Complex Signal (in Phase And Quadrature) Patents (Class 342/194)
  • Patent number: 6570525
    Abstract: In a method and device for the encoding/decoding of power distribution at outputs of a system, a distribution encoder includes an element that receives a useful input signal and a piece of distribution information, and that superposes the piece of distribution information received on the input signal. The piece of information is used for the subsequent distribution of the total power of the input signal at an output or outputs of the system. A distribution decoder includes one or more inputs that receive an encoded signal or an encoded signal divided into several signals including the useful signal and the piece of distribution information. Further, one or more outputs are connected to the outputs of the system to which the useful signal is transmitted by distributing the total power received according to the piece of distribution information. The method and device enable, for example, fast, low-power switching of the outputs of a high-power system and the programming of a system with variable power outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Pierre Esposito, Patrick Quemin, Olivier Ruffenach
  • Patent number: 6563455
    Abstract: To suppress interfering stationary targets in radar source data, a STAP filtering method is used. Filtering coefficients are determined, and filtering of the data takes place, in the frequency domain; the process is therefore limited to a few computing operations per matrix element of the range/Doppler matrix. Since, by means of the STAP filter according to the invention, the optimal filtering characteristics can be implemented, the stationary target suppression also functions in the range of the minor lobes of the antenna. Therefore, data of individual adjacent channels (L/R, left/right) can be processed as well as summation and difference signals (&Sgr;/&Dgr;).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Jochen Meyer-Hilberg, Bernhard Bickert
  • Publication number: 20030080895
    Abstract: A vehicle speed sensing system includes an RF transceiver coupled to an antenna for transmitting an RF signal towards the terrain over which the vehicle moves and for receiving a reflected Doppler signal therefrom. The transceiver generates a time-domain in-phase reference signal I and a time-domain quadrature signal Q which is offset in phase by 90 degrees from the reference signal I. A digital signal processor which receives the I and Q signals, and uses a complex fast Fourier transform routine to convert the time domain I and Q signals to frequency domain values I(f) and Q(f). The digital signal processor further processes the I(f) and Q(f) values and generates a speed a direction signal which is unaffected by vehicle vibrations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz O. Mertins, Jerry Dean Littke, William Flavis Cooper, Rick Allen Worrel
  • Publication number: 20030071750
    Abstract: A high-definition radar imaging system and method receives image data and adaptively processes the image the data to provide a high resolution image. The imaging technique employs adaptive processing using a constrained minimum variance method to iteratively compute the high-definition image. The high-definition image I is expressed in range and cross-range as I(r,c)=min&ohgr;HR&ohgr;, where &ohgr; is a weighting vector and R is a covariance matrix of the image data. A solution for I(r,c) is approximated by i) forming Y=[x1 . . . xK]T/{square root}{square root over (K)} where x1 . . .
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Inventor: Gerald R. Benitz
  • Patent number: 6549158
    Abstract: A combined defense and navigational system on a naval Vessel is disclosed. The disclosed system includes a track-while-scan pulse radar which is controlled to provide either navigational information or tracking information on selected targets. Additionally, the disclosed system includes a plurality of guided missiles, each of which may be vertically launched and directed toward intercept of a selected target either by commands from the track-while-scan radar or from an active guidance system in each such missile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: James T. Hanson
  • Patent number: 6525686
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a receiving/transmitting apparatus for radiating a predetermined signal and receiving a signal arriving as a response to the radiated signal, and to a radar equipment in which the receiving/transmitting apparatus is installed. In the receiving/transmitting apparatus and the radar equipment according to the present invention, high coherency is reliably achieved without any great enlargement in hardware scale. Therefore, it is possible to realize with high reliability improvement in performance and reliability as well as price reduction, downsizing, and running cost reduction in apparatuses and systems to which the present invention is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Tomohiro Haruta, Akito Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 6522290
    Abstract: In a homodyne-receiver radar system used for ranging and/or target detection, the frequency-modulated (FM) transmit phase are removed from the received signal. Removal of the known FM transmit phase from the received signal reduces the bandwidth of the received signal to half that of a system that does not remove the transmit phase. This allows the sampling rate, and thus the processor throughput, to be cut in half. With the FM transmit phase removed, the phase sequence of the processed signal is akin to a delayed version of the transmit signal phase history. This allows the range processing to use segments of a single phase sequence for processing all range gates, resulting in a large reduction in the amount of coefficient storage used for the matched-phase sequences required to process the set of range gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Barry G. Mattox
