Method, system and apparatus for maximizing a jammer's time-on-target and power-on-target

• US 20060164283A1
• Filed: 03/17/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Karlsson, Lars
• Granted Patent: US 7,609,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/34 involving multiple cooperating jammers
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/42 characterized by the control of the jamming frequency or wavelength
• 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"

Abstract

A Method, System and Apparatus for Maximizing a Jammer'"'"'s Time and Power on Target is disclosed. System and method of the present invention provide an enhanced and more efficient jamming system that can address multiple simultaneous targets, such that the time-on-targets are maximized given a fixed amount of available system power. Such an enhanced surgical reactive jamming system allows users to more intelligently and efficiently address all targets that suddenly appear, without having to replicate more jamming system hardware which drastically raises the total overall costs. The system has the ability to do fast wideband scanning of the RF spectrum looking for RF signals such as those emitted by frequency hoppers and RCIED'"'"'s, and then jam them instantaneously. Secondly, the system has the ability to pipeline the major operational functions so that more time can be spent putting energy on target (extends the TX Dwell Period effectively by allowing the jammer more time to apply energy, as opposed to spending time on calculations and re-tuning). Third, the system has the ability to change, mid TX Dwell Period, the output jamming frequencies so it can jam all the current targets with the maximum available power. Fourth and finally, the system has the ability to perform a real time evaluation of the DDS firing solutions such that the signals going to multiple DDS'"'"'s in a jammer system can be multiplexed in a fashion that optimize time-on-target.

Claims

1. An electronic signal jamming system, comprising:

a jamming signal transmitter;

an electronic signal tuner;

a jamming system controller for processing electronic signals received by said electronic signal tuner and responsively transmitting jamming signals with said jamming signal transmitter, said controller transmitting jamming signals in parallel with processing said received signals.

2. The signal jamming system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter, said tuner and said controller cooperate to operate said transmitter to commence transmitting in a first segment on a first frequency and immediately shift to transmit in a second segment responsive to electronic signals received by said tuner and processed by said controller.

3. The signal jamming system of claim 2, wherein said transmitter, tuner and controller cooperate such that said tuner tunes to said second segment in parallel to said transmitter transmitting in said first segment.

4. A method for increasing an electronic signal jamming systems time on target, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first jamming signal in a first segment;

executing a collection period of electronic emissions in a second segment;

transmitting said first jamming signal in said first segment;

transmitting a second jamming signal in said second segment; and

executing a collection period of electronic emissions in a third segment.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising a tuning step comprising adjusting a tuner to prepare it to receive electronic emissions in said second segment, said tuning step executed in parallel with said second transmitting of said first jamming signal in said first segment.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising a first segment data processing step, said first segment data processing step executed in parallel with said second transmitting of said first jamming signal in said first segment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said second jamming signal transmitting in said second segment commences virtually immediately upon completion of said first segment data processing step.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said second transmitting of said first jamming signal in said first segment transitions into said cessation of said second jamming signal transmitting in said second segment virtually without pause.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said second jamming signal transmitting in said second segment.