With Azimuth And Elevation Determination Patents (Class 342/140)
  • Patent number: 11240090
    Abstract: A receiver receives binary information from a transmission using a binary amplitude shift keying where information symbols are represented by a signal including a first power state and a second power state. A duration of a bit includes a first part where the second power state is applied irrespective of which binary value is represented, and a second part where a binary value is represented by any of the first power and a third power state or a combination pattern of the first power state and the third power state. A sampling circuit is arranged to retrieve samples of the received signal during the second part and discard samples during the first part. A duration of the retrieving of samples is selected to be a time corresponding to the duration of the second part plus a time based on an expected synchronization error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Inventors: Leif Wilhelmsson, Miguel Lopez, Dennis Sundman
  • Patent number: 11221194
    Abstract: An integrated architecture and its associated sensors and processing software subsystems are defined and developed allowing a conventional unguided bullet to be transformed into a guided bullet without the use of an on-board inertial measurement unit (IMU). Some important SW components of the present disclosure include a target state estimator (TSE); a bullet state estimator (BSE); Multi-Object Tracking and Data Association; NTS GL; and a Data Link. Pre-conversion of two angles and range information of an OI sensor from spherical coordinates into Cartesian coordinates eliminates the Jacobian dependency in the H matrix for the BSE, thus increasing the miss distance performance accuracy of the bullet target engagement system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Quang M. Lam, Michael J. Choiniere, George M. Horihan, David A. Richards, Jason T. Stockwell
  • Patent number: 11105885
    Abstract: An occupancy detector provides for an automated means of detecting the location of an occupant. Methods to determine with a high degree of certainty if a user is at (or occupying) a specific physical location or region are provided, using a wide variety of radio signaling technologies readily available on a wide scale due to the prevalence of wireless radio communications systems. The occupancy detector may be used to deliver a variety of services from targeted advertising in a supermarket to home automation systems. An example of a system for controlling the climate in a dwelling comprising multiple zones representing small areas such as for example rooms is described using the occupancy detection algorithms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Inventor: Yogendra C Shah
  • Patent number: 10809375
    Abstract: The hazard warning system includes processing system for detecting an HVB condition. The aircraft warning system can use at least two types of radar returns and can measure decorrelation time to detect the HVB condition. Warnings of HVB conditions can allow an aircraft to avoid threats posed by such conditions including damage to aircraft equipment and engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger A. Dana, James B. West, Kevin M. Kronfeld, Jeffery A. Finley
  • Patent number: 10371741
    Abstract: A method for characterizing a phase shifter in a device under test (DUT) using automated test equipment (ATE) is disclosed. The method comprises down converting an input signal received from the transmitter DUT to an intermediate frequency and routing the down converted input signal to a signal processor, wherein the signal processor generates I and Q signals using the input signal. The method further comprises setting an initial phase state on the phase shifter in the transmitter DUT and toggling at least one phase state bit to control the phase shifter to cycle through a plurality of phase states, wherein the changing phase states appear on the I and Q signals. Finally, the method comprises processing the I and Q signals to extract individual phase states programmed by the at least one phase state bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventor: Roger McAleenan
  • Patent number: 10338154
    Abstract: A magnetic field measuring apparatus includes a first processor, a second processor, a motion sensor and a magnetic field sensor. The second processor has higher processing capability than the first processor. The first processor makes the second processor perform certain processing. When it is determined that the state of motion measured by the motion sensor is at a predetermined level or more, the second processor performs a magnetic field correction setting operation as one of the certain processing. The magnetic field correction setting operation involves retrieving measurement values of magnetic field from the magnetic field sensor which are measured at different postures according to a change of the state of motion, and determining an offset correction value for the geomagnetic field based on the measurement values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Sekitsuka, Naoto Toda
  • Patent number: 10326390
    Abstract: Systems and method for operating motors are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a method for operating a motor includes receiving a first output corresponding to a motor angular position. The method further includes synthesizing a synthesized second output from the first output and from an estimated motor angular velocity. The method also includes calculating the motor angular position from the first output and the synthesized second output. The method includes estimating the motor angular velocity from the motor angular position. Further, the method includes operating the motor to produce torque based on the motor angular position and the motor angular velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: David S. Ochs, Yo Chan Son, Caleb W. Secrest
  • Patent number: 10187125
