Patents by Inventor Karl R. Gerlach
Karl R. Gerlach 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).
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Patent number: 7535412Abstract: A single pulse imaging (SPI) radar system for creating a radar image from a plurality of Doppler phase-shifted return radar signals in a radar environment of moving targets includes a transmitter; a receiver for receiving a radar return signal; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the output of the receiver; a processor, coupled to the output of the ADC, that is programmed with an SPI algorithm that includes a bank of range/Doppler-dependent adaptive RMMSE-based filters; and a target detector. The algorithm estimates adaptively a range profile for each of the Doppler phase-shifted return radar signals to create the radar image of the moving targets.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2007Date of Patent: May 19, 2009Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Shannon D Blunt, Aaron K Shackelford, Karl R Gerlach
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Patent number: 7474257Abstract: A radar receiver system includes a receiver, a processor, and a detector. The processor is programmed with a Multistatic Adaptive Pulse Compression (MAPC) algorithm for estimating adaptively a pulse compression filter, for each range cell of a plurality of range cells, and for each of a plurality of radar return signals, to remove interference between the radar return signals. MAPC may also include reiterative minimum mean-square error estimation for applying to each of the range cells in order to adaptively estimate a unique pulse compression filter for each cell. MAPC adaptively mitigates the masking problem that results from the autocorrelation of a waveform which produces range sidelobes scaled by the target amplitudes as well as the cross-correlation between waveforms. MAPC can also be applied when only 1 or some subset of the available illuminated radar range profiles are desired, with undesired information then discarded.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2005Date of Patent: January 6, 2009Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Shannon D Blunt, Karl R Gerlach
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Patent number: 7439906Abstract: A radar receiver system includes a receiver, a processor including a Doppler Compensated Adaptive Pulse Compressor (DCAPC) algorithm, possible other intermediate processing and a target detector. The DCAPC algorithm processes samples of a radar return signal, applies Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE), or alternatively matched filtering, to the radar return signal to obtain initial radar impulse response estimates, computes power estimates, estimates a range cell Doppler shift for each range cell, computes range-dependent filters, applies the MMSE filters, and then repeats the cycle for subsequent reiterative stages until a desired length?L range window is reached, thereby resolving the scatterer from noise and other scatterers.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2007Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Shannon D Blunt, Karl R Gerlach, Kevin J Smith
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Patent number: 7298315Abstract: A radar pulse compression repair (RPCR) system includes a receiver for receiving a radar return signal, a matched filter for applying matched filtering to the radar return signal to generate a matched filter output, a processor programmed for applying Radar Pulse Compression Repair (RPCR) to the matched filter output to suppress a plurality of range sidelobes from the matched filter output, and a detector for receiving the RPCR-processed output. The RPCR invention in operating upon the output of the matched filter enables RPCR to be employed as a post-processing stage in systems where it is not feasible to replace the existing pulse compression apparatus. RCPR can also be selectively employed when it is possible that large targets are present that may be masking smaller targets, thereby keeping computational complexity to a minimum.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2005Date of Patent: November 20, 2007Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Karl R Gerlach, Shannon D Blunt
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Patent number: 7286079Abstract: An apparatus for non-coherently detecting slow-moving targets in high resolution sea clutter includes a binary detector for converting high resolution radar returns, produced in response to a radar pulse scan of a plurality of identical pulses, into corresponding binary outputs based on a comparison of range cell magnitudes with a detector threshold. A range extent filter converts these binary outputs into an output indicating the presence or absence of a cluster of the returns that are closely spaced in range, while a third, persistence integration stage determines target range extent persistence over a predetermined time period. A detector stage declares detection of a target based on a comparison of the output of the third stage with a selected threshold.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2005Date of Patent: October 23, 2007Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Shannon D. Blunt, Karl R. Gerlach
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Patent number: 7212150Abstract: A method is provided for detecting a target signal of a specific known form in the presence of clutter. The method includes dividing a set of initial training data, derived from returns from a burst of identical pulses, into a set of censored data and a set of uncensored data. A covariance matrix estimate, based on the uncensored data, is used to compute adaptive coherence estimate values, and an average adaptive coherence estimate threshold level is computed for each Doppler band to obtain a corresponding threshold. The censored data and the covariance matrix estimate are used to compute adaptive coherence estimate values for the uncensored data for each Doppler band, and these values are compared with the respective thresholds to determine the presence or absence of the target signal.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2005Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Shannon D. Blunt, Karl R. Gerlach
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Patent number: 7193558Abstract: An adaptive radar processing system includes an antenna array for transmitting a radar signal and for receiving a return radar signal, and a signal processor programmed with an enhanced FRACTA algorithm (FRACTA.E). The basic FRACTA algorithm is enhanced to FRACTA.E with (any or all of) five enhancements, versions 1–5. Version 1 is a stopping criterion, for censoring samples, that is adaptive to a radar return data set. The inclusion of a stopping criterion improves the computational speed of FRACTA.E thereby improving its efficiency. Version 2 uses global censoring. Version 3 uses fast reiterative censoring. Version 4 uses segmenting of data vectors for AMF application. Version 5 uses Knowledge-aided covariance estimation (KACE) to reduce the required sample support that may be necessary in non-homogeneous environments, providing substantially the same level of detection performance with considerably less training data.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2004Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Karl R. Gerlach, Shannon D. Blunt
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Patent number: 7167884Abstract: An adaptive signal processing system utilizes a Multistage Weiner Filter having an analysis section and a synthesis section that includes a processor. The processor includes an algorithm for generating a data adaptive linear transformation, computing an adaptive weighting wmed of the data, and applying the computed adaptive weighting wmed to a function of a main input signal and an auxiliary input signal to generate an output signal. A plurality of building blocks in a Gram-Schmidt cascaded canceller-type configuration sequentially decorrelate input signals from each other to produce a single filtered output signal. Each building block generates an adaptive weight wmed that is applied to generate a local output signal. The effect of non-Gaussian noise contamination on the convergence MOE of the system is negligible. In addition, when desired signal components are included in weight training data they cause little loss of noise cancellation.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2002Date of Patent: January 23, 2007Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Michael Picciolo, Karl R. Gerlach, Jay S. Goldstein
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Patent number: 7106250Abstract: A method for processing a received, modulated pulse (i.e. waveform) that requires predictive deconvolution to resolve a scatterer from noise and other scatterers includes receiving a return signal; obtaining L+(2M?1)(N?1) samples y of the return signal, where y(l)={tilde over (x)}T(l) s+v(l); applying RMMSE estimation to each successive N samples to obtain initial impulse response estimates [{circumflex over (x)}1{?(M?1)(N?1)}, . . . , {circumflex over (x)}1{?1}, {circumflex over (x)}1 {0}, . . . , {circumflex over (x)}1{L?1}, . . . , {circumflex over (x)}1{L}, {circumflex over (x)}1{?1 +(M?1)(N?1)}]; computing power estimates {circumflex over (?)}1(l)=|{circumflex over (x)}1(l)|? for l=?(M?1)(N?1), . . . , L?1+(M?1)(N?1) and 0<??2; computing MMSE filters according to w(l)=?(l) (C(l)+R)?1s, where ?(l)=E[|x(l)|?] is the power of x(l), for 0<??2, and R=E[v(l) vH(l)] is the noise covariance matrix; applying the MMSE filters to y to obtain [{circumflex over (x)}2{?(M?2)(N?1)}, . . .Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2004Date of Patent: September 12, 2006Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Shannon D. Blunt, Karl R. Gerlach
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Patent number: 6940450Abstract: A method for processing a received, modulated pulse (i.e. waveform) that requires predictive deconvolution to resolve a scatterer from noise and other scatterers includes receiving a return signal; obtaining L+(2M?1)(N?1) samples y of the return signal, where y(l)={tilde over (x)}T(l)s+v(l); applying RMMSE estimation to each successive N samples to obtain initial impulse response estimates [{circumflex over (x)}1{?(M?1)(N?1)}, . . . , {circumflex over (x)}1{?1}, {circumflex over (x)}1{0}, . . . , {circumflex over (x)}1{L?1}, {circumflex over (x)}1{L}, . . . , {circumflex over (x)}1{L?1+(M?1)(N?1)}]; computing power estimates {circumflex over (?)}1(l)=|{circumflex over (x)}1(l)|2 for l=?(M?1)(N?1), . . . , L?1+(M?1)(N?1); computing MMSE filters according to w(l)=?(l)(C(l)+R)?1s, where ?(l)=|x(l)|2 is the power of x(l), and R=E[v(l)vH(l)] is the noise covariance matrix; applying the MMSE filters to y to obtain [{circumflex over (x)}2{?(M?2)(N?1)}, . . . , {circumflex over (x)}2{?1}, {circumflex over (x)}2{0}, .Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2003Date of Patent: September 6, 2005Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Shannon D. Blunt, Karl R. Gerlach