  • Patent number: 6522285
    Abstract: A ground-penetrating radar comprises a single resonant microstrip patch antenna (RMPA) that is driven by a three-port directional coupler. A reflected-wave output port is buffered by a wideband isolation amplifier and a reflected-wave sample is analyzed to extract measured values of the real and imaginary parts of the load impedance-the driving point impedance of RMPA. Each such port will vary in a predictable way according to how deeply an object is buried in the soil. Calibration tables can be empirically derived. Reflections also occur at the interfaces of homogeneous layers of material in the soil. The reflected-wave signals are prevented from adversely affecting transmitted-signal sampling by putting another wideband isolation amplifier in front of the input port of the directional coupler. A suppressed-carrier version of the transmitted signal is mixed with the reflected-wave sample, and the carrier is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Inventors: Gerald L. Stolarczyk, Larry G. Stolarczyk
  • Publication number: 20030020648
    Abstract: A system and method for sensing phase errors in a multiple receiver array use three non-collinear transmitters transmitting first, second, and third signals to a target and receiving corresponding signals reflected from the target using the multiple receiver array. In one embodiment, each transmitter transmits a characteristic signal which can be distinguished from each other by the receivers. In one embodiment, each transmitter transmits a slightly different monotone frequency that is preferably outside any imaging bandwidth. The sheared products computed from heterodyne measurements at the receivers in the array based on the reflected signals from the three transmitters are used to determine and correct for the combined transmitter/receiver phase errors at each of the receivers in the array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventor: James R. Fienup
  • Publication number: 20030020649
    Abstract: A continuous wave radar system includes a transmitter circuit for generating radar transmitting signals, a transmit/receive antenna, coupled to the transmitter circuit by way of a circulator, and a receiver circuit, which is coupled to the transmit/receive antenna by way of the circulator and which is intended to condition radar echo signals of a target object. The radar echo signals are received at the transmit/receive antenna, wherein the circulator serves to pass the transmitting signals, generated by the transmitter circuit, to the transmit/receive antenna and to divert the target object's echo signals, which are received by the transmit/receive antenna, to the input of the receiver circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventor: Klaus Solbach
  • Publication number: 20030016165
    Abstract: A system for functional testing in a continuous-wave radar having a transmitter circuit for generating radar transmit signals, a transmit/receive antenna coupled by way of a circulator with the transmitter circuit, and a receiver circuit whose input is coupled with the transmit/receiver antenna by way of the circulator, for processing radar echo signals of a target object received at the transmit/receive antenna. The circulator relays the transmit signals generated by the transmitter circuit to the transmit/receive antenna, and splits off echo signals of the target object received from the transmit/receive antenna to the input of the receiver circuit. An RPC circuit coupled between the output and the input of the receiver circuit suppresses those portions of the transmit signals that are split off from the transmitter circuit and/or reflected from the transmit/receive antenna directly into the receiver circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Inventor: Klaus Solbach
  • Publication number: 20030011510
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a receiving/transmitting apparatus for radiating a predetermined signal and receiving a signal arriving as a response to the radiated signal, and to a radar equipment in which the receiving/transmitting apparatus is installed. In the receiving/transmitting apparatus and the radar equipment according to the present invention, high coherency is reliably achieved without any great enlargement in hardware scale. Therefore, it is possible to realize with high reliability improvement in performance and reliability as well as price reduction, downsizing, and running cost reduction in apparatuses and systems to which the present invention is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Tomohiro Haruta, Akito Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 6501414
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for detecting anomalies in microwave penetrable material that may be used for locating plastic mines or pipes underneath the ground. A transmitter is positioned at a plurality of different positions above the ground. A microwave signal is transmitted that is stepped over a plurality of frequencies. At each position, a plurality of reflections are received corresponding to each of the plurality of frequencies that were transmitted. A complex target vector may be produced at each position that contains complex values corresponding to magnitude, phase, and time delay for each of the plurality of reflections received at that location. A complex reference data vector may be produced, either based on predetermined values or based on data from the received plurality of reflections. A comparison is made between the complex target vector and the complex reference data vector to produce a channel vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: G. Dickey Arndt, James R. Carl, Kent A. Byerly, Phong H. Ngo, Larry G. Stolarczyk
  • Publication number: 20020196179
    Abstract: In a homodyne-receiver radar system used for ranging and/or target detection, the frequency-modulated (FM) transmit phase are removed from the received signal. Removal of the known FM transmit phase from the received signal reduces the bandwidth of the received signal to half that of a system that does not remove the transmit phase. This allows the sampling rate, and thus the processor throughput, to be cut in half. With the FM transmit phase removed, the phase sequence of the processed signal is akin to a delayed version of the transmit signal phase history. This allows the range processing to use segments of a single phase sequence for processing all range gates, resulting in a large reduction in the amount of coefficient storage used for the matched-phase sequences required to process the set of range gates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventor: Barry G. Mattox
  • Patent number: 6492933
    Abstract: A dual channel microwave sensor employs single sideband Doppler techniques in innumerable vibration, motion, and displacement applications. When combined with an active reflector, the sensor provides accurate range and material thickness measurements even in cluttered environments. The active reflector can also be used to transmit multi-channel data to the sensor. The sensor is a homodyne pulse Doppler radar with phasing-type Doppler sideband demodulation having a 4-decade baseband frequency range. Ranging is accomplished by comparing the phase of the Doppler sidebands when phase modulated by an active reflector. The active reflector employs a switch or modulator connected to an antenna or other reflector. In one mode, the active reflector is quadrature modulated to provide SSB reflections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: McEwan Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas E. McEwan
  • Publication number: 20020175849
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for detecting anomalies in microwave penetrable material that may be used for locating plastic mines or pipes underneath the ground. A transmitter is positioned at a plurality of different positions above the ground. A microwave signal is transmitted that is stepped over a plurality of frequencies. At each position, a plurality of reflections are received corresponding to each of the plurality of frequencies that were transmitted. A complex target vector may be produced at each position that contains complex values corresponding to magnitude, phase, and time delay for each of the plurality of reflections received at that location. A complex reference data vector may be produced, either based on predetermined values or based on data from the received plurality of reflections. A comparison is made between the complex target vector and the complex reference data vector to produce a channel vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Inventors: G. Dickey Arndt, James R. Carl, Kent A. Byerly, Phong H. Ngo, Larry G. Stolarczyk
  • Patent number: 6480139
    Abstract: A method and system for using the main diagonal elements of the Cholesky factor of the spatial covariance matrix to estimate the number of jammers present, by evaluating the AIC (or other) test function using the Cholesky diagonal elements in place of covariance eigenvalues. The Cholesky factor is often available as a by-product of adaptive beamforming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Ralph Thomas Hoctor
  • Publication number: 20020163465
    Abstract: A continuous signal of a radio frequency source is connected to an antenna using at least one mixer to generate and analyze radar pulses. To generate a radar pulse, the at least one mixer is briefly placed into a state of low throughput loss. After the radar pulse is generated and transmitted, the at least one mixer is switched over to a receive mode to analyze a mixed signal formed by a receive signal, in particular at least one radar pulse reflected by an object, and the continuous signal of the radio frequency source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventor: Dirk Steinbuch
  • Publication number: 20020158792
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement suitable for embedded signal processing, comprising a number of computational units (100), each computational unit comprising a number of processing elements (20) capable of working independently and transmitting data simultaneously. Said computational units are arranged in cluster, work independently, and transmit data simultaneously, and that said processing elements (20) are globally and regularly inter-connected optically in a hypercube topology and transformed into a planar waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventor: Hakan Forsberg
  • Patent number: 6473025
    Abstract: A landmine detection system comprises a ground-penetrating radar for probing the surface of the ground for landmines and other anomalies. The radar is swept back and forth across a lane while a user proceeds forward. A navigation sensor and processor keep track of all the parts of the lane that have been probed. A user display presents a visual graphic that represents the lane and the parts of it that have been probed. The user is then able to swing the radar to areas that are indicated as having been skipped in previous passes, e.g., to get 100%. coverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Stolar Horizon
    Inventors: Gerald L. Stolarczyk, Larry G. Stolarczyk
