Digital Processing Patents (Class 342/195)
  • Publication number: 20080055150
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for detecting an edge of a received signal associated with air traffic control communications. The system includes an A/D converter to convert a received signal to a series of digital data samples and an edge detector module to determine a change rate between the data samples. The change rate represents a change in amplitude between the data samples per unit of time. The edge detector module validates an edge of the received signal based on the change rate between the data samples. A decoder module may derive timing information from the leading/trailing edge pulses and associates the reply message with the framing pulse based on the timing information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: GARMIN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Weiguang Hou, Edward W. Needham
  • Patent number: 7339515
    Abstract: The invention relates to a distributed electronic counter measures solution, wherein jamming signals (JA; JB) may be emitted towards threats (X1, X2) from counter measures stations in multiple vehicles (A, B), which are physically separated from one another in order to improve the chances of survival the vehicles (A, B) as well as any other vehicles that are associated with these vehicles (A, B) in a group of vehicles. The vehicles in the group exchange messages (D) over a wireless data link (L), where the messages (D) sent from a particular station specify an availability status (Dres-status) for each electronic warfare resource in the station and a threat status (Dthr-status) registered by the station. A station in the group having a central planning function coordinates any jamming signals (JA; JB) emitted from the electronic warfare resources of the stations in the group, such that the resources are optimally used with respect to all of any registered threats (X1, X2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Saab AB
    Inventors: Niklas Ferm, Thomas Lindvall
  • Publication number: 20080048906
    Abstract: An electronic scanning radar apparatus has a cutting portion for cutting receiving data which is comprised of N numbers of data for each channel into two more short time data having M (<N) numbers of data in a time direction for each channel, an inverse matrix estimator for computing and estimating an inverse matrix of the time series correlation matrix from the short time data, and a phase information producing portion for computing CAPON phase information out of the estimated inverse matrix of the time series correlation matrix in order to detect a distance, an azimuth and a relative speed of a target on the basis o a computed CAPON phase information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Koichiro Suzuki, Chiharu Yamano, Gaku Takano, Kazuma Natsume
  • Patent number: 7336222
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for obtaining data indicative of at least one characteristic of a continuous medium or at least one localized target located within a predetermined volume of space. The system includes a sensor configuration and a processing circuit. The sensor configuration includes a plurality of sensors for acquiring a plurality of signals from the continuous medium or the target(s). The plurality of sensors have centers spatially separated from each other in at least one spatial dimension. The processing circuit is configured for obtaining data indicative of the characteristic or characteristics of the medium or the target by calculating a plurality of powered weighted increments using the plurality of signals acquired by the sensor configuration and by using a plurality of models for relating the plurality of powered weighted increments to the characteristic or characteristics of the medium or the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: EnerLab, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Praskovsky, Eleanor Praskovskaya
  • Patent number: 7336220
    Abstract: In order to generate a signal for canceling a chirped signal, a transmitter generates a cancellation signal along with the transmitted signal, using a single term variable complex gain multiplier adapted to cancel the chirped signal only at its instantaneous frequency, rather than attempting to cancel it with a complex FIR filter that works over the entire bandwidth of the chirped signal. The cancellation signal is varied in amplitude and phase as a function of the frequency of the chirped transmit signal for which it is intended to compensate. Since the signal that is to be cancelled is essentially sinusoidal but swept through a frequency range, the cancellation signal for the instantaneous transmit signal needs to be swept in both amplitude and phase in unison with the change in frequency of the transmit signal in order to accommodate gain and phase changes in the transmitted signal as a function of frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: M/A-Com, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd Alan Stewart
  • Publication number: 20080042896
