EMITTER LOCATION

• US 20120032851A1
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Selex Galileo Limited (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: SELEX Sensors & Airborne Systems, Limited
• Inventors: Horsey, Keith
• Application Number:
  US12/521,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032851A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/442
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/46 using antennas spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02213 Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders

Abstract

The present invention relates to emitter location. More specifically, it relates to locating emitters using only their fundamental frequency information.

The present invention recites a method of determining the location of an emitter source comprising the steps of receiving signal information from the source at a plurality of sensors; and simultaneously processing a large bandwidth, and all received signal information using the fundamental RF frequency that lay within the detection bandwidth, and simultaneously determining the relative time of arrival, of all detected signals, using their relative post FFT fundamental detected phases, and using analysis of these relative instantaneous phases to determine all signal source directions within the detected bandwidth. The present invention also recites an apparatus comprising: a first sensor; at least one other sensor located remotely from the first sensor; a central processor connected to the first sensor and each of said other sensors for receiving signal information from each sensor relating to an emitter source and for determining location of emitter sources using their fundamental RF frequency and the technique above.

Claims

1. A method of determining the location of one or more emitter sources comprising the steps of:

receiving signal information from the one or more sources at a plurality of sensors;

processing the received signal information using the fundamental RF frequency to determine the location of the one or more emitter sources;

simultaneously gathering emitter frequency data for a large instantaneous bandwidth,

determining the relative direction data of the one or more emitter sources; and

cross-referencing locations of the one or more emitter sources using these direction data by use of simple triangulation, trigonometry and rectangular techniques.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of determining the relative direction data of the one or more emitter sources uses simultaneous post FFT phasal comparison of the fundamental emitter frequencies and two or more antenna nodes.

3. A method according to claim 1 identifying

the location of the one or more emitter sources on a display of geo-referenced data.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein each said sensor has onboard sensor calibration for reducing errors in geo-referencing, position and sensor pointing.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the said plurality of sensors are small battery powered location system sensors.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a first sensor;

at least one other sensor located remotely from the first sensor;

a central processor connected to the first sensor and each of said other sensors for receiving signal information from each sensor relating to an emitter sources and for determining location of emitter sources by

receiving signal information from the one or more sources at a plurality of sensors;

processing the received signal information using the fundamental RF frequency to determine the location of the one or more emitter sources;

simultaneously gathering emitter frequency data for a large instantaneous bandwidth,

determining the relative direction data of the one or more emitter sources; and

cross-referencing locations of the one or more emitter sources using these direction data by use of simple triangulation, trigonometry and rectangular techniques.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the determining of the relative direction data of the one or more emitter sources uses simultaneous post FFT phasal comparison of the fundamental emitter frequencies and two or more antenna nodes.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the central processor identifies the location of the one or more emitter sources on a display of geo-referenced data.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the said plurality of sensors are small battery powered location system sensors.

10. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the said plurality of sensors are small battery powered location system sensors.