Robust and broadband signal processing using replica generation apparatus

• US 8,350,754 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Li, Ming-Chiang
• Original Assignee: Li, Ming-Chiang
• Inventors: Li, Ming-Chiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barker, Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US11/231,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20060066471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,665 Days
• Field of Search: 342/25.R, 342/189
• US Class Current: 342/189
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 23/15 Indicating that frequency of pulses is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values, by making use of non-linear or digital elements (indicating that pulse width is above or below a certain limit)
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/021 Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like, e.g. radar jamming signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/36 Means for anti-jamming , e.g. ECCM, i.e. electronic counter-counter measures

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are low cost, robust, broadband, optimum, high precision methods and apparatus of processing pulsed, transient, non-cooperative, non-reproducible, complex, or simultaneous signals based on correlation measurements utilizing optical RF signal train generators. An embodiment of the inventive apparatus comprises: (a) a signal receiving apparatus which receives one or more signals, and outputs the signals; (b) a replica generation apparatus, which comprises one or more RF signal train generators, accepts signals from the receiving apparatus as inputs, and outputs trains of replica pairs, where relative separations between two members in the replica pairs are same or different; and (c) an integration apparatus which performs Doppler, self, or mutual (cross) correlation operations on the replica pairs at RF or optical level. The apparatus of present invention advance interferoceivers of prior art, and overcome deficiencies of radar receivers, channelized receivers, electronic warfare receivers, spectrum analyzers, sampling oscilloscopes, and many others.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing one or more signals which comprises:

a signal receiving apparatus configured to receive the one or more signals, and outputs one or more further signals;

a replica generation apparatus configured to receive the one or more further signals from the signal receiving apparatus as input and output one or more trains of replica pairs of signals; and

an integration apparatus configured to receive the one or more trains of replica pairs of signals as input, perform optical or radio frequency (RF) integration operations on and evaluate intensity variations of the replica pairs of signals, and output the intensity variations;

wherein an integration operation is an integration with respect to a magnitude square of an interfering amplitude for a paired replica.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a Fourier processor;

wherein the Fourier processor receives intensity variations from the integration apparatus as input and Fourier analyzes the intensity variations.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein after analyzing the intensity variations the Fourier processor further outputs information indicating signal contamination of the one or more signals by:

sources of interference and apparatus of interference.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein after analyzing intensity variations the Fourier processor outputs silhouette or ISAR images.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the signal receiving apparatus comprises one or more delay adjustment apparatus, which are responsive to one or more of the one or more signals to align one or more of the one or more further signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 1

wherein one or more of the one or more signals received by the signal receiving apparatus are one or more signals of interest from one or more sources of interest.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a source of reference;

wherein the source of reference outputs one or more signals of reference to the signal receiving apparatus;

wherein the signal receiving apparatus is responsive to receive the one or more signals from the source of reference.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a source which transmits one or more source signals to a target of interest and outputs the one or more source signals;

a tap which receives the one or more source signals from the source as input, taps out portions of the one or more source signals, and outputs one or more tapped signals; and

wherein one or more of the one or more signals received by the signal receiving apparatus are one or more scattered signals from the target of interest and the one or more tapped signals from the tap.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

a stable oscillator which outputs a continuous signal;

a first mixer which receives and mixes one of the one or more tapped signals from the tap and the continuous signal from the stable oscillator, and outputs a first mixed-signal;

a coherent oscillator which receives and locks to the first mixed signals from the first mixer as input and outputs a locked signal;

a second mixer which receives and mixes the locked signal from the coherent oscillator and the continuous signal from the stable oscillator;

wherein the second mixer outputs a second mixed signal with time delays;

a pulse forming apparatus which receives and converts the second mixed signal from the second mixer and outputs a pulsed signal; and

wherein one of the one or more signals received by the signal receiving apparatus is the pulsed signal from the pulse forming apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a stable oscillator which outputs a continuous signal;