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems of a hybrid node are disclosed. One embodiment of the hybrid node includes a first sector and a second sector. The first sector is operative to transmit a signal through a predetermined transmission channel at each of a first plurality of transmit beam forming settings. The second sector is operative to receive the signal through the predetermined channel at a second plurality of receive beam forming settings for each of more than one of the first plurality of transmit beam forming settings. Further, the node is operative to measure a received signal quality of the received signal at each of the second plurality of receive beam forming settings of the second plurality of antenna elements, for each of the more than one of the first plurality of transmit beam forming settings of the first plurality of antenna elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjai Kohli, Djordje Tujkovic, Krishna Gomadam
  • Patent number: 10041795
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a magnetic sensor which detects a magnetic field around the electronic device and outputs magnetic data in accordance with the magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensor, a position acquiring section which acquires position information regarding a geographic position of the electronic device, and a processing unit. The processing unit acquires, from the position acquiring section, specific position information for a specific position of the electronic device when an output vector of the magnetic data is oriented to a magnetic pole direction of the earth, derives a geomagnetic vector at the specific position based on the specific position information, and acquires an offset value based on a comparison between the geomagnetic vector and the output vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Sekitsuka
  • Patent number: 9971020
    Abstract: A radar system includes transmitters and receivers configured for installation and use in a vehicle. The transmitters transmit radio signals. The receivers receive radio signals that include the transmitted radio signals reflected from objects in an environment. Each receiver has an RF front end, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital signal processor, and a controller. The digital signal processor processes the data from the ADC and stores data samples in a buffer. The buffer operates in several modes defined by the controller. These modes include replay mode, loopback mode, quiet mode, and throttle mode. By controlling the buffer, the same received samples can be processed in multiple ways to generate information on targets at different ranges and velocities. The buffer is read out and the data is processed further to enable the radar system to determine range, velocity, and angle of targets in the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Uhnder, Inc.
    Inventors: Monier Maher, Curtis Davis, Frederick Rush, Aria Eshraghi
  • Patent number: 9224535
    Abstract: A high power electrical distribution system for distribution high power to at least one consumer arranged on a rotatable element. The distribution system includes at least one high frequency alternating current HFAC generator configured to generate HFAC. A rotary power transformer is connected to the at least one HFAC generator. The rotary power transformer includes a stationary part and a rotatable part and is configured to receive HFAC from the at least one HFAC generator and to couple HFAC electrical energy from the stationary part to the rotatable part. At least one high power distribution bus is located on the rotatable element and is configured to receive HFAC from the rotary power transformer and to distribute HFAC to the at least one consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: SAAB AB
    Inventor: Daniel Dermark
  • Patent number: 9176219
    Abstract: A system and method for scanning a number of frequencies in a test environment. A transmitter and a receiver are moved together to a number of locations in a scanning space. Signals are transmitted at the number of frequencies from the transmitter at the number of locations. Reflected signals are received by the receiver at the number of locations. The reflected signals are reflections of the signals transmitted at the number of frequencies from the transmitter. The number of locations in the scanning space is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Mark A. Schmier, II
  • Patent number: 9024815
    Abstract: A direct-to-digital software defined radar system includes a high-speed digitizer coupled directly to a receive antenna and outputs a digital signal to a processor which receives the digitized signal, along with an arbitrarily-defined reference signal provided by signal generator, and indexes the signal data according to time and geo-location, arranges the data according to a three-dimensional data structure, declutters and filters and refines the data for storage or display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Brooks Engineering International, LLC
    Inventor: John W. Brooks
  • Publication number: 20150061921
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining the position of a target object using a two-channel monopulse radar. The radar may include two transmitting antennas and one common receiving antenna disposed in a coplanar arrangement. The transmitting antennas may be positioned on the focal plane of the radar along a focal plane axis that extends through, and that is perpendicular with, a boresight axis of the radar. The transmitting antennas may be spaced apart from one another in a first dimension a distance equal to about one half of one wavelength of the radar's center operating frequency. One of the transmitting antennas may be squinted at an angle of ?1 relative to the boresight axis and the other transmitting antenna may be squinted at an angle of ?2 relative to the boresight axis in a second dimension. The transmitting antennas are not squinted relative to one another in the first dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: AUTOLIV, INC.
