Joint surveillance target attack system combat transponder

• US 6,081,222 A
• Filed: 05/26/1998
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Burton, Dale Edward, Henkel, Paul Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US09/084,827
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 342/42, 342/44, 342/51, 340/825.54
• US Class Current: 342/45
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/78 discriminating between different kinds of targets, e.g. IFF-radar, i.e. identification of friend or foe G01S13/75, G01S13/79 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/0281 LPI, Low Probability of Intercept radar

Abstract

A radar transponder and transponder system is provided for providing transponder communications signals embedded within radar interrogation and reply signals. The radar interrogation signals include transponder interrogation signals embedded within the bandwidth thereof. The transponders include a receiver for extracting the transponder interrogation signal and an offset frequency generator for up-converting or down-converting the transponder interrogation signal while remaining within the bandwidth of the radar signal. The transponders may be selectively enabled in response to interrogation signals having particular frequencies and/or in accordance with preset date or time schedules. The transponder outputs may be phase coherent with the interrogation signals and generated less than 10 nsec after receipt of the transponder interrogation signal. As such, the transponder reply signals are difficult to distinguish from the radar interrogation/reply signals.

Claims

1. A radar transponder system comprising:

a) a transmitter for transmitting wideband radar signals, said radar signals including transponder interrogation signals programmably embedded within the bandwidth of the radar signals, said interrogation signals being transmitted during transmission of said radar signals;

b) multiple remotely located transponders, each mountable on a movable object, said transponders including;

i) a receiver for receiving said radar signals and selectively extracting the transponder interrogation signals therefrom;

ii) an offset frequency generator for generating a variable frequency offset signal, said offset signal being adjustable within the bandwidth of said radar signals;

iii) a combiner for generating a combiner output in response to said extracted transponder interrogation signals and said variable frequency offset signal;

iv) a transponder transmitter circuit in electrical communication with said combiner for transmitting a transponder reply signal, responsive to the combiner output signal, within the bandwidth of said radar signals, both said interrogation and said reply signals being within the bandwidth of said radar signals, and being transmitted during said transmission of said radar signals, to facilitate low detection of said interrogation and said reply signals.

2. The radar transponder system as recited in claim 1 wherein the radar signals have a bandwidth of approximately 100 MHz.

3. The radar transponder system as recited in claim 1 wherein the combiner is operative to up-convert the transponder interrogation signal.

4. The radar transponder system as recited in claim 1 where the combiner is operative to down-convert the transponder interrogation signal.

5. The radar transponder system as recited in claim 1 wherein the frequency generator is variable in 10 MHz increments.

6. The radar transponder system as recited in claim 1 further including a phase trim circuit in communication with the combiner, the phase trim circuit being configured to cause the transponder reply signal to be phase coherent with the transponder interrogation signal.

7. The radar transponder system as recited in claim 1 wherein the transponder reply signal occurs less than 1 msec after the transponder interrogation signal.

8. The radar transponder system as recited in claim 1 wherein the transponder reply signal occurs less than 10 msec after the transponder interrogation signal.

9. The radar transponder system as recited in claim 1 further including a programmable oscillator in communication with the combiner for generating a transponder specific reply code for modulating the transponder reply signal in accordance with a preset pattern specific to a particular transponder.

10. The transponder system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a control board for enabling operation of the transponder only in response to a interrogation signal having predetermined signal characteristics.

11. A radar transponder mountable on a movable object, said transponder comprising:

a) a receiver for receiving radar interrogation signals and selectively extracting a transponder interrogation signal therefrom, said transponder interrogation signal being embedded within the bandwidth of said radar interrogation signals;

b) an offset frequency generator for generating a variable frequency offset signal, said offset signal being adjustable within the bandwidth of said radar signals;

c) a combiner for generating a combiner output signal in response to said transponder interrogation signal and said variable frequency offset signal;

d) a transponder transmitter circuit in electrical communication with said combiner and for transmitting a transponder reply signal, responsive to the combiner output signal, within the bandwidth of said radar interrogation signals, both said interrogation and said reply signals being within the bandwidth of said radar signals, and being transmitted during said transmission of said radar signals, to facilitate low detection of said interrogation and said reply signals.

12. The transponder as recited in claim 11 wherein the radar signals have a bandwidth of approximately 100 MHz.

13. The transponder as recited in claim 11 wherein the combiner is operative to up-convert the transponder interrogation signal.

14. The transponder as recited in claim 11 where the combiner is operative to down-convert the transponder interrogation signal.

15. The transponder as recited in claim 11 wherein the frequency generator is variable in 10 MHz increments.

16. The transponder as recited in claim 11 further including a phase trim circuit in communication with the combiner, the phase trim circuit being configured to cause the transponder reply signal to be phase coherent with the transponder interrogation signal.

17. The transponder as recited in claim 11 wherein the transponder reply signal occurs less than 1 msec after the transponder interrogation signal.

18. The transponder as recited in claim 11 wherein the transponder reply signal occurs less than 10 nsec after the transponder interrogation signal.

19. The transponder as recited in claim 11 further including a programmable oscillator in communication with the combiner for generating a transponder specific reply code for modulating the transponder reply signal in accordance with a preset pattern specific to a particular transponder.

20. The transponder in accordance with claim 11 further comprising a control board, in communication with the receiver, for enabling operation of the transponder only in response to a interrogation signal having predetermined signal characteristics.

21. A low detectable radar transponder system communicating in identical normal operating band radar signals, the system comprising:

a) a transmitter, the transmitter being operative to transmit wideband radar signals having transponder interrogation signals programmably embedded within, the interrogation signals being transmitted during transmission of the radar signals;

b) multiple remotely located transponders, the transponders being operative to receive the radar signals and selectively extract the transponder interrogations signals therefrom; and

c) the transponders further being operative to transmit transponder reply signals in response to the transponder interrogation signals, the transponder reply signals being within the bandwidth of he radar signals, both the interrogation and the reply signals being within the bandwidth of said radar signals, and being transmitted during the transmission of the radar signals, to facilitate low detection of the interrogation and the reply signals.

22. The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein the transponders further comprise a receiver for receiving the radar signals and selectively extracting the transponder interrogation signals therefrom.

23. The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein the transponders further comprise an offset frequency generator for generating a variable frequency offset signal, the offset signal being adjustable within the bandwidth of the radar signals.

24. The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein the transponders further comprise a combiner for generating a combiner output in response to the extracted transponder interrogation signals and the variable frequency offset signal.

25. The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein the radar signals have a bandwidth of approximately 100 MHZ.

26. The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein the transponder reply signal occurs less than 1 msec after the transponder interrogation signals.

27. The invention as set forth in claim 22 wherein the transponders further comprise a control board in communication with the receiver for enabling operation of the transponders only in response to a interrogation signal having predetermined signal characteristics.

28. The invention as set forth in claim 22 wherein the transponders further comprise a control board in communication with the receiver for enabling operation of the receiver only in response to a preset schedule.

29. The invention as set forth in claim 23 wherein the offset frequency generator is variable in 10 MHZ increments.

30. The invention as set forth in claim 24 wherein the combiner is operative to up-convert the transponder interrogation signals.

31. The invention as set forth in claim 24 wherein the combiner is operative to down-convert the transponder interrogation signals.

32. The invention as set forth in claim 24 wherein the transponders further comprise a phase trim circuit in communication with the combiner, the phase trim circuit being operative to cause the transponder reply signals to be phase coherent with the transponder interrogation signals.

33. The invention as set forth in claim 24 wherein the transponders further comprise a programmable oscillator in communication with the combiner for generating a transponder specific reply code for modulating the transponder reply signals in accordance with a preset pattern specific to a particular transponder.