System and method for detecting receivers

• US 7,639,178 B1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Hovda, Donald F., Lehtola, Gary E., Mulbrook, Mark M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barker; Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US11/267,047
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 342/146
• US Class Current: 342/146
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/136 Magnetic, electromagnetic, acoustic or radiation systems, e.g. ground penetrating radars or metal-detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/32 using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/35 Details of non-pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/41 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for detecting devices with receivers, such as explosive devices with receivers used to remotely detonate the explosive devices. The system for detecting devices may include a transmitter which transmits a signal causing saturation of a device whereby harmonic content is emitted by the device. Receipt of an emitted harmonic signal which is coherent to the transmitted signal may indicate the presence of a device. A distance between the system and the detected device may be determined by modulating a frequency of the transmitted signal and measuring the time period between transmission of the signal and receipt of a harmonic signal. Additionally, direction information may be determined which may allow identification of a location of the device based upon the distance information and direction information.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a device;

comprising;

a transmitter, said transmitter configured to transmit a variable frequency signal to saturate a receiver of a device;

a first receiver, said first receiver suitable for receiving an emitted harmonic signal from the device,

a second receiver, said second receiver suitable for receiving said emitted harmonic signal from the device; and

a processing unit, the processing unit configured to measure a time period between transmission of said signal and receipt of the emitted harmonic signal from the device, said processing unit configured to determine a distance between said system and said device based upon said time period, said processing unit configured to determine a passband representation of said device by said transmitter sweeping a passband of said device upon detection of said device by transmitting multiple signals of various frequencies and determining which harmonic signals coherent to each transmitted signal are received by at least one of said first receiver and said second receiver.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing unit is configured to determine direction information by analyzing a phase difference of the emitted harmonic signal between said first receiver and said second receiver.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said processing unit is configured to determine a location of said device based upon said distance information and said direction information.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a display.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a global positioning system receiver.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said location of said device is shown within a graphical interface on said display.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said emitted harmonic signal is coherent to said signal when a frequency of said emitted harmonic signal is a whole-number multiple of a frequency of said signal.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said signal is at a frequency within said passband of said receiver of said device.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said receiver of the device is saturated when an output of an amplifier of the receiver deviates from being a linear function of the signal.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said emitted harmonic signal is radiated from a printed circuit board of said device.