    Inventors: Xueru Ding, Jeff Schaefer, Matthew Marple
  • Patent number: 8963771
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for selecting a closest to optimal radar/emitter location for single-ship applications. In accordance with some embodiments, given single-ship geolocation estimates are organized so that clusters of those estimates can be identified, wherein optimal solutions may be found in consecutive, adjacent segments of distance (bins) along each axis of given a coordinate system. Once the clusters are identified in each axis, an optimal cluster can be selected for each. To determine the closest answer to optimal, the coordinate data points in each of the optimal clusters can be averaged (or other sound mathematical process) for each axis in the coordinate system, so as to provide an optimal 3-D coordinate in the given coordinate system. In other embodiments, the optimal 3-D coordinate can be further used to establish an origin in a second coordinate system (e.g., for conversion from 3-D to 2-D coordinate system).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Schiffmiller
  • Patent number: 8902408
    Abstract: A method for measuring three-dimensional coordinates of a probe center includes: providing a spherically mounted retroreflector; providing a probe assembly; providing an orientation sensor; providing a coordinate measurement device; placing the spherically mounted retroreflector on the probe head; directing the first beam of light from the coordinate measurement device to the spherically mounted retroreflector; measuring the first distance; measuring the first angle of rotation; measuring the second angle of rotation; measuring the three orientational degrees of freedom based at least in part on information provided by the orientation sensor; calculating the three-dimensional coordinates of the probe center based at least in part on the first distance, the first angle of rotation, the second angle of rotation, and the three orientational degrees of freedom; and storing the three-dimensional coordinates of the probe center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Faro Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Bridges
  • Patent number: 8854252
    Abstract: A system for providing a multi-mode, multi-static interferometer may include a transmitter array, a receiver array and a processor. The transmitter array includes at least a first transmitter and a second transmitter spatially separated from each other by a first known distance. The receiver array includes at least a first receiver and a second receiver spatially separated from each other by a second known distance. The receiver array is positioned to enable receipt of a return signal from transmissions provided by the transmitter array and reflecting off an object. The processor is configured to enable the transmitter array to generate uniquely coded signals and configured to distinguish, based on the uniquely coded signals, a first signal transmitted by the first transmitter from a second signal transmitted by the second transmitter in response to reception of a combined signal including reflected signals corresponding to at least the first and second signals by the receiver array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Propagation Research Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Ernest Jefferson Holder
  • Patent number: 8786489
    Abstract: An active radar target includes several receive antennas and several transmit antennas that are arrangeable into pairs of antennas. Each pair includes a transmit and a receive antenna. At least one antenna in a pair is at a different height relative to at least one other antenna in a different pair of antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Guidance IP Limited
    Inventor: David E. Patrick
  • Patent number: 8643536
    Abstract: A positioning system for radio frequency devices includes a two-way radio antenna, for vehicles, having a transmitting and a receiving element. Reference antennas have retro-directive arrays which can shape the signal beams in elevation; polarize transmission and reception signals according to a circular or a linear polarization, the polarized transmission retro-directively reflecting signals having the same polarization as the incident ones in the case of circular polarization, or retro-directively reflecting signals having orthogonal polarization in the case of linear polarization. An encoder is included for transmitting an identification code of the reference antenna. A controller processes the spatial and temporal data resulting from communication through the radio waves transmitted and received by the vehicle antennas and reflected by the reference antennas. The controller calculates the distance of the vehicle from the reference antennas that have reflected the signal transmitted by the antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Elettric 80 S.p.A.
    Inventors: Vittorio Cavirani, Francesco Trotta, Luca Marcaccioli, Roberto Vincenti Gatti, Franco Manzini, Domenico Di Terlizzi
  • Patent number: 8498758
    Abstract: Present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for generating altitude data and/or height data are disclosed. A processor receives navigation data from an external source such as a global positioning system (“GPS”); receives navigation data from multiple internal sources; receives object data representative of terrain or surface feature elevation; determines an instant measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of these inputs; and generates aircraft altitude data responsive to such determination. In an additional embodiment, the processor receives reference point data representative of the elevation of the stationary reference point (e.g., a landing threshold point); determines an instant measurement of aircraft height as a function of this input and the instant measurement of aircraft altitude; and generates aircraft height data responsive to such determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A Bell, James H. Doty, Sarah Barber, Felix B. Turcios
  • Patent number: 8446262
    Abstract: A remote control system includes a receiver equipped in a device and a remote controller. The receiver includes a positioning unit to acquire current position information of the receiver. The controller includes a positioning unit to acquire current position information of the remote controller. The current position information of the remote controller and a control signal is transmitted to the receiver. The receiver further includes a processor to control the device to execute an operation corresponding to the control signal based on the current position information of the remote controller and the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignees: Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chong-Qing Dai
  • Patent number: 8447071
    Abstract: A method of automatically tracking and photographing a celestial object, includes inputting latitude information, photographing azimuth angle information and photographing elevation angle information of a photographic apparatus; inputting star map data of a certain range including data on a location of a celestial object from the latitude information, the photographing azimuth angle information and the photographing elevation angle information; calculating a deviation amount between a location of the celestial object that is imaged in a preliminary image obtained by the photographic apparatus and the location of the celestial object which is defined in the input star map data; correcting at least one of the photographing azimuth angle information and the photographing elevation angle information using the deviation amount; and performing a celestial-object auto-tracking photographing operation based on the corrected at least one of the photographing azimuth angle information and the photographing elevation an
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Ohta
  • Patent number: 8441392
    Abstract: A method and system for locating a target, of azimuth Aestimatedtarget and of elevation angle Sestimatedtarget, in space by a carrier uses at least one first antenna array with electronic scanning ARRAY_H and at least one second antenna array with electronic scanning ARRAY_B. The target emits a signal in response to an interrogation from the carrier, each of said antenna arrays includes at least one antenna and the total number of antennas used is at least equal to three.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Cyril Descharles, Thierry Triconnet
  • Patent number: 8436762
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a coordinate determiner is operable to identify at least first and second surfaces that each approximately intersect an object, and to determine at least two approximate coordinates of the object from the first and second surfaces, where at least one of the surfaces is nonplanar. For example, if the coordinate determiner is disposed on a fighter jet having at least two short-baseline-interferometers (SBIs), then two surfaces may be the surfaces of two cones having two of the SBIs as respective vertices, the object may be a close-in target, and the coordinate determiner may determine the azimuth and elevation of the target from the cone surfaces. Furthermore, the coordinate determiner or another computation unit onboard the jet may determine the slant range of the target from the elevation and the altitude of the jet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald M. Yannone
  • Patent number: 8412126
    Abstract: Methods of forming a downlink beam in an adaptive antenna system of a communications system that may reduce inter-system and/or intra-system interference include receiving vectors of signals including signals transmitted by user terminals of the communications system and signals transmitted by transceivers of an independent communications system, obtaining spatial information for the user terminals of the communications system and the transceivers of the independent communications system, generating complex transmitting weights that form spatial nulls directed at the transceivers of the independent communications system, and transmitting a downlink communications signal using the complex transmitting weights. Related systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: ATC Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Peter D. Karabinis, Dunmin Zheng
  • Patent number: 8299958
    Abstract: An airborne radar device having a given angular coverage in elevation and in azimuth includes a transmit system, a receive system and processing means for carrying out target detection and location measurements. The transmit system includes: a transmit antenna made up of at least a first linear array of radiating elements focusing a transmit beam, said arrays being approximately parallel to one another; at least one waveform generator; means for amplifying the transmit signals produced by the waveform generator or generators; and means for controlling the transmit signals produced by the waveform generator or generators, said control means feeding each radiating element with a transmit signal. The radiating elements being controlled for simultaneously carrying out electronic scanning of the transmit beam in elevation and for colored transmission in elevation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Stépahne Kemkemian, Pascal Cornic, Patrick Le Bihan, Myriam Nouvel-Fiani
  • Patent number: 8290644
    Abstract: In a method for aiding aircraft landing using a GPS and an MLS within the context of a computed axial approach, the method uses coordinates of an azimuth antenna and/or of an elevation antenna as a reference point for the computation of a position of the aircraft in a reference frame centered on the landing runway. This position of the aircraft is thereafter used to determine an angle of azimuth between a longitudinal axis of the landing runway and the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventor: Ludovic Bouquet
  • Patent number: 8274425
    Abstract: The disclosed approach provides a low-cost approach by employing a single channel receiver for a direction-finding missile, rather than a conventional four-channel system. It employs interferometry techniques. The proposed approach leverages orthogonal waveforms and pseudorandom noise (PN) codes. This is a low-cost approach for a single channel direction finding system by leveraging orthogonal waveforms and interferometric techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Mark B. Yeary, James R. Toplicar, Paul E. Doucette, Eleanor Foltz
  • Patent number: 8159387
    Abstract: Systems and methods for obtaining target elevation information are disclosed. The systems and methods use multiple vertical transmitters and one or more receivers to infer changes in the elevation plane and the height of objects. Changes in elevation and heights of objects are inferred from path length differences between the transmitters and a particular backscattering point. Using known geometric information regarding the configuration of the transmitters, propagation time differences can be estimated via time delay estimation methods in either the time or frequency domain. Appropriate modulation schemes are used such that the multiple signals transmitted are separable upon reception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Jose Fernandez, Richard Rikoski, John Stroud
  • Patent number: 8134493
    Abstract: A system and method for determining the geolocation of a signal emitter moving at an unknown velocity by combining signal data of a target detection platform (e.g., a radar system) and signal data collected by two or more moving signal collection platforms (e.g., RF signal receivers). In one embodiment, the target detection platform determines tentative location and velocity of the signal emitter, and the signal collection platforms are configured to perform TDOA and/or FDOA analysis of the collected signal data corresponding to a signal of the signal emitter. In one embodiment, solutions provided from the TDOA and/or FDOA analysis are unbiased by using the tentative velocity of the signal emitter, and the geolocation of the signal emitter is determined by matching the TDOA/FDOA solutions and the detected tentative location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: William B. Noble, Duncan L. Crawford, Jeffrey M. Guild
  • Patent number: 8120526
    Abstract: Measurements of the differential and/or absolute time-of-arrival of separable signals transmitted from a set of spatially-distributed (SD) transmitters are obtained by one or more receivers. The signals transmitted by each transmitter are made separable by encoding them in a manner that enables each signal to be distinguished from the others by the receiver or receivers. An accurate time-of-arrival of each signal at the receiver is determined, from which the path lengths from the transmitters to the receiver and from the receiver to the object are determined based on the known propagation speed of the signals. Any Doppler frequency shifts in each signal can also be determined from this information. From all of this information, the receiver is able to determine its own position, motion and orientation (roll, pitch and yaw), as well as the position and motion of the moving object being tracked by the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Inventor: Ernest Jefferson Holder
