Method and apparatus for detecting radio-frequency weapon use
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting radio-frequency signals of the type used as weapons for damaging electronic components, comprising:
- a. an antenna responsive to a radio-frequency signal, the radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of signal components, each of which has an associated amplitude;
b. means for generating an attenuation signal having an amplitude equal to a time-averaged amplitude of the plurality of signal components;
c. means for attenuating each of the plurality of signal components having an amplitude not greater than a threshold value and for generating a suspect signal comprising each of the plurality of signal components having an amplitude greater than the threshold value;
d. means for comparing the suspect signal to a plurality of preselected signal types; and
e. means for generating an alarm when the suspect signal does not correspond to any of the preselected signal types.
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Abstract
An apparatus for detecting abnormal radio-frequency signals has an antenna responsive to a radio-frequency signal. The radio frequency signal has a plurality of signal components, each of which has an associated amplitude. A circuit attenuates each of the plurality of signal components having an amplitude not greater than a threshold value and generates a suspect signal comprising each of the plurality of signal components having an amplitude greater than the threshold value. A circuit then compares the suspect signal to a plurality of preselected signal types. When the suspect signal does not correspond to any of the preselected signal types, a circuit generates an alarm. In a method of detecting usage of a radio-frequency weapon, a signal having an amplitude, is received. A background signal amplitude of a plurality of components of the signal is determined. The signal is filtered to generate a filtered signal corresponding only to signal components of the plurality of signal components having amplitudes greater than a preselected margin greater than the amplitude of the background signal. The filtered signal is compared to a plurality of known signals. When the filtered signal does not correspond to any of the plurality of known signals, an alarm is generated.
168 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting radio-frequency signals of the type used as weapons for damaging electronic components, comprising:
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a. an antenna responsive to a radio-frequency signal, the radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of signal components, each of which has an associated amplitude; b. means for generating an attenuation signal having an amplitude equal to a time-averaged amplitude of the plurality of signal components; c. means for attenuating each of the plurality of signal components having an amplitude not greater than a threshold value and for generating a suspect signal comprising each of the plurality of signal components having an amplitude greater than the threshold value; d. means for comparing the suspect signal to a plurality of preselected signal types; and e. means for generating an alarm when the suspect signal does not correspond to any of the preselected signal types. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for detecting usage of a radio-frequency weapon, comprising:
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a. means for receiving a signal having an amplitude, wherein the signal comprises a plurality of signal components; b. means for determining a background signal amplitude of the plurality of signal components; c. means for filtering the signal to generate a filtered signal corresponding only to signal components of the plurality of signal components having amplitudes greater than a preselected margin above the amplitude of the background signal; d. means for comparing the filtered signal to a plurality of known signals; and e. means for generating an alarm when the filtered signal does not correspond to any of the plurality of known signals. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for detecting use of a radio-frequency weapon, comprising:
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a. an antenna responsive to a radio-frequency signal, the radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of signal components, each of which has an associated amplitude; b. means for generating a digital representation of the amplitude of the radio-frequency signal; c. a digital computer programmed to; i. periodically sample and record the digital representation of the amplitude of the first signal during a preselected number of sampling episodes, thereby generating a plurality of recorded amplitudes; ii. generate a sum of each of the plurality of recorded amplitudes; iii. generate a quotient of the sum divided by the preselected number; and iv. generate a time-averaged amplitude signal representative of the quotient; d. means for generating a threshold signal so that the threshold signal has an amplitude equal to the time average amplitude of the radio-frequency signal plus a preselected offset amplitude; e. means, responsive to the threshold signal, for attenuating each of the plurality of signal components having an amplitude not greater than the amplitude of the threshold signal and for generating a suspect signal comprising any of the plurality of signal components having an amplitude greater than the amplitude of the threshold signal; f. means for generating a digital signal representation of the suspect signal; g. means for comparing the digital representation of the suspect signal to a plurality of digital signal representations of preselected signal types; h. means for generating an alarm when the digital signal representation of the suspect signal does not correspond to any of the digital signal representations of the preselected signal types; and i. means for generating a false-alarm indicator when the suspect signal corresponds to at least one of the digital signal representations of the preselected signal types. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of detecting usage of a radio-frequency weapon, comprising:
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a. receiving a signal, having an amplitude, wherein the signal comprises a plurality of signal components; b. determining a background signal amplitude of the plurality of signal components; c. filtering the signal to generate a filtered signal corresponding only to signal components of the plurality of signal components having amplitudes greater than a preselected margin greater than the amplitude of the background signal; d. comparing the filtered signal to a plurality of known signals; and e. generating an alarm when the filtered signal does not correspond to any of the plurality of known signals.
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Specification