Methods and apparatus for target identification

• US 8,457,498 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Washburn, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOLDEKIDAN, HIBRET ASNAKE
• Application Number:
  US11/780,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20090074422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 398/112, 398118-131, 398/108, 398169-172
• US Class Current: 398/108
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/78 discriminating between different kinds of targets, e.g. IFF-radar, i.e. identification of friend or foe G01S13/75, G01S13/79 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/74 Systems using reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/786 the desired condition being maintained automatically
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1123 Bidirectional transmission

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for target identification are disclosed. An example method for target identification disclosed herein comprises establishing an optical communication link with a potential target, transmitting a first signal encoded with a first code to the potential target using the optical communication link, receiving a second signal from the potential target using the optical communication link, extracting a second code from the second signal, and identifying the potential target as a friendly asset based on the second code.

Claims

1. A method for target identification comprising:

establishing an optical communication link with a potential target by outpulsing, from an interrogation device, an optical signal having a non-visible wavelength spectrum, the optical signal outpulsed by the interrogation device to permit the potential target to automatically align an optical transceiver of the potential target with the optical signal outpulsed by the interrogation device to increase an amount of optical energy detected passively at the potential target;

transmitting a first signal encoded with a first code to the potential target using the optical communication link;

receiving a second signal from the potential target using the optical communication link before receiving a response to a previous interrogation signal, different from the first signal, directed specifically to a different second potential target;

extracting a second code from the second signal; and

identifying the potential target as a friendly asset based on the second code.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein establishing the optical communication link with the potential target further comprises aligning the optical transceiver of the potential target with an optical transceiver of the interrogation device.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein identifying the potential target as the friendly asset further comprises removing the potential target from a target list.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising identifying the potential target as an enemy asset when the second signal is not received within a first time after transmitting the first signal.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting a third signal encoded with a third code to the potential target when the second signal is not received within a first time after transmitting the first signal.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising identifying the potential target as an enemy asset when the second code is invalid.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting a third signal encoded with a third code to the potential target when the second code is invalid.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising identifying the potential target as an enemy asset based on the second code.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting a third signal encoded with a third code to the potential target based on the second code.

10. An apparatus for target identification comprising:

a memory to store machine readable instructions;

a signal encoder to establish an optical communication link with a potential target, to determine a first code, to encode the first code into a first signal, and to transmit the first signal, the signal encoder to establish the optical communication link by outpulsing an optical signal having a non-visible wavelength spectrum, the optical signal outpulsed by the signal encoder to permit the potential target to automatically align an optical transceiver of the potential target with the outpulsed optical signal to increase an amount of optical energy detected passively at the potential target, the optical transceiver of the potential target to be aligned with the outpulsed optical signal before the optical transceiver of the potential target is to transmit via the optical communication link;

a signal detector to receive a second signal and to validate a second code in the second signal; and

a target identifier comprising a processor to execute the instructions to identify the potential target as a friendly asset based on the second code.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the target identifier is further to remove the potential target from a target list when the potential target is identified as the friendly asset.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the target identifier is further to identify the potential target as an enemy asset when the second signal is not received within a first time after transmitting the first signal.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the signal encoder is further to transmit a third signal to the potential target when the second signal is not received within a first time after transmitting the first signal.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the target identifier is further to identify the potential target as an enemy asset when the second code is not received in a second signal.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the signal encoder is further to transmit a third signal to the potential target when the second code is not received in the second signal.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the target identifier is further to identify the potential target as an enemy asset based on the second code.

17. A tangible machine readable memory comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a first signal using an optical communication link, the first signal including (1) a first code to interrogate a potential target to identify whether the potential target is friendly, and (2) a request for the potential target to return voice capability information;

receiving a second signal from the potential target using the optical communication link;

extracting a second code from the second signal;

identifying whether the potential target is friendly based on the second code;

determining whether the second signal received from the potential target includes information, in addition to the second code, indicating that the potential target is capable of supporting voice communications; and

if the potential target is determined to be capable of supporting voice communications, continuing to exchange voice communications with the potential target via the same optical communication link used to interrogate the potential target when the potential target is identified to be friendly.

18. A memory as defined in claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise aligning an optical transceiver of the potential target with an optical transceiver of a target detector to establish the optical communication link.

19. A memory as defined in claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise identifying the potential target as an enemy asset when the second signal is not received within a first time after transmitting the first signal.