuth difference beam, an elevation difference beam, and a delta-delta beam; based on the received signals, determining by the processor an azimuth monopulse ratio, an elevation monopulse ratio, a first complementary monopulse ratio based on the ratio of the delta-delta beam to the delta elevation beam, and a second complementary monopulse ratio based on the ratio of the delta-delta beam to the delta azimuth beam; determining an azimuth angle by the processor based on the azimuth monopulse ratio and the first complementary monopulse ratio; determining an elevation angle by the processor based on the elevation monopulse ratio and the second complementary monopulse ratio; providing an output signal indicative of the azimuth angle; and providing an output
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kai-Bor Yu, Peter G. Kaup
  • Patent number: 7671789
    Abstract: A method for target detection and angle estimation in a radar system includes receiving a signal from a radar array; based on the received signal, performing monopulse beamforming to obtain one or more monopulse beams; based on the monopulse beams, determining monopulse ratios; using maximum likelihood estimation based on the determined monopulse ratios to determine a monopulse ratio estimate corresponding to a maximum of a likelihood function; accessing a table correlating monopulse ratio estimates and target angle values and determining from the table an estimated target angle; accessing a complex target amplitude corresponding to the estimated target angle, comparing the complex target amplitude to a threshold; and if, based on the step of comparing, the target amplitude exceeds the threshold, providing an output signal indicative of target detection and the estimated target angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu
  • Patent number: 7576682
    Abstract: A method for radar target detection and angle estimation in the presence of jamming includes the steps of receiving a signal from a radar array having elements arranged in rows and columns; performing deterministic row-based beamforming on the received signal to obtain row sum azimuth beams; performing deterministic column-based beamforming on the received signal to obtain column sum elevation beams; performing one-dimensional maximum likelihood estimation on the row sum azimuth beams to obtain an estimated target elevation angle and an adaptive array sum azimuth beam; performing one-dimensional maximum likelihood estimation on the column sum elevation beams to obtain an estimated target azimuth angle and an adaptive array sum elevation beam; and performing target detection based on the adaptive array sum azimuth beam and the adaptive array sum elevation beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kai Bor Yu
  • Patent number: 6867726
    Abstract: An improvement in monopulse radar achieves nulling of a single mainlobe jammer and multiple sidelobe jammers while maintaining the angle measurement accuracy of the monopulse ratio by cascading a multiple sidelobe canceller and a mainlobe canceller, and imposing a mainlobe maintenance technique during the sidelobe jammer cancellation process so that the results of the sidelobe jammer cancellation process do not distort the subsequent mainlobe cancellation process. In this manner, the sidelobe jammers and the mainlobe jammer are cancelled sequentially in separate processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Kai-Bor Yu, David Jay Murrow
  • Patent number: 6720910
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and processing system for radar detection and tracking of a target using monopulse ratio processing comprising the following steps. First, receiving a signal comprised of a plurality of sum azimuth beams and difference azimuth beams. Then staggering the received signal. Next, filtering and localizing a clutter signal which is a portion of the received sum and azimuth beams. Then adaptively forming a sub-array sum azimuth beam and a sub-array difference azimuth beam from the filtered output to cancel the clutter. The adaptive beam forming including the determination of a sum and difference beam weight where the adaptive weight be equated to a product of the weight and the respective covariance matrices of the sum and difference beams, the product having no constraint points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu
  • Patent number: 6697009
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting a radar target of interest in the presence of radar jamming interference include a sub-array beamformer, a sum and difference beamformer, a weight calculator, a composite beamformer, and a monopulse ratio calculator. A plurality of sub-arrays is formed from antenna array element data. Respective sum and difference beams are formed for each of the plurality of sub-arrays. A single weight is formulated from the sum and difference beams, respectively. Composite sum beams are formed in accordance with the sum weights and the sum beams, and composite difference beams are formed in accordance with the difference weights and the difference beams. Composite beams are formed such that at least one null of each of the composite beams is steered toward an interference and a boresight gain of each of the composite beams is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kai Bor Yu