a first pulse forming apparatus which receives the continuous signal from the stable oscillator as input, converts the continuous signal to pulsed signals, and outputs pulsed signals;

an amplifier which receives the pulsed signals from the first pulse forming apparatus as input, amplifies and transmits amplified pulsed signals to a target of interest;

a second pulse forming apparatus which receives the continuous signal from the stable oscillator as input, and outputs second pulsed signals; and

wherein one or more of the one or more signals received by the signal receiving apparatus are scattered signals from the target of interest and the second pulsed signals from the second pulse forming apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the signal receiving apparatus is adapted to receive at least one of optical, infrared, acoustical, electromagnetic, mechanical, or nuclear signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the replica generation apparatus comprises one or more RF signal train generators, which comprise recirculation loops with same or different loop lengths.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the integration apparatus comprises one or more of:

combiner-square law detector and mixer-low band filter pairs.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a source of trigger, a reproducible source, and a synchronization apparatus;

wherein the source of trigger outputs trigger signals;

wherein the replica generation apparatus further receives the trigger signals from the source of trigger and outputs trigger replicas to the reproducible source;

wherein the reproducible source receives the trigger replicas as input, produces identical pulsed signals in reference to the trigger replicas, and outputs the identical pulsed signals and trigging information signals;

wherein the replica generation apparatus further outputs unpaired replicas from one of the one or more further signals as received from the signal receiving apparatus;

wherein the synchronization apparatus receives the trigging information signals from the reproducible source and the unpaired replicas from the replica generation apparatus as input, aligns the unpaired replicas with the identical pulsed signals_, and outputs the train of replicas to pair with the identical pulsed signals; and

wherein the integration apparatus receives the identical pulsed signals from the reproducible source and the train of replicas from the synchronization apparatus as input, and evaluate intensity variations of identical pulsed signal and replica pairs.

15. An apparatus for processing one of more signals which comprises:

a signal receiving apparatus configured to receive the one or more signals, and output one or more further signals;

a replica generation apparaturs configured to accept which accepts the one or more further signals from the signal receiving apparatus as input, and output one or more trains of replicas;

one or more reproducible signal sources configured to output one or more trains of identical pulsed signals;

a synchronization apparatus through linked signal paths configured to synchronize the identical pulsed signals in the one or more trains of identical pulsed signals with the replicas in the one or more trains of replicas to form identical pulsed signal and replica pairs; and

an integration apparatus configured to receive the one or more trains of identical pulsed signals from the one or more reproducible signal sources and the one or more trains of identical replicas from the replica generation as input, wherein the integration apparatus is configured to perform optical or radio frequency (RF) integration operations on and evaluate intensity variations of the identical pulsed signal and replica pairs; and

wherein an integration operation is an integration with respect to a magnitude square of an interfering amplitude for a paired replica.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the synchronization apparatus comprises one or more systematic delay mechanisms.

17. A method of processing one or more signals which comprises:

receiving one or more signals;

generating one or more trains of replicas of the one or more signals;

pairing the replicas to form one or more trains of replica pairs of signals;

performing optical or radio frequency (RF) integration operations on and

evaluating intensity variations of the paired replicas;

wherein an integration operation is an integration with respect to a magnitude square of an interfering amplitude for a paired replica.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

emitting one or more signals to a target of interest for scattering;

tapping portions of signals from the one or more signals; and

wherein the receiving comprises receiving scattered signals of the emitting one or more signals by the target and the tapped portions of signals.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

emitting identical pulsed signals;

synchronizing the identical pulsed signals with replicas to form aligned signal-replica pairs; and

wherein the evaluating intensity variations comprise evaluating intensity variations of signal-replica pairs.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising steps of:

forming first pulsed signals from a continuous signal;

receiving scattered signals of the first pulsed signals by a target;

forming second pulsed signals from the same continuous signal;

synchronizing the second pulsed signals with scattered signals by the target; and

wherein the receiving comprises receiving the scattered signals and the second pulsed signals.