  • Patent number: 6469661
    Abstract: A method of providing a balanced demodular output for a signal such as a Doppler radar having an analog pulsed input; includes adding a variable phase shift as a function of time to the input signal, applying the phase shifted input signal to a demodulator; and generating a baseband signal from the input signal. The baseband signal is low-pass filtered and converted to a digital output signal. By removing the variable phase shift from the digital output signal, a complex data output is formed that is representative of the output of a balanced demodulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Armin W. Doerry, Bertice L. Tise
  • Publication number: 20020118132
    Abstract: A system and a method for distance measurement utilizes a radio system. The distance is measured by determining the time it takes a pulse train to travel from a first radio transceiver to a second radio transceiver and then from the second radio transceiver back to the first radio transceiver. The actual measurement is a two step process. In the first step, the distance is measured in coarse resolution, and in the second step, the distance is measured in fine resolution. A first pulse train is transmitted using a transmit time base from the first radio transceiver. The first pulse train is received at a second radio transceiver. The second radio transceiver synchronizes its time base with the first pulse train before transmitting a second pulse train back to the first radio transceiver, which then synchronizes a receive time base with the second pulse train. The time delay between the transmit time base and the receive time base can then be determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Inventors: James L. Richards, Larry W. Fullerton
  • Publication number: 20020113730
    Abstract: A complex frequency shift keyed homodyned diplexed radar system and method that can accurately determine the range of one or more targets where the targets have little or no velocity relative to the radar system. The system and method generates a FSK electromagnetic wave that is reflected off the one or more targets and converted into a delayed or phase shifted baseband signal and undelayed baseband signal where the delayed and an undelayed baseband signal may be analyzed to determine the range of the one or more targets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Eaton-Vorad Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Prescott A. Walmsley
  • Patent number: 6420992
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for jamming radar and other electromagnetic signals is disclosed in which the jammer includes a single port, keyed primed oscillator which is primed with the low level signal received at its antenna. In one embodiment the priming signal is gradually shifted in frequency to introduce a false doppler and is then injected into the tank circuit of the oscillator which is rapidly turned on and off (keyed) to produce a rapidly pulsed signal which tracks the frequency of the shifted priming signal. In this embodiment the oscillator keying unit is itself keyed to modulate the output signal of the oscillator to provide false bearing information. In another embodiment, the priming signal is injected directly into the tank circuit of the oscillator and the frequency of the output signal from the oscillator is varied to induce false doppler information. In both embodiments the pulsed signal from the oscillator is detected as a CW signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Inventor: Martin R. Richmond
  • Publication number: 20020080062
    Abstract: A series of police doppler single mode radars and a multimode police doppler radar, all with direction sensing capability are disclosed. A quadrature front end which mixes received RF with a local oscillator to generate two channels of doppler signals, one channel being shifted by an integer multiple of 90 degrees in phase relative to the other by shifting either the RF or the local oscillator signal being fed to one mixer but not the other. The two doppler signals are digitized and the samples are processed by a digital signal processor programmed to find one or more selected target speeds. Single modes disclosed are: stationary strongest target; stationary, fastest target; stationary, strongest and fastest targets; moving, strongest, opposite lane; moving, strongest, same lane; moving, fastest, opposite lane; moving, fastest and strongest, opposite lane; moving, fastest, same lane; moving fastest and strongest, same lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: John L. Aker, Robert S. Gammenthaler
  • Patent number: 6411253
    Abstract: An equalization system and method. In a most general sense, the inventive equalization system includes first and second filters for filtering an in-phase component of a received signal in accordance with first and second sets of coefficients, respectively. The system includes third and fourth filters for filtering a quadrature component of the input signal in accordance with third and fourth sets of coefficients, respectively. The outputs of the first and third filters are subtracted to provide an equalized in-phase output signal and the outputs of the second and fourth filters are added to provide an equalized quadrature output signal. In the illustrative embodiment the filters are finite impulse response filters and the coefficients are provided by a microprocessor. In accordance with the present teachings, the filters are implemented in a general purpose filter. The delay elements of the filters are calculated in accordance with a mean square error algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Lloyd C. Cox, Gary A. Gramlich, Robert M. Baker, Stephen Freeman, Brian P. Neary, Cynthia R. Krzemien, Jordan A. Krim, Luis R. Nunez
  • Patent number: 6404379
    Abstract: A method and system for identifying the locations of plural targets lying within a main beam of a monopulse antenna including four ports for generating sum, elevation difference, azimuth difference and double difference signals. The method comprises the steps of forming a monopulse ratio matrix from the sum, elevation difference, azimuth difference and double difference signals; and determining eigenvalues of the monopulse ratio matrix. These eigenvalues are then used to determine the angular locations of the plural targets. Preferably, the eigenvalues are determined by performing an eigenvalue decomposition of the monopulse ratio matrix to generate eigenvalues, and the angles of the targets may be determined from the eigenvalues by the use of a look-up table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Kai-Bor Yu, Yibin Zheng
  • Patent number: 6388604
    Abstract: A pulse Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) signal discriminator has a soft-limiting IF amplifier chain for receiving an IF signal to soft-limit any high-peak IF signals in the IF signal and a high-peak amplitude compressive circuit followed by an integrator which integrates the signal over a predetermined time to produce a high output when a LPI signal is present. The integrator is connected to a threshold detector which outputs a trigger signal when a high output from the integrator is received. In a receiver having a plurality of channels for received signals from a number of antenna, one channel for each antenna, the received signals are down converted to IF signals and applied to analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) which are connected to a digital processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence
    Inventor: Jim P. Y. Lee
  • Patent number: 6384766
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for generating a three-dimensional image of a ground area by means of a radar with a synthetic aperture, a SAR radar, which is supported by a platform moving in an essentially rectilinear manner. The method is characterized by the following steps. Advancing the platform such that at least two images of the ground are created with great difference in the angle of illumination. Transmitting radar pulses with a fractional bandwidth which is larger than or equal to 0.1, and using in the computations an aperture angle which is larger than or equal to 0.1 radians. Detecting the reflected radar pulses with amplitude and phase. For each pulse, measuring and storing the position of the antenna that transmits and the antenna that receives the pulse. Computing a two-dimensional SAR signal per synthetic aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Totalförsvarets Forskningsinstitut
    Inventor: Lars Ulander
  • Patent number: 6369746
    Abstract: A radar system includes a null processor coupled to transmit receive modules. The null processor inserts nulls in the sum pattern at locations for suppressing a jamming source. The null processor determines the difference pattern based upon the product: sum*sin(x), where sum is the sum pattern and x is the azimuth angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Leon Green, Joseph Preiss, Kai-Chiang Chang
  • Patent number: 6362775
    Abstract: An apparatus to determine the three-dimensional location of an airborne platform relative to a target area using two separate antenna assemblies positioned on the airborne platform. The first antenna assembly is adapted to transmit energy downward toward a surface location directly beneath the airborne platform, while the second antenna assembly is adapted to transmit energy forward towards the target area remote from the surface location. A single transmitter is associated with both of the antenna assemblies for transmitting signals toward the surface location and the target area. A receiver coupled to the antenna assemblies receives and detects the signals corresponding to the transmitted energy as reflected by the target area and the surface location. A radar processor is coupled to the receiver and is adapted to determine the range between the airborne platform and the surface location and determine the three-dimensional height of the target area from the detected signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: McDonnell Douglas Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Goebel, Stacie K. Corrubia
  • Patent number: 6297764
    Abstract: An electronic counter-measure receiver can be colocated with a threat simulator radar, which transmits a radar signal. As a pulsed-Doppler signal, this transmitted radar signal is sampled as a reference signal by the receiver to determine quadrature, coherent matched filter coefficients. A return signal is received and processed with the reference signal as quadrature signal components with the quadrature, coherent matched filter coefficients within a matched filter. The return signal is processed as a first intermediate frequency via a mixer and local oscillator and a second quadrature intermediate frequency via a digital local oscillator and mixer. A fast Fourier transform is performed to determine Doppler information. In a continuous wave transmission for sampling arbitrary but unevenly spaced in time pulses are generated from a pulse generator source internal to the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Terry Wormington, John S. Seybold, James Rhoa
  • Patent number: 6295019