    Abstract: In a radar system, a monopulse calibration table is constructed from live targets of opportunity. A center of gravity or weighted average of normalized signals ?V received at SUM and DIFF channels from a live target are used to determine the target's actual azimuth. Off bore sight angles (OBA) of the target are then determined from the target's actual azimuth. Normalized received signal values of ?V are converted to nearest-valued integers. The OBA s that correspond to each integer-valued normalized received signal are averaged and can then be plotted as a function of normalized received signal value ?V. Different tables or plots can be constructed for elevation angles. An equation of a best-fit line the matches or at least closely approximates the plotted data is determined to smooth the actual data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Yair Alon, Mark Jacobs
  • Patent number: 7333051
    Abstract: A method (for example, machine-implemented, e.g., via a receiver), for determining whether a transmitted pulsed-signal is a linear or non-linear frequency modulated (FM) signal, includes: iteratively determining upper and lower bound slopes associated with frequency components of a pulse of a signal during a time period of the pulse; and comparing each determined upper bound slope to a previous or initial upper bound reference slope and comparing each determined lower bound slope to a previous or initial lower bound reference slope in order to determine the linearity, or non-linearity, of the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas A. Moch
  • Patent number: 7333052
    Abstract: Signal processing with reduced combinatorial complexity for tracking evolving phenomena such as radar tracks associated with weighted measurement parameters includes selecting a current phenomenon and obtaining a set of measurement parameters associated with it. Beginning at a start node providing a first parent node having an identity, an identity for a child node of the patent is produced from the sets of parameters, the parent identity and a parameter selected from the set and corresponding to the child. This is iterated for other parameters in the set. Child nodes of like identity for the phenomenon are treated as a single node with multiple parameter relationships associated with at lest one parent node, whereas child nodes with differing identities are represented as separate nodes. The process is iterated for other phenomena and associated sets of measurement parameters, but child nodes of a previously processed phenomenon are not treated as parent nodes of a phenomenon processed immediately following.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Qinetiq Limited
    Inventor: Simon Richard Maskell
  • Patent number: 7330844
    Abstract: In an intelligent object oriented agent system, a computer implemented or user assisted method of decision making in at least one situation. The method includes the step of configuring at least one tactical agent implemented by at least one tactical agent object that includes a plurality of resources corresponding to immediate certainties, near certainties, and longer-term possibilities characterizing the at least one situation. The method also includes the steps of processing the at least one situation using the at least one tactical agent, and implementing the decision making, by at least one user or independently by at least one intelligent agent. responsive to the processing step. A computer readable tangible medium stores instructions for implementing the user assisted or computer implemented method of decision making, which instructions are executable by a computer. In a preferred embodiment, the situation comprises an aerial combat situation. or other situation with moving resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: 21st Century Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander D. Stoyen
  • Patent number: 7330147
    Abstract: Systems and methods for displaying ground obstructions on a visual display are disclosed. In an embodiment, a ground proximity warning system includes at least one aircraft sensor system operable to acquire aircraft data and a ground proximity warning computer coupled to the aircraft sensor system to process the aircraft data that generates ground proximity warning data corresponding to a sensed ground obstruction. An indicating system including a visual display device then presents an image of a visual symbol corresponding to the sensed ground obstruction. At least one of the computer and the visual display device is controllable to selectively display the visual symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Ratan Khatwa
  • Patent number: 7327306
    Abstract: A system for tracking an object in space for position, comprises a transponder device connectable to the object. The transponder device has one or several transponder aerial(s) and a transponder circuit connected to the transponder aerial for receiving an RF signal through the transponder aerial. The transponder device adds a known delay to the RF signal thereby producing an RF response for transmitting through the transponder aerial. A transmitter is connected to a first aerial for transmitting the RF signal through a first aerial. A receiver is connected to the first, a second and third aerials for receiving the RF response of the transponder device therethrough. A position calculator is associated to the transmitter and the receiver for calculating a position of the object as a function of the known delay and the time period between the emission of the RF signal and the reception of the RF response from the first, second and third aerials. A method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Orthosoft Inc.