  • Patent number: 8106814
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method enabling precise determination of the elevation of a projectile following a ballistic trajectory by use of a conventional Doppler surveillance radar. The method includes calculating first the estimate {circumflex over (?)}? of the value of the radial component ?? of the acceleration of the projectile from the quantities {dot over (d)} and {umlaut over (d)}, respectively representing the first derivative and the second derivative with respect to time of the Doppler velocity d of the projectile, then calculating the estimate {circumflex over (V)} of the speed V of the projectile from d, {dot over (d)} and {circumflex over (?)}?, and finally calculating the estimate Ê of its angle of elevation E from d and {circumflex over (V)}. The method according to the invention may apply to the protection of sensitive areas against the firing of ballistic projectiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Bernard Durand, Christian Cavallari, Odile Adrian
  • Patent number: 8081106
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a detector, direction finder, receiver, and range finder. The detector is operable to detect a target, and the direction finder is operable to determine a first direction to the target from the apparatus. The receiver is operable to receive a second direction to the target from a remote object, and the range finder is operable to determine from the first and second directions a range of the target from the apparatus. For example, the apparatus may be a first fighter jet, and the remote object may be a second fighter jet. By using directional information from both the first and second jets, a computer system onboard the first jet may compute a range to the target from the first jet more quickly and more accurately than by using directional information from only the first jet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electric Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald M. Yannone
  • Patent number: 7999726
    Abstract: A system for estimating an antenna boresight direction. The novel system includes a first circuit for receiving a Doppler measurement and a line-of-sight direction measurement corresponding with the Doppler measurement, and a processor adapted to search for an estimated boresight direction that minimizes a Doppler error between the Doppler measurement and a calculated Doppler calculated from the estimated boresight direction and the line-of-sight direction measurement. The line-of-sight direction measurement is measured relative to the true antenna boresight, and the calculated Doppler is the Doppler calculated for a direction found by applying the line-of-sight direction measurement to the estimated boresight direction. In a preferred embodiment, the first circuit receives a Doppler measurement and a line-of-sight direction measurement from each of a plurality of pixels, and the processor searches for an estimated boresight direction that minimizes a sum of squares of Doppler errors for each of the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Ralph Guertin, David Faulkner, John Treece, Donald Bruyere
  • Patent number: 7940205
    Abstract: Using a radar to detect a known target likely to be positioned at approximately a predetermined height close to other targets, these other targets also being positioned at approximately the predetermined height. A first phase of detecting the known target is carried out by performing an azimuth scan. When the known target has been detected at a certain distance Di at a certain azimuth angle ?az, a second detection phase is carried out at said azimuth angle ?az and at an elevation angle ?EL corresponding to that of an object situated at said distance Di at the predetermined height. The target is said to be detected if it is detected at the elevation angle ?EL at a distance D approximately equal to the distance Di.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Pascal Cornic, Eric Barraux, Patrick Garrec
  • Patent number: 7924213
    Abstract: A method of tracking an object including the steps of: collecting N measurements of range Ri and Doppler velocity Di associated with the object from a plurality M of radar sensors Si each measurement being assigned a time stamp ti; time aligning each Range Ri measurement to a common time stamp tN to provide a corresponding time aligned range Pi for each of the N measurements; using each time aligned Range measurement Pi to define a corresponding spherical equation such that N spherical equations are defined; and deriving analytical solutions from three of the N spherical equations to determine the position vector of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Thales Nederland B.V.
