Communication system to facilitate airborne electronic attack

• US 7,826,839 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• 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: Nicholas, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/343,139
• Time in Patent Office: 1,737 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/1, 455/103, 455/431, 455/430, 455/502, 455/500, 455/63.1, 455/427, 455/98, 455/12.1, 455/114.2, 342/45, 342/14, 342/357.12, 375/142, 375/134, 380/34
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/34 involving multiple cooperating jammers
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/28 with jamming and anti-jamming mechanisms both included in a same device or system, e.g. wherein anti-jamming includes prevention of undesired self-jamming resulting from jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/41 characterized by the control of the jamming activation or deactivation time control of jamming activation and deactivation time only for the purpose of alternating between jamming mode and target monitoring mode H04K3/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/42 characterized by the control of the jamming frequency or wavelength

Abstract

A method of disrupting communications reception of a target radio receiver. A plurality of transmitters transmit a noise signal toward the target radio transceiver. Each of the plurality of transmitters has a receiver associated therewith A first transmitter ceases transmitting a noise signal at a pre-determined time. A receiver associated with the first transmitter receives information from another of the plurality of transmitters when the first transmitter has ceased transmitting the noise signal. The first transmitter resumes the transmission of the noise signal after the information has been transmitted.

Claims

1. A method of disrupting communications reception of a target radio receiver, comprising:

a plurality of transmitters transmitting a noise signal toward the target radio transceiver, each of the plurality of transmitters having a receiver associated therewith;

one of the plurality of transmitters ceasing transmitting a noise signal at a predetermined time;

a receiver associated with said one of the plurality of transmitters receiving information from another of the plurality of transmitters when said one of the plurality of transmitters has ceased transmitting the noise signal;

said one of the plurality of transmitters resuming the transmission of the noise signal after the information has been transmitted;

wherein at least one of the plurality of transmitters cease transmitting the noise signal at the predetermined time, and further wherein said at least one of the plurality of transmitters resume transmitting the transmission of the noise signal after the information has been transmitted;

determining an amount of time necessary for the information to be transmitted from one of the plurality of transmitters to a receiver associated with another of the plurality of transmitters; and

beginning the transmission of the information prior to said another of the plurality of transmitters ceasing the transmission of the noise signal such that the information arrives at said another of the plurality of transmitters when said another of the plurality of transmitters ceases transmission of the noise signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said one of the plurality of transmitters ceases transmitting the noise signal for a predetermined duration, and further wherein the predetermined duration is varied.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver associated with each of the plurality of transmitters is configured to receive information on a plurality of frequencies, and further wherein said one of the plurality of transmitters ceases transmitting the noise signal at frequencies surrounding a predetermined frequency upon which the information is to be transmitted by said one of the plurality of transmitters.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the remainder of the plurality of transmitters cease transmitting the noise signal only at the predetermined frequency.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined frequency is scheduled through use of a pseudo-random process available to each of the plurality of transmitters.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is scheduled through use of a pseudo-random process available to each of the plurality of transmitters.

7. A communications jamming system, comprising:

first and second transmitters, each configured to transmit a jamming signal that degrades communication of a target transceiver;

first and second receivers associated with the first and second transmitters, respectively;

a synchronization protocol, available to the first and second transmitters, that causes the first and second transmitters to cease transmitting the jamming

signal at a predetermined time and for a predetermined duration, so that a message transmitted from the first transmitter is received by the second receiver; and

wherein the first and second transmitters are configured to transmit on a plurality of frequencies, and further wherein the first and second receivers are configured to receive on the plurality of frequencies, and further wherein the synchronization protocol determines which of the plurality of frequencies the message is to be transmitted on at the predetermined time, and further wherein the synchronization protocol determines the length of the predetermined duration.

8. The communications jamming system of claim 7, wherein the synchronization protocol is based upon a pseudo-random code.

9. The communications jamming system of claim 7, wherein the first transmitter ceases transmitting the jamming signal at frequencies surrounding a predetermined frequency upon which the information is to be received by the first receiver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second transmitter ceases transmitting the noise signal only at the predetermined frequency.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second transmitters is mounted in an aircraft.

12. A system for interfering with reception of radio signals, comprising:

means for transmitting a noise signal toward a target radio transceiver;

means for ceasing the transmission of the noise signal at a pre-determined time;

means for transmitting information among the means for transmitting the noise signal when the noise signal has ceased;

means for resuming the transmission of the noise signal after the information has been transmitted;

wherein the means for transmitting comprises a plurality of transmitters configured for transmitting on a plurality of frequencies;

wherein each of the plurality of transmitters has a means for receiving radio signals associated therewith;

wherein the means for receiving are configured to receive information on a plurality of frequencies, and further comprising, at one of the transmitters, means for ceasing transmission of the noise signal at frequencies surrounding a predetermined frequency to be used by the means for transmitting information;

means for ceasing transmission of the noise signal at the remainder of the plurality of transmitters only at the predetermined frequency, and for a predetermined duration of time; and

wherein a synchronization protocol determines which of the plurality of frequencies a message is to be transmitted on at a predetermined time, and further wherein the synchronization protocol determines a length of the predetermined duration of time.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a means for synchronizing the predetermined time among the means for transmitting.