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Publication number: 20030198340Abstract: An adaptive signal processing system utilizes a a Multistage Weiner Filter having an analysis section and a synthesis section, which includes a main input channel for receiving a main input signal, an auxiliary input channel for receiving an auxiliary input signal, and a processor. The processor includes an algorithm for generating a data adaptive linear transformation, followed by computing an adaptive weighting wmed of the data, and then applying the computed adaptive weighting wmed to a function of the main input signal and the auxiliary input signal to generate an output signal. The system includes a plurality of building blocks arranged in a Gram-Schmidt cascaded canceller-type configuration for sequentially decorrelating input signals from each other to thereby yield a single filtered output signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2002Publication date: October 23, 2003Inventors: Michael Picciolo, Karl R. Gerlach, Jay S. Goldstein
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Patent number: 5561667Abstract: A novel band partitioned noise cancellation method and device is disclosed. In the invention, in which main and auxiliary channel data is transformed to the frequency domain by FFT's and then associated by frequency subbands. The noise is then cancelled using a sequence of operations including a commutating Gram-Schmidt canceller, an equivalent linear weight calculator, formation of a weight matrix, conversion of the weights to time domain by an inverse FFT and rotation of the weights. The weights are then combined with the main and auxiliary channel data in a transversal filter network to produce a noise-cancellation residue.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 1991Date of Patent: October 1, 1996Inventor: Karl R. Gerlach
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Patent number: 5491487Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for filtering noise from a plurality of input signals in a sensor system. One first main input signal and several first auxiliary input signals are obtained and interior weights corresponding to the first main and auxiliary signals are determined. Thereafter, equivalent linear weights corresponding to the interior weights are determined and the equivalent linear weights are applied to second main and auxiliary input signals to filter the second main and auxiliary signals and produce one final output signal. Alternatively, the first input signals can be a subset of the second input signals such that a large set of input signals can be filtered by calculating weighting factors from a subset thereof.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1991Date of Patent: February 13, 1996Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventor: Karl R. Gerlach
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Patent number: 5047784Abstract: A method and apparatus exploiting the discovery that the crosscorrelation of constantly spaced rows of the matrices representing certain pulse codes sum to zero. In a ranging system, such as a radar, pulses are coded according to the rows of a such a matrix, transmitted sequentially and each return processed sequentially through a filter matched to one of the coded pulses. (A different preselected filter is used for each return.) The sequence of filters is chosen so that for returns for a given range interval, each filter is matched to the returning pulse, resulting in outputs from the filters representing auto-correlations of the returned pulses. These outputs are time delayed added coherently to form the compressed pulse, and annunciated as a target hit. Should the filters and returns be mismatched, as with ambiguous stationary clutter returns, the outputs of the filters are cross-correlations which, according to said discovery, sum to zero.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1991Date of Patent: September 10, 1991Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Karl R. Gerlach, Frank F. Kretschmer, Jr.
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Patent number: H767Abstract: A method and apparatus exploiting the discovery that the cross-correlation of rows of Frank or P4 matrices of a given spacing sum to zero. In a ranging system, such as a radar, pulses are coded according to the rows of a Frank or P4 matrix, transmitted sequentially and each return processed sequentially through a filter matched to one of the coded pulses. (A different preselected filter is used for each return.) The sequence of filters is chosen so that for returns for a given range interval, each filter is matched to the returning pulse, resulting in outputs from the filters representing auto-correlations of the returned pulses. These outputs are time delayed added coherently to form the compressed pulse, and annunciated as a target hit. Should the filters and returns be mismatched, as with ambiguous stationary clutter returns, the outputs of the filters are cross-correlations which, according to said discovery, sum to zero.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1989Date of Patent: April 3, 1990Assignee: United States of AmericaInventors: Frank F. Kretschmer, Jr., Karl R. Gerlach