Remote identification, location and signaling response system

• US 5,681,008 A
• Filed: 09/26/1996
• Issued: 10/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boeing North American Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Boeing North American Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Kinstler, Gary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wesson, Theresa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/721,403
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 367/77, 250/222.1, 359/155, 359/154, 359/159, 359/169, 359/170, 359/172, 102/206, 102/215, 244/3.11, 244/3.13, 244/3.16, 244/3.17, 382/103, 89/1.11, 89/1.56, 89/1.59
• US Class Current: 244/3.11
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/007 Preparatory measures taken before the launching of the guided missiles

Abstract

A wireless apparatus and communication system for remotely determining the unique identification of individual remote devices, among a plurality of remote devices, and to simultaneously determine the location of each individual remote device, associated with its unique identification number. This invention further provides a wireless signaling response capability for the purpose of relaying generic digital data from a remote device to a host system.

Claims

1. A remote identification, location and signaling response system for establishing one-to-one communication between a host system and desired remote devices, comprising:

a) at least one remote transceiver for transmitting a communications request from a host system to at least one remote device and for receiving a signaling response from said at least one remote device, said remote transceiver providing a pixel mapped signal; and

,

b) a signal extracting processing complex for receiving said pixel mapped signal and extracting time varying signals therefrom, said signal extracting processing complex, comprising a processor unit for determining signal variations from a series of sequential frames and for relaying a data stream corresponding to said signal variations.

2. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said communications request and said signaling response are in the infrared spectrum.

3. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 2, wherein said at least one remote device comprises at least one remote weapon.

4. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said communications request and said signaling response uniquely identify each remote device.

5. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said signaling response employs a serial digital protocol of binary modulation which encodes a unique identification number of the remote device.

6. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 5, wherein said serial digital protocol comprises a two-byte binary coded word containing said remote device unique identification number.

7. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said signaling response employs a serial digital protocol of pulse width or pulse position modulation which encodes a unique identification number of the remote device.

8. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said signal extracting processing complex, comprises:

a synchronizer and analog-to-digital converter unit for receiving said pixel mapped signal and converting it to an equivalent digital representation within specific spatial cells of the imaging area of a respective remote transceiver, said digital representation being transmitted to said processing unit.

9. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said signal extracting processing complex, comprises:

a video frame gabber for receiving said pixel mapped signal, said pixel mapped signal comprising an entire frame, said pixel mapped signal being converted to an equivalent digital representation, said digital representation being transmitted to said processing unit for extraction of frame-to-frame signaling information.

10. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said processing unit comprises a digital signal processor.

11. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said signal extracting processing complex, comprises:

a synchronizer and analog-to-digital converter unit for receiving said pixel mapped signal and converting it to an equivalent digital representation within specific spatial cells of the imaging area of a respective remote transceiver, and,

wherein said processor unit, comprises

a signal extraction digital signal processor for receiving said equivalent digital representation for extracting said data stream from a series of sequential frames, said digital data stream being transmitted to a host system.

12. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said signal extracting processing complex, comprises:

a video frame grabber for receiving said pixel mapped signal, said pixel mapped signal comprising an entire frame, said pixel mapped signal being converted to an equivalent digital representation; and

,

wherein said process unit comprises

a signal extraction digital signal processor for receiving said equivalent digital representation for extracting said data stream from a series of sequential frames, said digital data stream being transmitted to a host system.

13. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, further including at least one reference IR emitter positioned within the field of view of said at least one transceiver unit for providing alignment reference to said at least one remote device.

14. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said pixel mapped signal is transmitted between said at least one transceiver and said signal extracting processing complex by a shared multiplex video transmission line.

15. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said pixel mapped signal is transmitted between said at least one transceiver and said signal extracting processing complex by dedicated video transmission lines and a video switch.

16. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said time varying signals are independent and simultaneously recoverable.

17. The remote identification, location and signaling response system of claim 1, wherein said time varying signals are recoverable in a range of from about 5-30 bits/sec.