Dual-grip portable countermeasure device against unmanned systems

• US 10,574,384 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2019
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• 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 J., Loesch, Daniel G., Schmid, Zachary
• Primary Examiner(s): Ayotunde, Ayodeji O
• Application Number:
  US16/274,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20190173605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 455 1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/22 Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/92 related to allowing or preventing remote control

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 having a dual-grip configuration, with the directional antennae are affixed to a removable plate on a front portion of the body. The one or more disruption components may be internally mounted within the device body. The dual-grip configuration allows an operator to use his body to steady and support the device while maintaining the antenna on target. The second grip is positioned adjacent the first grip, with the first grip angled toward the rear of the device and the second grip angled toward the front of the device. 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 dual-grip portable countermeasure device, comprising:

a body, the body including a first grip and a second grip, the second grip adjacent the first grip located on a bottom portion of the body;

at least one directional antenna coupled to a front of the body; and

a processor and memory in communication therewith wherein the memory stores instructions which are executed by the processor to monitor a system performance by measuring at least one performance indicator of the countermeasure device.

2. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 1, further comprising a haptic feedback component in communication with the processor configured to generate a haptic feedback pattern associated with the measured performance indicator.

3. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 1, wherein the measured performance indicator is at least one of a temperature, a machine state, a battery power level, a transmission signal, a GNSS position, a time count, and an output power level.

4. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 3, wherein the measured performance indicator is recorded to a data log within the memory.

5. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 3, wherein the measured performance indicator is recorded to a data log of a removable data storage device.

6. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 5, wherein the removable data storage device is one of an SD card, micro-SD card, mini-SD card and flash drive.

7. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 4, further comprising at least one of a GNSS receiver or a temperature sensor in communication with the processor.

8. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal disruption component further comprises:

at least one signal generator; and

at least one amplifier coupled to the at least one signal generator, wherein the at least one signal generator is configured to generate a disruptive signal on an associated frequency band and the corresponding at least one amplifier amplifies the generated disruptive signal, wherein the amplified disruptive signal is transmitted by at least one at least one directional antenna at an output power.

9. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 8, wherein the at least one disruption component generates disruption signals in at least one of the 72 MHZ frequency band, the 433 MHz frequency band, the 800 MHz frequency band, the 915 MHz frequency band, the 1.2 GHz frequency band, the 1.3 GHz frequency band, the 1.5 GHz frequency band, the 2.4 GHz frequency band, or the 5.8 GHz frequency band.

10. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to attenuate the output power of the amplified disruptive signal.

11. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 10, wherein the processor attenuates the output power of the amplified signal by one of pulse width modulation, voltage control of the at least one amplifier, a variable voltage attenuator, and waveform control.

12. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 8, wherein the disruption signals including at least one of noise, spoofing, or alternate control commands are stored within the memory.

13. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 8, wherein the at least one directional antenna is affixed to a removable plate removably attached to a front portion of the body.

14. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 1, wherein the at least one directional antenna is selected from the group consisting of a helical antenna, a Yagi antenna, a spiral antenna, a conical antenna, a patch antenna, a phased array antenna, an LPDA antenna, or a parabolic antenna.

15. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 1, further comprising a buttstock comprising a buttstock cavity configured to receive a power supply.

16. A dual-grip portable countermeasure device, comprising:

a body, the body including;

a processor and memory in communication therewith wherein the memory stores instructions which are executed by the processor to operate the countermeasure device;

a first grip located on a bottom portion of the body,

a second grip, the second grip adjacent the first grip located on the bottom portion of the body, and

a buttstock formed on a rear portion of the body, wherein the first grip is angled toward a buttstock of the body, and wherein the second grip is angled opposite the first grip toward the front of the body;

a buttstock cavity formed within the buttstock configured to receive a power supply, and

a plurality of disruption components located within the body, the disruption components configured to generate a plurality of disruption signals on a corresponding plurality of associated frequency bands.

17. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 16, wherein the memory stores instructions which are executed by the processor to monitor a system performance by measuring at least one performance indicator of the countermeasure device.

18. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 17, further comprising a haptic feedback component in communication with the processor is configured to generate a haptic feedback pattern associated with the measured performance indicator.

19. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 17, wherein a measured performance indicator is at least one of a temperature, a battery power level, a transmission signal, a GNSS position, a time count, and an output power level, wherein the countermeasure device further comprises at least one of a temperature sensor or GNSS receiver in communication with the processor configured to detect a temperature and position, respectively, of the countermeasure device.

20. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one activator coupled to the body adjacent at least one of the first grip or the second grip, the at least one activator in operable communication with at least one of the plurality of disruption components; and

a plurality of directional antennae in communication with the plurality of disruption components, the plurality of directional antennae configured to emit a corresponding plurality of disruption signals generated by the plurality of disruption components at an output power.

21. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 20, further comprising a removable plate removably connected to a front portion of the countermeasure device, wherein the plurality of directional antenna is mounted to the removable plate.

22. The dual-grip portable countermeasure device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to attenuate the output power by one of pulse width modulation, voltage control of the at least one amplifier, a variable voltage attenuator, and waveform control.