Method and system for emitter localisation

• US 7,579,989 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2002
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Original Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Winterling, Gerhard, Benninghofen, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Nga X
• Application Number:
  US10/488,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20050052315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,548 Days
• Field of Search: 342/450, 342/417, 342/449, 342/387, 342/424, 342/465, 342/423, 342/458, 342/451, 342/457, 342/442, 342/443, 342/357.14, 342/357.08, 342/357.06, 342/444, 342/359, 342/462, 342/50, 342/58, 342/60
• US Class Current: 342/450
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/003 Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/021 Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like, e.g. radar jamming signals

Abstract

Process and system for the location of emitters in the radar frequency range on the basis of cross position-finding by at least two flying platforms with, in each case, at least one passive HF sensor for ascertaining the geometrical and electronic properties of the emitter beams, whereby the flying platforms mutually exchange data for describing the geometrical and electronic properties of the emitter beams, and whereby from the plurality of the position-finding beams'"'"' possible intersection points, which arise from the emitter surveying operation, use is made, in order to determine the emitter position, of those intersection points at which the electronic properties of the intersecting emitter beams are identical.

Claims

1. A process for locating emitters in a radar frequency range, comprising:

providing at least two flying platforms each including at least one passive radio frequency sensor for determining emitter beam pulse sequences;

mutually exchanging positions of the at least two flying platforms while surveying the emitters and the azimuth angle in which each emitter is being surveyed;

exchanging electronic properties of received emitter beams between the platforms, including a measured frequency of the emitter beams that are intercepted, time differences between each instance of two sequential pulses of an intercepted pulse sequence, and a signal for classifying a sequence of time differences of a pulse sequence being surveyed; and

determining an emitter location by using intersecting points at which the electronic properties of the intersecting emitter beams are identical from among a plurality of possible intersecting points arising from intersecting bearing lines obtained during said emitter surveying,

wherein geometrical data and electronic characterizing data for the emitter signals, which are received from emitters that have become newly operational, are transferred with a first priority, and the data for emitters, which have already been surveyed, are transferred with a second priority lower than the first priority and, depending on the priority, an appropriate repetition rate is provided for the transfer of the electronic characterizing data for the emitter signals during the exchange between said at least two platforms, and wherein frequency measurement windows, which are used by said at least two platforms, are synchronized between said at least two platforms to correlate the electronic properties, and surveying of the emitters takes place simultaneously in said at least two platforms.

2. A process for locating emitters in a radar frequency range, comprising:

providing at least two flying platforms each including at least one passive radio frequency sensor for determining emitter beam pulse sequences;

mutually exchanging positions of the at least two flying platforms while surveying the emitters and the azimuth angle in which each emitter is being surveyed;

exchanging electronic properties of received emitter beams between the platforms including a measured frequency of the emitter beams that are intercepted, time differences between each instance of two sequential pulses of an intercepted pulse sequence, and a signal for classifying a sequence of time differences of a pulse sequence being surveyed; and

determining an emitter location by using intersecting points at which the electronic properties of the intersecting emitter beams are identical from among a plurality of possible intersecting points arising from intersecting bearing lines obtained during said emitter surveying,

further including the step of exchanging the pulse duration of the received pulse sequence of the emitter between said at least two platforms,

wherein geometrical data and electronic characterizing data for the emitter signals, which are received from emitters that have become newly operational, are transferred with a first priority, and the data for emitters, which have already been surveyed, are transferred with a second priority lower than the first priority and providing an appropriate repetition rate, depending on the priority, for the transfer of the electronic characterizing data for the emitter signals during the exchange between said at least two platforms, and wherein frequency measurement windows, which are used by said at least two platforms to correlate the electronic properties, are synchronized between said at least two platforms, and surveying of the emitters takes place simultaneously in said at least two platforms.

3. A process for locating emitters in a radar frequency range, comprising:

providing at least two flying platforms each including at least one passive radio frequency sensor for determining emitter beam pulse sequences;

mutually exchanging positions of the at least two flying platforms while surveying the emitters and the azimuth angle in which each emitter is being surveyed;

exchanging electronic properties of received emitter beams between the platforms, including a measured frequency of the emitter beam that are intercepted, time differences between each instance of two sequential pulses of a pulse sequence that is intercepted, and a signal for classifying a sequence of time differences of a pulse sequence being surveyed; and

determining an emitter location by using intersecting points at which the electronic properties of the intersecting emitter beams are identical from among a plurality of possible intersecting points arising from intersecting bearing lines obtained during said emitter surveying,

further comprising the step of exchanging the measured frequency breadth or the minimal and maximal frequency values of the received pulse sequence of the emitter between said at least two platforms,

wherein geometrical data and electronic characterizing data for the emitter signals, which are received from emitters that have become newly operational, are transferred with a first priority, and the data for emitters, which have already been surveyed, are transferred with a second priority lower than the first priority and providing an appropriate repetition rate, depending on the priority, for the transfer of the electronic characterizing data for the emitter signals during the exchange between said at least two platforms, and wherein frequency measurement windows, which are used by said at least two platforms, are synchronized between said at least two platforms to correlate the electronic properties, and surveying of the emitters takes place simultaneously in said at least two platforms.