Satellite surveillance system and method

• US 6,611,226 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David A. Jones, Eric B. Jensen, Henry L. Mccord, James M. Knight, Paul A. Jensen
• Original Assignee: David A. Jones, Eric B. Jensen, Henry L. Mccord, James M. Knight, Paul A. Jensen
• Inventors: Jones, David A., Knight, James M., Jensen, Paul A., Jensen, Eric B., McCord, Henry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US10/119,961
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 342/160, 342/350, 342/352, 342/353, 342/354
• US Class Current: 342/160
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/449 Combined with MTI or Doppler processing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/52 Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/68 for angle tracking only
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/023 Monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/288 Satellite antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/19 comprising one main concave reflecting surface associated with an auxiliary reflecting surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/192 with dual offset reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00

Abstract

A radar surveillance system includes a plurality of satellites a plurality of medium earth orbit satellites to provide continuous, long dwell coverage of a region of interest. Each satellite has an antenna having a main reflector and a subreflector electromagnetically coupled to the main reflector. A phased array generates multiple electromagnetic beams positioned so the electromagnetic beams reflect from the subreflector onto said main reflector. The system may be used in determining slow moving targets using a combination of monopulse anomaly and target spectral width measurements. The system also performs synthetic aperture radar imagery and focussed area fast moving target detection using alternating slope linear frequency modulated pulses. The plurality of medium Earth orbit satellites include a self-contained communications system consisting of high bandwidth self-relay crosslinks, high bandwidth downlink, and direct broadcast downlinks for processed data.

Claims

1. A method of classifying an object from a satellite comprising:

generating a signal from the satellite;

receiving a reflected signal from the object;

determining a first antenna angle of the object from a doppler shift of the reflected signal;

determining a second angle of the object from a monopulse measured angle of the reflected signal;

calculating a difference of the first angle and the second angle; and

determining whether the object is moving based on the difference.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining that the object is moving when the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining that the object is stationary when the difference is less than a predetermined threshold.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a velocity of the object in response to said difference.

5. A satellite for classifying an object comprising:

a satellite body;

a surveillance antenna coupled to said satellite body;

a controller coupled to the antenna generating a first signal through the surveillance antenna and receiving a reflected signal through the antenna, said controller determining a first antenna angle of the object from a doppler shift of the reflected signal;

determining a second angle of the object from a monopulse measured angle of the reflected signal, calculating a difference of the first angle and the second angle, and determining whether the object is moving based on the difference.

6. A satellite as recited in claim 5 wherein said controller determines that the object is moving when the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold.

7. A satellite as recited in claim 5 wherein said controller determines that the object is stationary when the difference is less than a predetermined threshold.

8. A satellite as recited in claim 5 wherein said controller determines a velocity of the object in response to said difference.

9. A satellite as recited in claim 5 further comprising a bidirectional downlink/uplink antenna coupled to said satellite body.

10. A satellite as recited in claim 5 further comprising a plurality of high bandwidth radio frequency or optical crosslinks coupled to said satellite body.

11. A satellite as recited in claim 5 further comprising a medium bandwidth directed broadcast downlink coupled to said satellite body.

12. A satellite as recited in claim 5 further comprising a low bandwidth uplink receiver coupled to said satellite body.