  • Patent number: 6661366
    Abstract: A radar system and technique provide the capability to detect a target of interest and maintain the detection in the presence of multiple mainlobe and sidelobe jamming interference. The system and technique utilize digital beamforming to form sub-arrays for canceling jamming interference. Jamming is adaptively suppressed in the sub-arrays prior to using conventional deterministic methods to form the sum, &Sgr;, and difference, &Dgr;, beams for monopulse processing. The system and technique provide the ability to detect a target of interest, provide an undistorted monopulse ratio, m, and maintain target angle estimation, in the presence of multiple mainlobe and multiple sidelobe jammers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu
  • Patent number: 6653973
    Abstract: A method and system for are provided for detecting one or more radar targets of interest in the presence of jamming signals. A plurality of sub-arrays are formed from an antenna array. Sub-array beams are adaptively formed so as to point one or more nulls in one or more respective directions corresponding to one or more jammers. A super-resolution technique is applied to determine a count of the one or more radar targets and to determine the corresponding direction of arrival.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu
  • Publication number: 20030184473
    Abstract: A radar system and technique provide the capability to detect a target of interest and maintain the detection in the presence of multiple mainlobe and sidelobe jamming interference. The system and technique utilize the versatility of digital beamforming to form sub-arrays for canceling jamming interference. Jamming is adaptively suppressed in the sub-arrays prior to using conventional deterministic methods to form the sum, &Sgr;, and difference, &Dgr;, beams for monopulse processing. The system and technique provide the ability to detect a target of interest, provide an undistorted monopulse ratio, m, and maintain target angle estimation, in the presence of multiple mainlobe and multiple sidelobe jammers. Further, this system and technique are not constrained by requiring a priori knowledge of the jamming interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventor: Kai Bor Yu
  • Publication number: 20030117314
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and processing system for radar detection and tracking of a target using monopulse ratio processing comprising the following steps. First, receiving a signal comprised of a plurality of sum azimuth beams and difference azimuth beams. Then staggering the received signal. Next, filtering and localizing a clutter signal which is a portion of the received sum and azimuth beams. Then adaptively forming a sub-array sum azimuth beam and a sub-array difference azimuth beam from the filtered output to cancel the clutter. The adaptive beam forming including the determination of a sum and difference beam weight where the adaptive weight be equated to a product of the weight and the respective covariance matrices of the sum and difference beams, the product having no constraint points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu
  • Patent number: 6580392
    Abstract: A radar system and method for detecting and tracking a target of interest in the presence of interference, wherein the interference emits interfering signals, includes a receiver for receiving the interfering signals directly from the interference. The receiver also receives reflected signals, wherein the reflected signals is the interfering signals reflected by the target of interest. The interfering signals and the reflected signals are compared to detect the target of interest. In one embodiment, the reflected signals and the interfering are cross-correlated. The results of the cross-correlation are used to obtain range, position, and velocity information about the target of interest from a range/Doppler map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kai Bor Yu
  • Patent number: 6567034
    Abstract: In a radar system, sampled aperture data are received from an antenna array. The sampled aperture data include data that do not correspond to echo returns from a beam transmitted by the antenna. A covariance matrix is generating using the sampled aperture data. An eigenvalue decomposition is performed on the covariance matrix. A direction of arrival is determined from which at least one jammer is transmitting a signal included in the sampled aperture data, based on the eigenvalue decomposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu
  • Publication number: 20030085832
    Abstract: In a radar system, sampled aperture data are received from an antenna array. The sampled aperture data include data that do not correspond to echo returns from a beam transmitted by the antenna. A covariance matrix is generating using the sampled aperture data. An eigenvalue decomposition is performed on the covariance matrix. A direction of arrival is determined from which at least one jammer is transmitting a signal included in the sampled aperture data, based on the eigenvalue decomposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Applicant: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kai-Bor Yu