Systems and methods for detecting, tracking and identifying small unmanned systems such as drones

• US 10,281,570 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2018
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: XiDrone Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: XiDrone Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Parker, Dwaine A., Stern, Damon E., Pierce, Lawrence S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter M
• Application Number:
  US15/967,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20180313945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/02 Anti-aircraft or anti-guided missile or anti-torpedo defence installations or systems cartridges or missiles for producing smoke or for dispensing radar chaff or infrared material F42B5/15, F42B12/48, F42B12/70; informative reference: details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00; jamming or electronic countermeasures G01S7/38, G01S7/495, H04K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0075 the high-energy beam being a radiofrequency beam
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/883 for missile homing, autodirectors missile guidance systems F41G7/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/782 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/021 Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like, e.g. radar jamming signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/38 Jamming means, e.g. producing false echoes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/414 Discriminating targets with respect to background clutter
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/14 : for the transfer of light or images, e.g. for video-surveillance, for television or from a computer screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 : for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/32 : including a particular configuration of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/42 : characterized by the control of the jamming frequency or wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/44 : characterized by the control of the jamming waveform or modulation type
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 : characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/65 : using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/92 : related to allowing or preventing remote control

Abstract

A system for providing integrated detection and countermeasures against unmanned aerial vehicles include a detecting element, a location determining element and an interdiction element. The detecting element detects an unmanned aerial vehicle in flight in the region of, or approaching, a property, place, event or very important person. The location determining element determines the exact location of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The interdiction element can either direct the unmanned aerial vehicle away from the property, place, event or very important person in a non-destructive manner, or can cause disable the unmanned aerial vehicle in a destructive manner.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and defeating a drone comprising:

detecting a radio frequency (RF) signal employed for communicating with a drone;

comparing signal characteristics of the detected RF signal with a library, and selecting an electronic countermeasure (ECM) in response to the comparison;

determining a motion and/or position of the drone; and

transmitting the ECM at least in part in response to the determined motion and/or position.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of detecting the RF signal and determining the motion and/or position comprises employing a directional antenna array.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the ECM is performed in the direction of the drone.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a spectral signature of the drone, the spectral signature comprising at least one of sound, heat, radar cross section, and radio frequency wave pattern.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the RF signal comprises employing at least one of a directional radio frequency (RF) receiver and an omni-directional RF receiver.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a location of the drone when the drone is within a detection boundary defined by at least one of distance and altitude.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the location employs at least one of a radar, an acoustic sensor, and an electro-optic sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the location comprises generating a reference azimuth and elevation of the drone, the reference azimuth and elevation being processed to determine the location.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the location further comprises employing a directional radio frequency (RF) receiver to detect drone radio communications.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying an sUAS type of the drone, and from the sUAS type, determining an associated radio frequency signature of at least one of the drone'"'"'s video and communication signals.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the ECM is performed upon determining at least one of the location of the drone is within a predetermined boundary and the drone is approaching a predetermined boundary.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the ECM employs location information of the drone to direct an ECM transmission.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the ECM employs range information to generate a transmit signal sufficient to nullify drone control signals at the drone.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the ECM is selected to provide for at least one of disabling sensors onboard the drone, disrupting video downlink, disrupting electronics onboard the drone, causing the drone to land immediately, and causing the drone to return to its launch point.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising adapting a pointing direction of at least one of a radar, an acoustic sensor, an optical sensor, a laser, a directional radio frequency receiver, and an ECM transmitter based on the direction of the drone.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the RF signal comprises analyzing a radio frequency wave signature of detected signals to determine if the RF signal is a drone communication signal.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing the radio frequency wave signature to a database to determine an sUAS type of the drone.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining modulation information from the sUAS type, and using the modulation information for selecting the ECM.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program comprising instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform:

detecting an radio frequency (RF) signal employed for communication between a remote controller and a drone;

determining a direction of the drone;

comparing signal characteristics of the RF signal with a library, and selecting an electronic countermeasure (ECM) therefrom, and

transmitting the ECM.

20. A drone interdiction system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more processors storing a program comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform;

detecting an radio frequency (RF) signal employed for communication between a remote controller and a drone;

determining a direction of the drone;

comparing signal characteristics of the RF signal with a library,

defining an electronic countermeasure (ECM) based on the comparison, and

transmitting the ECM to interdict the drone.

21. The drone interdiction system of claim 20 wherein the determining in performed in response to tracking the drone.

22. The drone interdiction system of claim 21 wherein the tracking comprises documenting the drone'"'"'s path in space.

23. The drone interdiction system of claim 22 wherein the tracking is performed in response to at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of (i) an electro-optical (EO) sensor, (ii) an infrared (IR) sensor, and (iii) an image sensor with associated image recognition.

24. The drone interdiction system of claim 23 wherein defining the electronic countermeasure (ECM) comprises defining RF spectral characteristics that will nullify signals the drone expects to receive.

25. The drone interdiction system of claim 24 wherein defining the electronic countermeasure (ECM) further comprises producing a tailored signal with defined output power to cause interdiction of the drone at a desired range.