Method and apparatus for detecting and decoding transponder reply signals
First Claim
1. A method for detecting and identifying a transponder reply signal of the type having a plurality of associated time discrete pulses including two bracket pulses and a number of related data pulses that may have been transmitted at discrete data time intervals between the bracket pulses such that the signal content detected during the data time intervals corresponds to the reply signal data code, comprising the steps of:
- a. producing a video signal for each received pulse;
b. detecting potential bracket and data pulses based on said video signals;
c. pairing bracket pulses that mark the beginning and end of a reply signal code based on time of arrival (TOA) of said detected pulses;
d. identifying a reference pulse from said bracket pulses based on relative amplitude of said bracket pulses; and
e. identifying data pulses, associated with said reply signal and detected between occurrence of said bracket pulses, based on said reference pulse to provide the reply code.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for detecting and decoding transponder reply signals of the type having a plurality of associated time discrete pulses including two bracket pulses and a number of related data pulses that may have been transmitted at discrete data time intervals between the bracket pulses such that the signal content detected during the data time intervals corresponds to the reply signal data code, comprising receiver means for receiving the reply signals and producing in-phase (I), quadrature (Q) phase and video (V) signals for each received pulse; means for detecting received pulses and storing the I/Q/V signals in a first memory; means for storing in a second memory pointer values that correspond to the temporal location of pulse I/Q/V signals in the first memory; means for identifying, based on time of arrival (TOA) values, pairs of potential bracket pulses wherein each pair marks the beginning and end of a reply code; and processor means for 1) determining an angle of arrival (AOA) value for each detected pulse based on each pulse'"'"'s I and Q signals, 2) selecting a reference pulse for each potential bracket pair based on relative amplitudes of the bracket pair, and 3) identifying data pulses, associated with the reply signal and detected between occurrence of the bracket pulses, based on the reference pulse to provide the reply code. Such apparatus also provides for a determination of confidence factors relating to each detected pulse and each data value assigned to a data time interval of the reply code. Such apparatus further provides for pulse sharing, pulse claiming, reply code modification and false reply identification and deletion.
78 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method for detecting and identifying a transponder reply signal of the type having a plurality of associated time discrete pulses including two bracket pulses and a number of related data pulses that may have been transmitted at discrete data time intervals between the bracket pulses such that the signal content detected during the data time intervals corresponds to the reply signal data code, comprising the steps of:
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a. producing a video signal for each received pulse; b. detecting potential bracket and data pulses based on said video signals; c. pairing bracket pulses that mark the beginning and end of a reply signal code based on time of arrival (TOA) of said detected pulses; d. identifying a reference pulse from said bracket pulses based on relative amplitude of said bracket pulses; and e. identifying data pulses, associated with said reply signal and detected between occurrence of said bracket pulses, based on said reference pulse to provide the reply code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. Apparatus for detecting and decoding reply signals of the type having a plurality of associated time discrete pulses including two bracket pulses and a number of related data pulses that may have been transmitted at discrete data time intervals between the bracket pulses such that the signal content detected during the data time intervals corresponds to the reply signal data code, comprising receiver means for receiving the reply signals and producing in-phase (I), quadrature (Q) phase and video (V) signals for each received pulse;
- means for detecting received pulses and storing said I/Q/V signals in a first memory;
means for storing in a second memory pointer values that correspond to the temporal location of pulse I/Q/V signals in said first memory;
means for identifying, based on time of arrival (TOA) values, pairs of potential bracket pulses wherein each pair marks the beginning and end of a reply code; and
processor means for
1) determining an angle of arrival (AOA) value for each detected pulse based on each pulse'"'"'s I and Q signals,
2) selecting a reference pulse for each said potential bracket pair based on relative amplitudes of said bracket pair, and
3) identifying data pulses, associated with said reply signal and detected between occurrence of said bracket pulses, based on said reference pulse to provide the reply code. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
- means for detecting received pulses and storing said I/Q/V signals in a first memory;
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46. A method for detecting and identifying a transponder reply signal of the type having a plurality of associated time discrete pulses including two bracket pulses and a number of related data pulses that may have been transmitted at discrete data time intervals between the bracket pulses such that the signal content detected during the data time intervals corresponds to the reply signal data code, comprising the steps of:
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a. producing a video signal for each received reply signal; b. detecting potential bracket and data pulses based on said video signals and storing signals corresponding to said pulses in a memory; c. pairing potential bracket pulses that mark the beginning and end of a reply signal code based on time of arrival (TOA) of said detected pulses and identifying a reply signal reference pulse for each potential pair; and d. matching data pulses to said reply signal reference pulses based on relative TOA and amplitude;
said matching process being performed by analyzing all pulses received during a selectable time period and tracking each data pulse for each reference pulse it is matched with so that garbled pulses can be shared by more than one reply signal reference pulse. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification