Precision geolocation system and method using a long baseline interferometer antenna system
First Claim
1. A geo-location method for determining the location of an emitter using a long baseline interferometer antenna system including a first antenna element and a second antenna element mounted on a platform, the first and second antenna elements forming a long baseline antenna pair, the method comprising:
- moving the platform along a measurement path;
collecting a series of sets of signal observations from the first and second antenna elements while the platform is moving along the measurement path, each set of signal observations being collected at a particular observation time;
processing the signal observations to provide differential phase measurements between the signal observations of the first and second antenna elements;
collecting platform position and attitude measurements using an inertial navigation system;
interpolating the platform position and attitude measurements to the observation times;
collecting measurements of an antenna baseline vector for the long baseline antenna pair using an antenna baseline measurement system;
interpolating the measurements of the antenna baseline vector to the observation times;
performing a coarse precision emitter location estimate using amplitude difference of arrival measurements; and
performing a fine precision emitter location estimate using phase difference of arrival measurements.
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Abstract
A long baseline interferometer antenna system and method for determining the location of an emitter. The long baseline interferometer antenna system comprises a first antenna, a second antenna, an inertial navigation system, an antenna baseline measurement system, a multi-channel receiver and a processor. The first and second antenna elements are positioned on a platform and are both configured to receive signals from the emitter. The first and second antenna elements form a long baseline antenna pair. The inertial navigation system measures the platform position and attitude; and the antenna baseline measurement system measures the antenna baseline vector between the first and second antenna elements. The multi-channel receiver measures the differential phase between antenna pairs, and the processor computes the emitter location. Additional antenna elements can be included and some can be configured as squinted beam pair and make use of amplitude difference of arrival measurements.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A geo-location method for determining the location of an emitter using a long baseline interferometer antenna system including a first antenna element and a second antenna element mounted on a platform, the first and second antenna elements forming a long baseline antenna pair, the method comprising:
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moving the platform along a measurement path; collecting a series of sets of signal observations from the first and second antenna elements while the platform is moving along the measurement path, each set of signal observations being collected at a particular observation time; processing the signal observations to provide differential phase measurements between the signal observations of the first and second antenna elements; collecting platform position and attitude measurements using an inertial navigation system; interpolating the platform position and attitude measurements to the observation times; collecting measurements of an antenna baseline vector for the long baseline antenna pair using an antenna baseline measurement system; interpolating the measurements of the antenna baseline vector to the observation times; performing a coarse precision emitter location estimate using amplitude difference of arrival measurements; and performing a fine precision emitter location estimate using phase difference of arrival measurements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification