Missile shield
First Claim
1. An Identified-Friend-or-Foe system comprising:
- first transceiver means on a first platform for transmitting and receiving signals in the millimeter wavelength range;
second transceiver means on a second platform for receiving signals transmitted by the first transceiver and transmitting a coded signal in response thereto; and
a processor for receiving and interpreting the coded signal from the second transceiver and providing an output signal in response thereto.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A covert and secure communication system which employs a very narrow bandwidth to permit receivers to be very sensitive to low power signals while maintaining acceptable signal-to-noise ratios. In the preferred embodiment, the system operates at the millimeter wavelength which, because of very high attenuation in atmosphere, will be undetectable beyond a very limited range. In another embodiment of the invention, the covert communication system is applied to an IFF system in conjunction with a homing missile. The IFF system of the present invention may be used as a back-up to confirm that a target is a foe by transmitting to and receiving a confirming signal from the target at the terminal portion of the engagement. For example, transmission between the target and missile may occur when the target and missile are less than 2,000 feet apart. The system is even less detectable and more secure because transmission only occurs during the very last portion of missile engagement which avoids the long range transmission of conventional IFF systems.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An Identified-Friend-or-Foe system comprising:
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first transceiver means on a first platform for transmitting and receiving signals in the millimeter wavelength range; second transceiver means on a second platform for receiving signals transmitted by the first transceiver and transmitting a coded signal in response thereto; and a processor for receiving and interpreting the coded signal from the second transceiver and providing an output signal in response thereto. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12)
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2. A method of Identifiying Friend-or-Foe comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting and receiving signals in the millimeter wavelength range between a first platform and a second platform; (b) receiving signals by the second platform transmitted by the first platform and, in response thereto, transmitting a coded signal from the second platform to the first platform; and (c) receiving and interpreting the coded signal from the second platform.
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5. A method of Identifiying Friend-or-Foe comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting and receiving signals in the X-band range between a first platform and a second platform; (b) receiving signals by the second platform transmitted by the first platform and, in response thereto, transmitting a coded signal from the second platform to the first platform; and (c) receiving and interpreting the coded signal from the second platform.
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6. An Identification-Friend-or-Foe (IFF) system comprising:
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first transceiver means on a first platform for transmitting and receiving signals in the millimeter wavelength range; second transceiver means on a second platform for receiving signals transmitted by the first transceiver and transmitting a coded signal in response thereto; a processor for receiving and interpreting the coded signal from the second transceiver and providing an output signal in response thereto; and means for determining when the first platform is within a predetermined distance of the second platform, said means for determining including means for transmitting a radar signal to the second platform and means for determining when the radar signal received back from the second platform exceeds a predetermined threshold.
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9. An Identification-Friend-or-Foe (IFF) system comprising:
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first transceiver means on a first platform for transmitting and receiving signals in the millimeter wavelength range; second transceiver means on a second platform for receiving signals transmitted by the first transceiver and transmitting a coded signal in response thereto, wherein the first and second transceivers have narrow a pre-detection bandwidth and further include means for locking onto a frequency of an incoming signal; and a processor for receiving and interpreting the coded signal from the second transceiver and providing an output signal in response thereto.
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Specification