Systems and methods for resolving interferometric angle-of-arrival ambiguities due to local multipath reflections
First Claim
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1. A method for resolving interferometric angle-of-arrival (AOA) ambiguities due to local multipath reflections, comprising:
- receiving a direct path emitter signal at an interferometer array of an interferometer system platform, the emitter signal having an unknown position and a true AOA relative to the interferometer system platform that is unknown;
receiving one or more local multipath reflections of the signal emitter together with the direct path emitter signal at the interferometer array, the local multipath reflections being reflections of the received direct path emitter signal caused by one or more physical characteristics of the interferometer system platform;
measuring the received phase differences of the received direct path and multipath emitter signals between one or more pairs of antenna elements of the interferometer array due to the combination of the AOA of the direct path emitter signal and the local multipath reflections thereof; and
selecting the true AOA of the signal emitter based on the measured phase differences or processed data generated therefrom and based on previously defined a priori information generated from measured reception of emitter signals received at the interferometer array of the interferometer system platform from a signal emitter emitting at one or more known positions relative to the interferometer system platform.
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Abstract
Interferometric angle-of-arrival (AOA) ambiguities due to local multipath reflections are resolved by measuring the received phase differences of one or more pairs of antenna elements of the interferometer array, constructing hypotheses from unwrapped phase pairs that correspond to potential AOA solutions, and selecting the hypothesis that most likely represents the true AOA of the signal emitter based on processed unwrapped data that has been corrected through the application of a priori calibration terms selected on the bases of the candidate hypotheses.
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23 Claims
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1. A method for resolving interferometric angle-of-arrival (AOA) ambiguities due to local multipath reflections, comprising:
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receiving a direct path emitter signal at an interferometer array of an interferometer system platform, the emitter signal having an unknown position and a true AOA relative to the interferometer system platform that is unknown; receiving one or more local multipath reflections of the signal emitter together with the direct path emitter signal at the interferometer array, the local multipath reflections being reflections of the received direct path emitter signal caused by one or more physical characteristics of the interferometer system platform; measuring the received phase differences of the received direct path and multipath emitter signals between one or more pairs of antenna elements of the interferometer array due to the combination of the AOA of the direct path emitter signal and the local multipath reflections thereof; and selecting the true AOA of the signal emitter based on the measured phase differences or processed data generated therefrom and based on previously defined a priori information generated from measured reception of emitter signals received at the interferometer array of the interferometer system platform from a signal emitter emitting at one or more known positions relative to the interferometer system platform. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An interferometer system platform, comprising:
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an interferometer array comprising two or more antenna elements configured to receive a direct path emitter signal and local multipath reflections thereof, the local multipath reflections being created by a configuration of one or more physical characteristics of the interferometer system platform; receiver circuitry coupled to each of the antenna elements and configured to receive an analog combination of the direct path emitter signal and the local multipath reflections thereof, the receiver circuitry being configured to convert the analog combination of emitter signals to digital emitter signals; signal processing circuitry coupled to receive the digital emitter signals from the receiver circuitry and configured to; measure the received phase differences of the received direct path and multipath emitter signals between one or more pairs of the antenna elements of the interferometer array due to the combination of the AOA of the direct path emitter signal and the local multipath reflections thereof, and select the true AOA of the signal emitter based on the measured phase differences or processed data generated therefrom and based on previously defined a priori information generated from measured reception of emitter signals received at the interferometer array of the interferometer system platform from a signal emitter emitting at one or more known positions relative to the interferometer system platform. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. Signal processing circuitry configured for coupling to receive digital emitter signals derived from a direct path emitter signal received together with local multipath reflections thereof at two or more antenna elements of an interferometer array of an interferometer system platform, the signal processing circuitry comprising:
one or more processing devices configured to execute instructions embodied in a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium to perform at least a portion of the following steps; measure the received phase differences of the received direct path and multipath emitter signals between one or more pairs of the antenna elements of the interferometer array due to the combination of the AOA of the direct path emitter signal and the local multipath reflections thereof, and select the true AOA of the signal emitter based on the measured phase differences or processed data generated therefrom and based on previously defined a priori information generated from measured reception of emitter signals received at the interferometer array of the interferometer system platform from a signal emitter emitting at one or more known positions relative to the interferometer system platform. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
Specification