Portable countermeasure device against unmanned systems

• US 10,567,107 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Dedrone Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Morrow, Alexander, Stamm, Daniel E., Welsh, Raphael Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US16/235,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20190158212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 455 1, 455 6711, 455 6713, 455522, 455 631
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/24 for communication related to weapons
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/32 including a particular configuration of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/41 characterized by the control of the jamming activation or deactivation time control of jamming activation and deactivation time only for the purpose of alternating between jamming mode and target monitoring mode H04K3/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/42 characterized by the control of the jamming frequency or wavelength
• 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 3/825 by jamming

Abstract

A portable countermeasure device is provided comprising one or more directional antennae, one or more disruption components and at least one activator. The portable countermeasure device further comprises a body, with the directional antennae are affixed to a front portion of the body. The one or more disruption components may be externally or internally mounted to the device body. The portable countermeasure device is aimed at a specific drone, the activator is engaged, and disruptive signals are directed toward the drone, disrupting the control, navigation, and other signals to and from the drone.

Claims

1. A handheld, man-portable countermeasure device, comprising:

at least one directional antenna;

at least one signal disruption component in electronic communication with the at least one directional antenna, the at least one signal disruption component comprising at least one signal generator and at least one amplifier coupled to the at least one signal generator;

a hand-held form factor body; and

an activator communicatively coupled to the at least one signal disruption component.

2. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 1, wherein the body includes a top portion, a bottom portion, a first side, a second side, a front, and a back.

3. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 2, wherein the at least one signal disruption component is located external to the body or within the body.

4. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 3, wherein the at least one disruption component is external to the body and is contained within a backpack of an associated user.

5. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 2, further comprising a grip positioned on the bottom portion of the body.

6. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 5, wherein the activator is located adjacent the grip on the bottom portion of the body.

7. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 2, wherein the at least one signal generator is configured to generate a disruption signal on an associated frequency band and the corresponding at least one amplifier amplifies the generated disruption signal.

8. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 7, wherein the at least one directional antenna is selected from the group consisting of a helical antenna, a Yagi antenna, a cylindrical antenna, or a parabolic antenna.

9. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 8, wherein the at least one directional antenna is removably coupled to the body, the at least one directional antenna extending outward therefrom.

10. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 7, further comprising a selector control, the selector control in communication with the at least one signal disruption component and operable to select one or more frequency bands in which a signal is generated.

11. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 10, wherein the at least one disruption component generates disruption signals on GPS, video, control and/or Wi-Fi frequencies.

12. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 11, wherein disruption signals include at least one of noise, spoofing, or alternate control commands.

13. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 10, wherein the at least one directional antenna is configured to transmit each generated disruption signal simultaneously at a drone.

14. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 2, further comprising a power source selected from the group comprising an internal battery pack or an external power supply.

15. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 2, further comprising a display, wherein the display is configured to display at least one of a power level, an effective range, or an output frequency.

16. A handheld, man-portable countermeasure device, comprising:

a handheld form factor body having a top portion and a bottom portion;

a grip coupled to the handheld form factor body;

at least one disruption component located external to the handheld form factor body or positioned within the handheld form factor body, the at least one disruption component comprising at least one signal generator and at least one amplifier coupled to the at least one signal generator in communication with at least one of a removable or an external power supply, and configured to generate at least one disruption signal on at least one associated frequency band;

an activator coupled to the handheld form factor body and in operable communication with the at least one removable or external power supply and the disruption components; and

at least one directional antenna in communication with the at least one disruption component, the at least one directional antenna removably attached to the handheld form factor body and configured to emit the at least one disruption signal generated by the at least one disruption component.

17. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 16, further comprising a selector control, the selector control in communication with the at least one disruption component and operable to select one or more frequency bands in which a signal is generated.

18. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 17, wherein the at least one frequency band corresponds to navigation, video, control, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth frequency bands.

19. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 18, wherein the at least one disruption signal comprises at least one of a noise signal, a spoofing signal, or alternate control command signal.

20. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 16, wherein the at least one disruption component is external to the handheld form factor body and is located in a backpack of an associated user, the at least one disruption component removably coupled to the at least one directional antenna via a wired connection.

21. A handheld, man-portable countermeasure device, comprising:

at least one directional antenna;

at least one signal disruption component in electronic communication with the at least one directional antenna, the at least one signal disruption component comprising at least one signal generator and at least one amplifier coupled to the at least one signal generator;

a handheld form factor;

a grip positioned on a bottom portion of the body; and

an activator communicatively coupled to the at least one signal disruption component, the activator positioned in proximity to the grip.

22. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 21, wherein the at least one signal disruption component is located external to the body or within the body.

23. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 22, wherein the at least one signal generator is configured to generate a disruption signal on an associated frequency band and the corresponding at least one amplifier amplifies the generated disruption signal.

24. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 23, further comprising a selector control, the selector control in communication with the at least one signal disruption component and operable to select one or more frequency bands in which a signal is generated.

25. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 24, wherein the at least one disruption component generates disruption signals on GPS, video, control and/or Wi-Fi frequencies.

26. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 25, wherein disruption signals include at least one of noise, spoofing, or alternate control commands.

27. The handheld, man-portable countermeasure device of claim 25, wherein the at least one directional antenna is configured to transmit each generated disruption signal simultaneously at a drone.