    Inventor: Jean-Louis Laroche
  • Patent number: 7327303
    Abstract: A hybrid radar receiver includes an antenna array for receiving an input signal having a radar signal from a signal emitter. Each array element outputs an analog signal on a respective data channel. For each data channel, an activatable A/D converter is provided. A dedicated hardware circuit, which typically includes a detector/log video amplifier that is coupled to a threshold/pulse digitizer, is included to determine when a radar pulse is being received. When the circuit determines that a pulse is being received, the circuit activates each A/D converter to generate a digital signal on each channel. When a pulse is not currently being received, the circuit deactivates each A/D converter and digital signals are not produced. Pulse parameter(s) generated by the hardware circuit and the digital signals on each channel are sent to a software equipped processor which implements a signal emitter identification algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Information Systems Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Doss Halsey, Katsumi Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 7327307
    Abstract: An adaptive waveform radar system transmits a selected waveform of a family of related waveforms and either phase shifts or bit shifts the radar return signal for correlating with the other waveforms of the family. In some embodiments, phase shifting may be performed to null an unwanted target or clutter, while bit shifting may be performed to enhance a desired target, although the scope of the invention is not limited in this respect. In some embodiments, the bits of the return signal may be either phase shifted or bit shifted to match a bit of each one of the other waveforms of the family prior to correlation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Vinh Adams, Wesley Dwelly
  • Publication number: 20080024359
    Abstract: A complex image is apodized to suppress sidelobes. An original complex image of an object is received. The complex image comprises a plurality of data points and sidelobes. The complex image is transformed to a k-space image which is then trimmed to remove all points outside of a geometric shape. This trimming is done with the shape overlaying the image and being at a first angle with respect to the image. The trimming produces a trimmed k-space image. The trimmed k-space image is then converted back to a new complex image having a sidelobe structure different from the original complex image. The new complex image is then normalized by adjusting its intensity such that its peak amplitude matches a peak amplitude in the original complex image. A minimum function is then performed on the magnitudes of the original and new complex images. The result is an apodized image with suppressed sidelobe structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Inventors: William W. Watkins, Emile Ganthier, Kenneth J. Hendrickson
  • Patent number: 7324042
    Abstract: A method and system for optimizing transmit beam and receive beam antenna radiation patterns. The method includes inputting initial estimate of beam weights for a transmit beam and a receive beam to an optimizer; and using a cost function to optimize beam weights so that a response peaks in a main region and is minimized in a sidelobe region; wherein the cost function is based on using receive beam and transmit beam characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Paul C. Werntz, John J. Wooldridge
  • Publication number: 20080018523
    Abstract: A method of radar processing includes selecting a detection threshold in accordance with a mathematical function of angle and/or scaling a radar return signal in accordance with the mathematical function of angle. Apparatus for radar processing includes a threshold selection processor adapted to select a detection threshold in accordance with a mathematical function of angle and/or a scaling value selection value selection processor, which, in combination with a scaling application processor, is adapted to scale a radar return signal in accordance with the mathematical function of angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2006
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas M. Kelly, Jr., Wilson J. Wimmer, Dennis Hunt
  • Publication number: 20080018524
    Abstract: Methods and systems for estimating and correcting airborne radar antenna pointing errors. The methods and systems include predicting expected received power from at least one scattering source using terrain elevation information, transmitting a radar signal to the at least one scattering source, measuring received power from the at least one scattering source, determining an antenna pointing error based on the predicted and measured received power, and adjusting an antenna angle, an input value, or other components based on the determined antenna pointing error. The methods and systems also include a radar processing and control unit for predicting expected received power from at least one scattering source using a model of the radar power measurement process that includes terrain elevation information, for measuring received power from the at least one scattering source, and for determining antenna pointing error based on the predicted and measured received power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Paul E. Christianson
  • Patent number: 7321330
    Abstract: The present invention provides a ball measuring apparatus capable of measuring a trajectory of a ball from a hitting position to a landing position, the landing position and a stop position. A ball measuring apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment includes a first millimeter wave radar device 1 capable of carrying out a measurement from the hitting position to a predetermined position of the trajectory and having at least one transmitting antenna and a plurality of receiving antennas, and a second millimeter wave radar device 2 capable of measuring the stop position and having at least one transmitting antenna and a plurality of receiving antennas. A ball measuring apparatus 101 according to a second embodiment has a millimeter wave radar device 31 and a CCD camera 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Takahiro Sajima
  • Publication number: 20080007450
    Abstract: A method converts an input image of noisy wrapped phases to an output image of absolute unwrapped phases. The noisy wrapped phases in the input image are represented as a set of re-wrapped phases and a set of phase shifts. The set of re-wrapped phases are partitioned into a first group and a second group. Integer differences between the phase shifts are optimized while holding the re-wrapped phases fixed. Then, the first group of re-wrapped phases are optimized, while holding the integer differences between the phase shifts, and the second group of re-wrapped phases fixed. The integer differences between the phase shifts are optimized again, while holding the re-wrapped phases fixed. Then, the second group of re-wrapped phases are optimized, while holding the integer differences between the phase shifts, and the first group of re-wrapped phases fixed. The optimizing steps are repeated until the re-wrapped phase converge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Jonathan Yedidia, Ali Azarbayejani, Emin Martinian, Ying-Zong Huang
  • Patent number: 7317417
    Abstract: The present invention relates to active sensor applications, and more particularly is directed to efficient systems and methods for detection and tracking of one or more targets. The invention provides a method for receiving signals reflected from one or more targets, processing the received signals and the transmitted signal to compute two or more slices of the cross ambiguity function associated with the signals, and estimating the signal delay and the Doppler shit associated with the targets from the computed slices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Inventors: Orhan Arikan, Ahmet Kemal Ozdemir, Donald Spyro Gumas
  • Patent number: 7312742
    Abstract: Sensing characteristics of an object includes transmitting a stepped-frequency radar through an object and detecting, with multiple receiving structures, deflected portions of the radar signal. The detected portions are processed to generate processed data including information associated with amplitudes and phases of the deflected portions, and with the locations of the receiving structures at which the deflected portions were detected. The processed data is analyzed to determine information corresponding to dielectric properties particular positions within the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: William Steinway, David H. Fine, Steve Cole
  • Patent number: 7312744
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for administering a restricted flight zone using radar and lasers for detecting, tracking, warning and destroying airborne craft that enter restricted flight zones without authorization or that approach dangerously close to protected areas on the ground. The system comprises a support for positioning adjacent the surface of the Earth at a bottom of the zone, detecting and defending apparatus mounted on the support for detecting airborne objects in the zone and defending against the airborne objects in the zone, and controlling apparatus for controlling the detecting and defending means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Inventor: Tom Ramstack
  • Patent number: 7310061
    Abstract: There is provided a highly accurate velocity sensor having a reduced detection error. A sensor circuit unit generates an electromagnetic wave and emits it from a transmission antenna. Furthermore, a reception antenna receives a reflection wave from the ground and a mixer mixes it with a local signal, thereby generating a low-frequency signal. The electromagnetic wave emitted from the sensor circuit unit shapes a beam by a dielectric lens before emitting it toward the ground. Here, the beam shape is such that the beam width in the vicinity of the sensor is smaller than the beam width in the vicinity of the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Nagasaku, Hiroshi Kondoh, Hiroshi Shinoda
  • Publication number: 20070285305
    Abstract: An obstacle detection system determines a probability distribution of existence of an obstacle object corresponding to a distance in an irradiation direction of a transmission wave based on detected strength data per scanning-angle supplied from a radar device. A peak-value of the strength data becomes a maximum probability of existence of the obstacle. The probability distribution has a range gradually decreasing before and after the peak-value. Even if the position indicated by the maximum probability of existence of the obstacle object is different from an actual distance to the obstacle object, it hardly occurs that the probability of existence at an actual position of the obstacle object becomes zero. This eliminates occurrence of separation/association errors. Primary and secondary existence probability relationships made based on the probability distribution are combined. Using the combined one further decreases the error detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Hideaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7307584