    Abstract: A system and a method for distance measurement utilizes a radio system. The distance is measured by determining the time it takes a pulse train to travel from a first radio transceiver to a second radio transceiver and then from the second radio transceiver back to the first radio transceiver. The actual measurement is a two step process. In the first step, the distance is measured in coarse resolution, and in the second step, the distance is measured in fine resolution. A first pulse train is transmitted using a transmit time base from the first radio transceiver. The first pulse train is received at a second radio transceiver. The second radio transceiver synchronizes its time base with the first pulse train before transmitting a second pulse train back to the first radio transceiver, which then synchronizes a receive time base with the second pulse train. The time delay between the transmit time base and the receive time base can then be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Time Domain Corporation
    Inventors: James L. Richards, Larry W. Fullerton, David C. Meigs, Randall S. Stanley, Ivan A. Cowie
  • Patent number: 6292128
    Abstract: A broadband radio receiver of the type usable in receiving and identifying the pulsed signals of radar transmitters in an electronic warfare environment. The receiver includes signal presence detecting apparatus in the form of a time domain signal detection apparatus usable in maintaining complex signal processing portions of the receiver, such as its fast Fourier transform generation circuit, in quiescent low energy dissipating status until needed to perform signal analysis. Such energy conservation enables use of the receiver in energy limited remote or space received environments. Energy conserving “clockless logic” or “null convention logic” is preferably used in embodying greater energy dissipating portions of the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: James B. Y. Tsui, Marvin N. Potts
  • Patent number: 6282231
    Abstract: A CDMA coded, spread spectrum radio signal containing a strong signal and a weak signal is received, and the interference of the strong signal with the weak signal is computed to enhance the ability to track the weak signal. The codes modulating both signals are known, and the weak signal can be predicted. The interference of the strong signal is calculated as the product of the amplitude of the strong signal and the predicted crosscorrelation of the strong signal with the weak signal. The strong signal may be measured, predicted, or acquired through a combination of both methods. The crosscorrelation may be predicted for a range of weak signal values, and the weak signal selected as the prediction producing the greatest received power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: SiRF Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles P. Norman, Charles R. Cahn
  • Patent number: 6268821
    Abstract: A radar system including a main antenna and a smaller auxiliary antenna, the main antenna having a radiation pattern with a main lobe and relatively small sidelobes, and the auxiliary antenna having an omnidirectional radiation pattern. A received signal in the sidelobes of the main antenna and the corresponding received signal of the auxiliary antenna are spectrally divided by sets of bandpass filters with the signals of corresponding ones of the bandpass filters being processed to null out a signal such as a jamming signal received via a sidelobe of the main antenna pattern. The processing includes inphase and quadrature detection of a partially cancelled signal with the resulting complex error signal being applied as a modulation of the signal of the auxiliary antenna to be subtracted from the signal of the main antenna to produce the cancelled sidelobe signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: William W. Shrader, Vilhelm Gregers Hansen
  • Patent number: 6255987
    Abstract: A block adaptive quantization device processes blocks of input data samples to determine an aggregate or average value which is applied to each of a number of exponent look-up tables to derive an exponent value dependent on the extent of compression required. The exponent value is split by an exponent splitter into a remainder value and a shift value. The remainder value is used to select one of a number of divide look-up tables to which the unsigned data sample is applied, and the shift value is used to apply a variable bit shift to the data sample. Each divide look-up table comprises the same group of divide look-up tables. The combination of the four look-up tables in the group, together with the variable bit shift defines a series of code tables made up of a group of divide look-up tables repeated at six dB intervals. The remainder value selects one of the code tables within the group, and the bit shift operation determines the selected one of the repeated groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Matra Marconi Space UK Limited
    Inventors: David C Lancashire, Bartholomew A. F. Barnes, Stephen J Udall
  • Patent number: 6243036
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting objects are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a person entering a secured or “Safe Zone™” is illuminated with low-power polarized radio waves. Differently polarized waves which are reflected back from the person are collected and measured. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, concealed weapons are detected by calculating the difference of a pair of differences between levels of different polarized reflected energy in the time domain, and by using signal processing methods and apparatus to improve the reliability of the detection process. Alternative embodiments of the invention may be used to detect a wide variety of objects other than concealed firearms. The invention may be used for inventory control or to thwart shoplifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: MacAleese Companies, Inc.
    Inventors: George G. Chadwick, Thomas C. Weakley
  • Patent number: 6232913
    Abstract: Characteristics of a target are measured by a radar or sonar. Pulses (101, 102, 103) are transmitted and in between (X) the transmissions of pulses a signal is received which depends on the transmitted pulses and on the distribution of the characteristics measured at different ranges. The distribution at different ranges of the characteristics measured is determined by representing it by means of a substantially linear system of equations in which the variables are the values of the characteristics measured at desired ranges, and by solving the system of equations for the variables. The transmitted pulses form a cyclically repeated pulse code or a continuously changing pulse train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Inventor: Markku Sakari Lehtinen
  • Patent number: 6229475
    Abstract: A radar processing system is disclosed with an improved cluster target resolution capability. The invention provides a system and method for processing radar returns and generating first and second contiguous range/doppler cells. Within the cells, first and second dichotomous angle measurements corresponding to radar returns in the first and second contiguous range/doppler cells are derived. An adaptive threshold is then applied to the angle measurements to determine whether the first and second measurements correspond to first and second targets in the first and second range/doppler cells respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Richard L. Woolley
  • Patent number: 6229474
    Abstract: A radar apparatus is comprised of; transmitting means for outputting a transmission electromagnetic wave; receiving means for IQ-phase-detecting a reception electromagnetic wave received when a transmission electromagnetic wave is reflected from a target object and returned from the target object; signal converting means for FFT-processing an output signal of the receiving means; and signal processing means in which if there are one pair of spectrums having positive and negative peak values of amplitude levels, while absolute values of frequencies thereof are identical to each other, among the data converted by this signal converting means, then it is so judged that such a spectrum having a large peak value of an amplitude level is a true spectrum, and both a distance and a relative speed between the target object and the radar apparatus are calculated by employing the frequency of the judged true spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naohisa Uehara
  • Patent number: 6211815
    Abstract: In a radar system having a transmitter that produces pulses to be radiated by an antenna and a receiver that detects target information, complex demodulation is performed on an attenuated and limited waveform of the transmitter produced pulse. A matched filter is generated responsive to the complex demodulated waveform that is a time reversed conjugate image of the waveform corresponding to the produced pulse. Complex demodulation is performed on the return signal received by the receiver corresponding the produced pulse and the complex demodulated return signal is correlated with the matched filter that corresponds to the time reversed conjugate image of the waveform of the produced pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Manuel Richey, Timothy Gibson
  • Patent number: 6204803
    Abstract: A radar apparatus is comprised of: receiving means for IQ-phase-detecting a reception electromagnetic wave received when a transmission electromagnetic wave is reflected from a target object and returned from the target object; signal converting means for FFT-processing an output signal of the receiving means; and amplitude level correcting means in which if there are one pair of spectrums having positive and negative peak values of amplitude levels, while absolute values of frequencies thereof are identical to each other, among the data converted by this signal converting means, then the amplitude level having the larger peak value is corrected so as to acquire a peak value of a true amplitude level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naohisa Uehara
  • Patent number: 6198427
    Abstract: A series of police doppler single mode radars and a multimode police doppler radar, all with direction sensing capability are disclosed. A quadrature front end which mixes received RF with a local oscillator to generate two channels of doppler signals, one channel being shifted by an integer multiple of 90 degrees in phase relative to the other by shifting either the RF or the local oscillator signal being fed to one mixer but not the other. The two doppler signals are digitized and the samples are processed by a digital signal processor programmed to find one or more selected target speeds. Single modes disclosed are: stationary strongest target; stationary, fastest target; stationary, strongest and fastest targets; moving, strongest, opposite lane; moving, strongest, same lane; moving, fastest, opposite lane; moving, fastest and strongest, opposite lane; moving, fastest, same lane; moving fastest and strongest, same lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Applied Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Aker, Robert S. Gammenthaler
  • Patent number: 6195035