    Inventors: Huub De Waard, Piet Griffioen, Henk Regtop, Gert Van De Brug
  • Patent number: 7876258
    Abstract: A collision sense and avoidance system and method and an aircraft, such as an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) and/or Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV), including the collision sense and avoidance system. The collision sense and avoidance system includes an image interrogator identifies potential collision threats to the aircraft and provides maneuvers to avoid any identified threat. Motion sensors (e.g., imaging and/or infrared sensors) provide image frames of the surroundings to a clutter suppression and target detection unit that detects local targets moving in the frames. A Line Of Sight (LOS), multi-target tracking unit, tracks detected local targets and maintains a track history in LOS coordinates for each detected local target. A threat assessment unit determines whether any tracked local target poses a collision threat. An avoidance maneuver unit provides flight control and guidance with a maneuver to avoid any identified said collision threat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Abraham, Christian C. Witt, Dennis J. Yelton, John N. Sanders-Reed, Christopher J. Musial
  • Patent number: 7864103
    Abstract: A height-finding 3D avian radar comprises an azimuthally scanning radar system with means of varying the elevation pointing angle of the antenna. The elevation angle can be varied by employing either an antenna with multiple beams, or an elevation scanner, or two radars pointed at different elevations. Heights of birds are determined by analyzing the received echo returns from detected bird targets illuminated with the different elevation pointing angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Accipiter Radar Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter T. Weber, Timothy J. Nohara
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7825848
    Abstract: Method, tracking system, and intercept missile for tracking highly maneuverable target objects. The method includes estimating the motion of the at least one target object via a mathematical method that includes a filter method relating to a model assumption for estimating at least one of the motion and an orientation of the target object. The filter method includes a semi-martingale algorithm for estimating motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: LFK-Lenkflugkoerpersysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Alfred Schoettl
  • Patent number: 7786925
    Abstract: A method and apparatus determines the shape of an orbiting or airborne object. A radar determines the general location and a telescope is directed toward the object to form an image of background stars, which will be occluded by the object. The image is compared with a memorized star map, to identify the region of the image in the map. Stars visible in the map which are not visible in the image are listed. The invisible stars are paired with next adjacent visible stars to form star pairs. The midpoints are identified of lines extending between star pairs. Segment lines are drawn between a midpoint and the next closest midpoint. The segment lines define an outline of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. Knibbe, John B. Stetson
  • Patent number: 7764217
    Abstract: Kalman gain is used to calculate range accuracy for a passive angle-of-arrival determining systems, most notably for short-baseline interferometry, in which Kalman gain after arriving at a minimum proceeds to within a predetermined fraction or percent of zero gain, at which time the range estimate accuracy is known.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald M. Yannone
  • Patent number: 7755535
    Abstract: A radar system comprising at least two spatially separated antenna units, each comprising one antenna. Each antenna unit comprising a signal generator connected to an antenna constitutes a transmitting antenna unit, and each antenna comprising a receiver connected to an antenna constitutes a receiving antenna. At least one receiving antenna unit is arranged for receiving at least one reflected signal, comprising signals transmitted from at least one transmitting antenna unit, having been reflected from at least one object, where the number of antenna units exceeds two. A processing unit is arranged to perform a correlation calculation, comparing at least one received signal with a set of mathematically manipulated copies. From said set, there is only one match for each reflected signal. The present invention also relates to corresponding methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Pub)
    Inventor: Kent Falk
  • Patent number: 7750841
    Abstract: Apparatus for determining positional information relating to an object, comprising: means for receiving, comprising a plurality of receiving elements; detection means for detecting signals received at the receiving elements and for generating output signals representative of the received signals; and processing means operable to apply, for each receiving element, a process to the output signal generated from the signal received at that receiving element separately from any output signal generated from a signal received at any other receiving element, so as to obtain a respective value of a parameter representative of the signal received at that receiving element, the processing means being further operable to compare the values of the parameter thus obtained so as to, obtain positional information relating to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Cambridge Consultants Limited
    Inventors: Gordon Kenneth Andrew Oswald, Alexandra Joanna Geoghegan, Charles Peter Bell, Nicholas Simon Russ, Mario Del Mistro, Michael Hugh Burchett, Desmond Keith Phillips, Vincent Arne Utsi
  • Patent number: 7742773