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus compress data, comprising an In-phase (I) component and a Quadrature (Q) component. Statistical characteristics of the data are utilized to convert the data into a form that requires fewer bits in accordance with the statistical characteristics. The data may be further compressed by transforming the data and by modifying the transformed data in accordance with a quantization conversion table that is associated with the processed data. Additionally, redundancy may be removed from the processed data with an encoder. Subsequent processing of the compressed data may decompress the compressed data in order to approximate the original data by reversing the process for compressing the data with corresponding inverse operations. Interleaved I and Q components can be processed rather than separating the components before processing the data. The processed data type may be determined by providing metadata to retrieve the appropriate quantization table from a knowledge database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Science Applications International Corporation
    Inventors: Francis R. Cirillo, Paul L. Poehler
  • Patent number: 7307577
    Abstract: A method of characterizing a maximum height of a storm cell for an aircraft is provided. First reflectivity data formed from a first scan of a storm cell by a radar is received and a first centroid of the storm cell is identified. Second reflectivity data formed from a second scan of the storm cell by the radar is received and a second centroid of the storm cell is identified. A scan axis for a third scan of the storm cell based on the first centroid and the second centroid is determined. Third reflectivity data formed from the third scan of the storm cell by the radar at a first time is received. The third reflectivity data is sampled to form pixel data that includes a reflectivity indicator determined for each pixel formed from the third reflectivity data. A maximum height of the storm cell is determined by processing the pixel data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin M. Kronfeld, Daniel L. Woodell
  • Patent number: 7307582
    Abstract: A method for determining a distance between a radar sensor and a reflection surface of a material comprising the following steps. The radar sensor is energized via a two-wire control loop which allows for data communication and an internal energy store. An echo profile is generated and analyzed to calculate the distance. During generation of the echo profile, the generation process is interrupted at least once to recharge the energy store via the two-wire control loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG
    Inventors: Karl Griessbaum, Winfried Rauer, Josef Fehrenbach
  • Patent number: 7304601
    Abstract: The invention discloses a device for using radar signals to measure the vertical distance (h) to a surface, comprising a first transmitter and a first transmitting antenna for transmitting radar signals, and a first receiver and a first receiving antenna for receiving radar signals. The device additionally comprises a second receiving antenna and a second receiver, the second receiving antenna being arranged at a first predetermined horizontal distance (?x) from the first receiving antenna, the device also being equipped with means for using signals which have been transmitted from the first transmitting antenna and received at the first and second receiving antennas to calculate the vertical distance to the surface. Suitably, the first and second receivers are one and the same physical unit, to which both the first and the second receiving antennas are coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Rosemount Tank Radar AB
    Inventor: Olov Edvardsson
  • Patent number: 7304314
    Abstract: A cross-ambiguity function generator (“CAF”) uses properties of quantum mechanics for computation purposes. The CAF has advantages over standard analog or digital CAF function generators, such as improved bandwidth. The CAF may be used for traditional geolocation or RADAR applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas C. Zaugg
  • Publication number: 20070273576
    Abstract: Apparatus and a method utilizing correlation interferometer direction finding for determining the azimuth and elevation to an aircraft at long range and flying at low altitudes above water with a transmitting radar while resolving multipath signals. The signals from the radar are received both directly and reflected from the surface of the water using horizontally polarized and vertically polarized antenna arrays, are digitized and are stored in separate covariant matrices. Eigenvalues for the eigenvectors of the matrices processed on signal samples recorded on horizontally polarized X arrays are compared to the eigenvalues for the eigenvectors of the covariance matrices processed on signal samples recorded on vertically polarized X arrays. Incident field polarization is associated with the antenna array measurements that yield the strongest eigenvalue. The eigenvector and eigenvalues for the strongest signal are selected and used for subsequent signal processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2006
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: Keith A. Struckman, Robert T. Martel
  • Patent number: 7301495
