Embedded threat data recorder

• US 5,457,460 A
• Filed: 11/17/1992
• Issued: 10/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Tran, My, Rasinski, John E., Milden, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US07/977,335
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 342/13, 342/14, 342/15, 342/16, 342/17, 342/18, 342/19, 342/20
• US Class Current: 342/13
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/18 Military applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/021 Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like, e.g. radar jamming signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/36 Means for anti-jamming , e.g. ECCM, i.e. electronic counter-counter measures
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/165 Control of aircraft

Abstract

Aircraft survivability embedded data recorder for threat data. The embedded threat data recorder stores active threat data generated by aircraft survivability equipment sensors. Threat data from a radar warning receiver, a pulsed radar jammer, continuous wave radar jammer or missile approach detectors are recorded by the embedded threat data recorder. The threat data for each sensor is correlated between each sensor to ensure that redundant threats are eliminated. The threat data recorder represents the recorded threats on a display for mission briefing, evaluating countermeasure effectiveness, or identifying new threats. The embedded threat data recorder also provides downloading of threat data into a threat data transfer cartridge for use in off-line threat analysis. Data can be provided to other platforms, satellites and ground base stations. Data can be recorded on a multifunction display and data compression techniques may be used. The tape may also be played back in the aircraft.

Claims

1. An embedded threat data recorder and in-flight playback apparatus for an aircraft survivability equipment system, said apparatus comprising:

(a) at least one aircraft survivability equipment sensor having at least one sensor output for producing a sensor output signal in response to a current threat;

(b) correlation means attached to the at least one aircraft survivability sensor, said means for receiving the sensor output signal and determining if the current threat is a new threat or an old threat, the correlation means having a correlation output for producing a correlation signal indicative of whether the threat is old or new; and

(c) data recorder and in-flight playback means having an input connected to the correlation output for recording information and playing it back upon pilot demand.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one aircraft survivability sensor includes a radar warning receiver means and a radar jamming means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said radar warning receiver means comprises means for generating radar warning receiver threat data and said radar jamming means comprises means for generating radar jammer threat data, said apparatus further comprising means for cross-correlation connected to receive the radar warning receiver threat data and the radar jammer threat data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a multifunction display.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising means for displaying the threat data on said multifunction display.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising means for displaying mission data on said multifunction display for threat situation assessment, mission briefing, evaluating countermeasures effectiveness, and identifying new threats.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said threat data displaying means comprises means for displaying threat data on said multifunction display in a long form for displaying all threat information and a short form for displaying abbreviated threat information.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for downloading data into a data transfer cartridge.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising means for utilizing said data transfer cartridge for off-line threat analysis.

10. An embedded threat data recorder apparatus comprising:

(a) first input means for receiving pulsed radar jammer data, said first input means comprising a first switch having open and closed positions;

(b) means for generating platform related data adapted to receive global positioning system (GPS) data, mission time and altitude data, so as to generate the platform related data responsively to the GPS, mission time and altitude data;

(c) means for switching through a plurality of signals including a pulsed radar jammer data signal, a radar warning receiver threat data signal, a continuous wave radar jammer threat data signal, a missile approach detector threat data signal and the generated platform related data;

(d) control means connected for controlling the first switch by providing a control signal for opening and closing the switch;

(e) first data correlation means connected to the switching means to receive the pulsed radar jammer threat data signal, said first data correlation means comprising a first correlated output and a first uncorrelated output;

(f) second data correlator for correlating radar warning receiver threat data connected to said switching means to receive, as controlled by said control apparatus, the radar warning receiver threat data signal, said second data correlator comprising a correlated output;

(g) third data correlation means connected to said switching means to receive the continuous wave radar jammer threat data, said third data correlation means having a third correlated output and a second uncorrelated output;

(h) a cross correlator connected to said first, second and third correlated outputs and having a cross correlated output;

(i) means for threat data recording connected to receive the first and third uncorrelated outputs, the cross correlated output, the missile approach detector threat data signal, a signal switched through said switching means and the platform data as switched through said switching means, said threat data recording means having a display output and a recorded data output;

(j) means for processing the threat displays having an input connected to the display output; and

(k) a data transfer system having an input connected to the data recording output and having an off-line analysis output.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said means for threat data recording further comprises means for computing dynamic threat parameters responsive to the outputs received by said threat data recorder.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising formatting and data compression packing means for formatting and data compression of the outputs received by said threat data recorder.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising memory mapping means for mapping data formatted and compressed by said data compression and packing means.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said means for processing threat displays is capable of showing a short form threat display and a long form threat display.

15. An in-flight threat situation recording system for recording numerous characteristics of a threat situation during flight, the recording system comprising:

a first aircraft survivability equipment sensor having a first aircraft survivability sensor output for producing a first sensor output signal in response to a current threat, the first sensor output signal indicative of the current threat;

a second aircraft survivability equipment sensor having a second aircraft survivability sensor output for producing a second sensor output signal in response to a current threat, the second sensor output signal indicative of the current threat;

threat correlation means for receiving the first sensor output signal and the second sensor output signal and determining whether the current threat is a new threat or an old threat, the threat correlation means having a correlation output for producing a threat correlation signal indicative of whether the threat is old or new; and

an in-flight threat data handling apparatus for receiving the threat correlation signal and recording it, the data handling apparatus also for allowing in-flight playback upon demand.

16. The in-flight threat situation recording system of claim 15 further comprising a multifunction display attached to the threat data handling apparatus for displaying the threat correlation signal, the first sensor output signal, and the second sensor output signal.

17. The in-flight threat situation recording system of claim 15 further comprising a transmitting apparatus for transmitting the threat correlation signal, the first sensor output signal, and the second sensor output signal to a satellite, a ground base, or another aircraft survivability system.

18. The in-flight threat situation recording system of claim 15 wherein the first aircraft survivability equipment sensor includes a radar warning receiver and the second aircraft survivability sensor is a radar jammer.

19. The in-flight threat situation recording system of claim 18 wherein the threat correlation system receives inputs from the radar warning receiver and the radar jammer, and produces the threat correlation output based upon the received inputs.

20. The in-flight threat situation recording system of claim 19 wherein the in-flight threat data handling apparatus receives inputs from the radar warning receiver and the radar jammer and records these signals in conjunction with the threat correlation signal for each current threat.

21. The in-flight threat situation recording system of claim 15 wherein the in-flight threat data handling apparatus is further capable of retrieving the correlation signal, the first sensor output signal and the second sensor output signal from previous readings generated by a previous threat.