    Abstract: A monopulse antenna system comprising an inner antenna and an outer antenna disposed symmetrically about a central axis of symmetry. A central aperture is located at the axis of symmetry through which a weapon system may fire or an additional sensor may be located. The inner antenna is preferably annular in shape and produces a relatively broad antenna pattern. The outer antenna is also preferably annular and produces a beam pattern with many lobes. The received signals A and B, from each beam pattern, are combined in a hybrid to produce sum signals (A+B) and difference signals (A−B), which are then processed to produce a target off-axis radius relative to the antenna main beam axis, i.e., the axis of symmetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Textron Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph R. Wood
  • Patent number: 6166678
    Abstract: A signal process is provided for radar interference mitigation in SAR data and to perform several functions. Initially, the algorithm separately removes the average range bias of the I-channel and the Q-channel data. Next, I- and Q-channels are equalized by properly compensating their phase difference and gain imbalance due to either constant or random timing jitters. The current implementation well compensates relative I/Q timing jitters within two sampling time intervals which, for the FOPEN III receiver, are 4 nanoseconds. Graceful performance degradation of the algorithm is expected when timing jitter exceeds two sampling intervals. For example, phase jitter on the order of 5 sampling intervals will be partially but not perfectly corrected. Following the I/Q equalization, adaptive RFI rejection is performed. The FOPEN III data bandwidth may also be reduced 50% with hardly any information loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Jen King Jao
  • Patent number: 6157891
    Abstract: A positioning and ground proximity warning method for vehicle includes the steps of outputting global positioning system signals to an integrated positioning/ground proximity warning system processor; outputting an inertial navigation solution to an integrated positioning/ground proximity warning processor; measuring air pressure, and computing barometric measurements which is output to the integrated positioning/ground proximity warning processor; measuring time delay between transmission and reception a radio signal from a terrain surface, and computing radio altitude measurement which is output to the integrated positioning/ground proximity warning processor; accessing a terrain database for obtaining current vehicle position and surrounding terrain height data which is output to the integrated positioning/ground proximity warning processor; and receiving the position, velocity and time information or said pseudorange and delta range measurements of said global positioning system, the inertial navigation s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Inventor: Ching-Fang Lin
  • Patent number: 6150976
    Abstract: A digital radar landmass simulator (DRLMS) used for stimulation testing pulse radars, wherein the DRLMS operates by synthesizing time-overlapping chirp waveforms using finite impulse response filters. The DRLMS, thus, effectively generates many overlapping complex pulse signals from many radar reflectors representing a semi-infinite continuum of closely spaced targets. The DRLMS also allows the insertion/injection of the effects of Doppler shift and jamming into the synthesized modulated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: AAI Corporation
    Inventor: James R. Cooley
  • Patent number: 6147560
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and devices for such control and supervision of an oscillator signal from a controllable oscillator that is done mainly to control the frequency variation of the oscillator signal. According to the invention, the controllable oscillator is controlled by a controlling voltage, which in turn is modified by a correction signal, generated in a control loop. A time discrete representation of a secondary phase is generated in the control loop, the secondary phase corresponding to a frequency being the difference between the frequency of the oscillator signal and a constant frequency. A time discrete approximation signal is generated in dependence of the time discrete representation of the secondary phase. A time discrete error signal is generated in dependence of the time discrete approximation signal, the time discrete error signal indicating the difference between the actual frequency slope of the oscillator signal and a desired frequency slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolget LM Ericsson
    Inventors: Lars I. Erhage, Osten E. Erikmats, Svenolov Rizell, H.ang.kan L. Karlsson
  • Patent number: 6137433
    Abstract: A global positioning system (GPS) ocean scatterometer with an adaptable spatial resolution for sensing and processing GPS signals reflected from an ocean surface for wind measurements in a wide range of altitudes and wind velocities. To increase wind sensitivity at low altitudes, the GPS ocean scatterometer employs a sub-chip GPS receiver which includes, inter alia, a signal correlator and a pair of code correlators for generating a sub-chip footprint to boost system resolution. To increase wind sensitivity at high altitudes, the GPS ocean scatterometer employs a multi-chip GPS receiver which includes, inter alia, a wide-band oscillator and a multi-chip generator for generating a multi-chip footprint to boost scattered energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Commerce
    Inventors: Valery U. Zavorotny, Steven F. Clifford