    Abstract: A moving radar (405) generates a synthetic aperture image from an incomplete sequence of periodic pulse returns. The incomplete sequence of periodic pulse returns has one or more missing pulses. The radar converts the incomplete sequence of pulse returns into a digital stream. A computer (403) processes the digital stream by computing an along track Fourier transform (402), a range compression (408), an azimuth deskew (410) and an image restoration and auto focus (412). The image restoration and autofocus (412) utilizes a low order autofocus (501), a gap interpolation using a Burg algorithm (503), and a high order autofocus (505) for generating an interpolated sequence. The interpolated sequence contains a complete sequence of periodic pulse returns with uniform spacing for generating the synthetic aperture image. The image restoration and autofocus (412) computes a linear prediction coefficients estimate using the Burg Algorithm (606).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Theagenis John Abatzoglou, Leo H. Hui, Kwang M. Cho
  • Patent number: 7298315
    Abstract: A radar pulse compression repair (RPCR) system includes a receiver for receiving a radar return signal, a matched filter for applying matched filtering to the radar return signal to generate a matched filter output, a processor programmed for applying Radar Pulse Compression Repair (RPCR) to the matched filter output to suppress a plurality of range sidelobes from the matched filter output, and a detector for receiving the RPCR-processed output. The RPCR invention in operating upon the output of the matched filter enables RPCR to be employed as a post-processing stage in systems where it is not feasible to replace the existing pulse compression apparatus. RCPR can also be selectively employed when it is possible that large targets are present that may be masking smaller targets, thereby keeping computational complexity to a minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Karl R Gerlach, Shannon D Blunt
  • Patent number: 7298317
    Abstract: A circuit for providing gain compensation to a swept frequency response in an ultra-wideband system includes using a variable amplitude IF signal into a gigahertz mixer to control the amplitude of a ultra-wideband transmitter. The variable amplitude IF signal is generated by a multiplier receiving a fixed-level intermediate frequency (IF) signal and a gain control input. The gain control input being provided by an digital-to-analog converter controlled by gain control values in a look-up table. The values of the look-up table are generated by inverting, normalizing, and scaling the uncompensated gain response of the ultra-wideband system. The gain compensated system produces a substantially flat amplitude response at the output of a quadrature receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Intellifit Corporation
    Inventors: Albert J. Charpentier, Gopalakrishna K. Bhat
  • Patent number: 7295154
    Abstract: A method for detecting an object using a transmitting antenna and an array of receiving antennas. The method comprises the step of transmitting a signal from the transmitting antenna. The magnitude and phase of a respective received signal at each of the receiving antennas is then measured. Next, the magnitude of a weighted sum of respective phase-compensated signals related to each of the receiving antennas is determined. The magnitude of the weighted sum is compared against a first predetermined threshold value and, optionally, a second predetermined threshold value. An object may be detected by considering a ratio of the magnitude of the weighted sum to the first predetermined threshold value and, optionally, to the second predetermined threshold value. In some embodiments, a second array of receiving antennas may be provided to facilitate the determination of the location of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: The Ohio State University
    Inventors: Eric K. Walton, Chi-Chih Chen
  • Patent number: 7292180
    Abstract: A system and method for passively estimating range and angle of a source are disclosed. The source may be any wave source including radio-frequency (RF), optical, acoustic or seismic sources. In some RF embodiments, the system includes a single aperture antenna to simultaneously receive RF signals from the RF source through a plurality of sub-apertures, and a signal processor to perform a proximity test using samples simultaneously collected from the sub-apertures to determine whether or not to calculate angle and range estimates to the source based on either a curved wavefront assumption or a planar wavefront assumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Michael B. Schober
  • Patent number: 7292178
    Abstract: A weather radar system or method can be utilized to determine potential weather hazard for an aircraft in a terminal area. The weather radar system can utilize processing electronics coupled to an antenna. The processing electronics can determine presence of the potential in response to data related to returns received by the weather radar antenna. The data can include a mean velocity parameter or a spectral width parameter or reflectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel L. Woodell, Roy E. Robertson, Jeffery A. Finley
  • Patent number: 7289058
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radar apparatus that forms multiple digital beams based on reflected waves of a transmitted radio wave. A transmit signal is transmitted in a predetermined cycle from one of transmitting/receiving antennas A1 to A4 arrayed in a row. The antennas A1 to A4, each switched between transmission and reception, are arranged such that the ratio of the spacing between one pair of adjacent antennas to the spacing between the other pair of adjacent antennas is 1:2. The reflected waves are received by the respective antennas, and DBF is performed based on the resulting received signals. Eleven-channel DBF is achieved using the four antennas with a space equivalent to six antennas. By achieving multiple channels with a minimum number of antennas, the size and cost of the apparatus can be reduced while also reducing the processing time and thus enhancing the performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited
    Inventor: Nobukazu Shima
  • Patent number: 7289060
    Abstract: A radar classifies an unknown target illuminated with a large bandwidth pulse. The large bandwidth pulse may be algorithmically synthesized. The target reflects the large bandwidth pulse to form a return. The return is digitized into digital samples at range bin intervals. A computer extracts unknown range and amplitude pairs descriptive of the unknown target from the digital samples. Some range and amplitude pairs are located within one range bin interval. Principle scatterers are extracted from the unknown range and amplitude pairs using Modified Forward backward linear Prediction to form an unknown feature vector for the target. A plurality of pre-stored, known feature vectors containing known range and amplitude pairs are retrieved from the computer. The known range and amplitude pairs are descriptive of known targets, and are grouped in clusters having least dispersion for each of the known targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Theagenis J. Abatzoglou, Raquel E. Maderazo, Jessica E. Swanson, Frederick A. Dominski
  • Patent number: 7286079
    Abstract: An apparatus for non-coherently detecting slow-moving targets in high resolution sea clutter includes a binary detector for converting high resolution radar returns, produced in response to a radar pulse scan of a plurality of identical pulses, into corresponding binary outputs based on a comparison of range cell magnitudes with a detector threshold. A range extent filter converts these binary outputs into an output indicating the presence or absence of a cluster of the returns that are closely spaced in range, while a third, persistence integration stage determines target range extent persistence over a predetermined time period. A detector stage declares detection of a target based on a comparison of the output of the third stage with a selected threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Shannon D. Blunt, Karl R. Gerlach
  • Patent number: 7286080
    Abstract: Provided is a millimeter-wave transmitting/receiving apparatus of pulse-modulation type in which pulse-modulated millimeter-wave signals for transmission are prevented from being outputted to a reception system due to inner reflection or other causes. Included are: an NRD guide (basic structure) formed of a dielectric line sandwiched between parallel plate conductors; a millimeter-wave signal oscillator; a pulse modulator; a circulator; a transmitting/receiving antenna; and a mixer. At the output end of the mixer is disposed a switching device which interrupts intermediate-frequency signals in an opened state, and, when a millimeter-wave signal for transmission from the pulse modulator enters a non-output state and the condition is stabilized, changes into a closed state to pass intermediate-frequency signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sakamoto, Yuji Kishida, Kazuki Hayata, Yoshiko Oya
  • Patent number: 7286078
    Abstract: A radar system for motor vehicles, having an antenna, a first processor which is developed to transform signals supplied by the antenna via a primary signal path into a spectrum, and a second processor for the additional evaluation of the spectrum, wherein at least a part of the signals received by the antenna is able to be supplied to the second processor via a redundant signal path while by-passing the first processor, and the second processor, on its part, is designed to transform these signals into a spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Mayer, Bernhard Lucas, Joerg Hilsebecher, Joachim Hauk, Dirk Meister, Ulf Wilhelm, Paco Haffmans
  • Patent number: 7280070
    Abstract: A new technique for re-computing shading parameters for low sidelobe levels for a radar or sonar system is disclosed. When some of the sensor elements become inoperative, remaining shading parameters are recomputed using a new constraint. This approach leads to an overall gain pattern that is superior compared to the one without re-computing the weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Inventor: Unnikrishna Sreedharan Pillai
  • Patent number: 7277047
    Abstract: This invention relates to sate estimation after processing measurements with unknown biases that may vary arbitrarily in time within known physical bounds. These biased measurements are obtained from systems characterized by state variables and by multidimensional parameters, for which the latter are also known and may vary arbitrarily in time within known physical bounds. The measurements are processed by a filter using a mean square optimization criterion that accounts for random and biased measurement errors, as well as parameters excursions, to produce estimates of the true states of the system. The estimates are applied to one of (a) making a decision, (b) operating a control system, and (c) controlling a process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Purusottam Mookerjee, Frank J. Reifler
  • Patent number: 7277042
    Abstract: A radar acquires a formed SAR image of radar scatterers in an area around a central reference point (CRP). Target(s) are within the area illuminated by the radar. The area covers terrain having a plurality of elevations. The radar is on a moving platform, where the moving platform is moving along an actual path. The actual path is displaced from an ideal SAR image acquisition path. The radar has a computer that divides the digital returns descriptive of the formed SAR image into multiple blocks, such as a first strip and an adjacent strip. The first strip is conveniently chosen, likely to generally align with a part of the area, at a first elevation. An adjacent strip covers a second part of the area at a second elevation. The first strip is overlapping the adjacent strip over an overlap portion. The first and second elevation are extracted from a terrain elevation database (DTED).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Kwang M. Cho, Leo H. Hui