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for determining a position of a wireless communication device. A method includes determining a respective (x,y) position of two wireless communication devices, determining a distance between the two wireless communication devices, and determining a relative elevational differential between the two wireless communication devices. The relative elevational differential is determined based on the determined (x,y) positions of the two wireless communication devices and the determined distance between the first and second wireless communication devices. The (x,y) positions may be determined using GPS receivers incorporated in the wireless communication devices. Determining the distance between the devices may be accomplished using RF ranging. The relative elevational differential may be derived using the Pythagorean theorem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Terahop Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert W. Twitchell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7742772
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for determining a position of a wireless communication device. A method includes determining a respective (x,y) position of two wireless communication devices, determining a distance between the two wireless communication devices, and determining a relative elevational differential between the two wireless communication devices. The relative elevational differential is determined based on the determined (x,y) positions of the two wireless communication devices and the determined distance between the first and second wireless communication devices. The (x,y) positions may be determined using GPS receivers incorporated in the wireless communication devices. Determining the distance between the devices may be accomplished using RF ranging. The relative elevational differential may be derived using the Pythagorean theorem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Terahop Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert W. Twitchell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7739035
    Abstract: This method allows the calculation, using a terrain elevation database, of a map of the distances of the points accessible to a mobile object subjected to dynamic constraints evolving with its time of travel, for example an aircraft having an imposed vertical flight profile, the distances being measured solely according to paths achievable by the mobile object. It implements a propagation-based distance transform which catalogs the achievable paths going from a goal point whose distance is to be estimated to a source point which is the origin of the distance measurements and likens the distance of the goal point to the length of the shortest achievable path or paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Elias Bitar, Nicolas Marty
  • Patent number: 7719461
    Abstract: The invention, called “ORSE Track Fusion”, combines sensor tracks from dispersed sites, when limited communication bandwidth does not permit sharing of individual measurements. Since estimation errors due to maneuver biases are not independent for each sensor, optimal fusion of tracks produced by Kalman filters requires transmission of all the filter gain matrices used to update each sensor track prior to the fusion time. For this reason, prior art has resorted to suboptimal designs. ORSE Track Fusion according to aspects of the invention overcomes this disadvantage by propagating, transmitting, and fusing separately calculated covariance matrices for random and bias estimation errors. Furthermore, with ORSE, each sensor can have its own criteria in forming its track, and track fusion can be performed with different criteria at each processing site. Thus, ORSE Track Fusion has the unique flexibility to optimize track fusion simultaneously for multiple criteria to serve multiple users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Purusottam Mookerjee, Frank J. Reifler
  • Patent number: 7710310
    Abstract: A detection system (1) having an optical sensor (3), a radar device (2) and a signal processor (4) communicatively connected with the optical sensor and the radar device. The signal processor comprises: a first detector (41, 410-413) for detecting a first object on the basis of a first signal coming from the optical sensor and determining at least one first property of the first object; a second detector (42, 420-421) for detecting a second object on the basis of a second signal coming from the radar device and determining at least one second property of that second object, and a signaling unit (43) for producing a signal if the at least one first property and the at least one second property satisfy a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Albert Gezinus Huizing, Leonardus Johannes Hubertus Maria Kester, Arne Theil
  • Patent number: 7633429
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program is disclosed for reducing range and angular ambiguities in a target data matrix output from a real beam monopulse radar sensor within a single beam for use in terrain morphing applications employed by brownout take-off and landing aid systems. One or more range bins are calculated to selectively determine one or more range segments from one or more targets of interest. Range resolution enhancement processing is employed to the selectively determined one or more range segments to obtain a range of target scatter locations. A monopulse angle bin is estimated from the obtained range of target scatter locations and one or more control inputs. Elevation and azimuth angular binning is applied to the estimated monopulse angle bin to obtain a smaller coverage area among one or more possible target areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: BAE Systems Controls Inc.
    Inventors: Guoqing Liu, Ken Yang