Methods and systems for detection and location of multiple emitters

US7626546B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• L-3 Communications Integrated Systems L.P. · US

Inventors

• Hyo K. Chung · Greenville, US
• Phuong H. Le · Plano, US
• John M. Parker · Ann Arbor, US
• David L. Reid · Richardson, US
• Mark Robertson · Cupertino, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 27, 2007
• Grant date: Dec 1, 2009
• Expiry date: Jul 21, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S5/06
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Systems and methods for detection and geolocation of multiple emitters that are emitting RF signal energy on a common frequency, and that may be implemented to separate, geolocate, and/or determine the number of emitters (e.g., radio users) emitting on a common RF frequency. Real-time signal qualification processing may be employed to continuously monitor and collect incoming receiver tuner data for signal activity and ignore irrelevant noise data. Each set of data blocks from an emitter transmission signal may be defined as an emission cluster, and a set of time difference of arrival (TDOA)/frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) pairs may be computed for each emission cluster with each TDOA/FDOA pair yielding a geolocation result. A statistical qualification method may be used to produce a final geolocation answer from each set of emission cluster geolocation results, and a geolocation error ellipse computed for the final geolocation answer of each emission cluster. The final geolocation answer of each emission cluster may be run through a correlation and fusion algorithm.