  • Patent number: 7277045
    Abstract: A method for obtaining target parameters within an adaptive broadcast radar system. In one embodiment, the method includes: coding information about a signal waveform generated by a transmitter having sub-apertures; receiving a signal at a receiver having sub-apertures corresponding to the sub-apertures of the transmitter, wherein the received signal correlates to the signal waveform; decoding information about the signal waveform from the received signal; and, determining a data quad from the decoded information, wherein the data quad includes degrees of freedom associated with the transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Robert D. Budic
  • Patent number: 7277043
    Abstract: A method of generating aircraft tactical alerts includes receiving track positions for two aircraft; receiving trajectories and static conformance bounds for the two aircraft; receiving current position for the two aircraft; generating tactical check segments and variable conformance bounds for the two aircraft based on the current position, the static conformance bounds, trajectory, adapted data, and the track positions; and generating a tactical alert if the variable conformance bounds overlap within a specified lookahead time. The variable conformance bounds can be either symmetric or asymmetric about projected tracks. The variable conformance bounds can use step functions, or continuously widening bounds up to the static conformance bounds. The variable conformance bounds can be based on modifying the static conformance bounds in two or three spatial dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: The MITRE Corporation
    Inventors: William C. Arthur, Daniel B. Kirk
  • Patent number: 7277044
    Abstract: A method for transmitting a signal waveform from a transmitter within an adaptive broadcast radar system. In one embodiment, wherein the transmitter comprises at least one sub-aperture, the method includes: generating the signal waveform at the at least one sub-aperture; coding the signal waveform at the at least one sub-aperture, wherein the signal waveform is coded with transmitter data; phase shifting the signal waveform at the at least one sub-aperture; and, transmitting the coded signal waveform from an array element coupled to the sub-aperture according to the phase shifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Lockheed Nartin Corporation
    Inventor: Robert D. Budic
  • Patent number: 7274326
    Abstract: Signal processing systems for radar installations are provided for simultaneous processing of one or more IF signals of dynamically varying frequency and bandwidth with a single analog signal path. The signal processing system includes, but is not limited to, a converter configured to digitize a return signal resulting in a digitized broadband signal, and a signal processor coupled to the converter. The signal processor includes a digital filter having a center frequency and a bandwidth, and the digital filter is configured to select a signal from the digitized broadband signal. The selected signal has a center frequency. The signal processor is configured to match the center frequency of the digital filter with the center frequency of the selected signal, and adjust the bandwidth of the digital filter based on the selected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy P. Gibson, Charles K. Hanneman
  • Patent number: 7274322
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for performing automatic gain control in a radar system. One embodiment of the system includes an attenuator that controls gain of signals received from a radar receiver. A digital signal processor determines coarse gain correction based on digitized noise data for a plurality of channels, determines fine gain correction based on the residual error after the coarse gain, and determines frequency vs. gain curve correction based on the digitized noise data for a plurality of channels and a mathematical model of frequency gain across a noise spectrum for the radar system. The result of the processor is a gain control signal that is sent to the attenuator to perform hardware gain control and a channel specific scale factor for software gain control. In one embodiment, the processor generates the gain control signal during an inactive scan mode of the radar system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Hester, Radde Majeed, Julia R. Baryl
  • Patent number: 7274729
    Abstract: A structure of a spectrum spreading communication device which solves the problem with the conventional spectrum spreading communication using Barker codes, etc., and limits the rise of the side-lobe of a correctional signal independently of the order of information codes by use of a code sequence having a code length of at least 14. The spectrum spreading communication device uses a pseudo-noise code having code length of at least 14 and a self-correlation side-lobe of not greater than 3 as a pseudo-noise code of a direct spreading communication device which uses the pseudo-noise codes whose polarities are inverted so as to deal with also digital information. Thus, even when the pseudo-noise code length is 14 or more, the side-lobe of the correction coefficient can be restricted. Accordingly, the error rate of the spectrum spreading communication device is reduced and the processing gain is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Shiba, Akitsuna Yuhara, Yoshihiro Yamada, Yasuhiro Ohta