Apparatus and methods of accessing all channels of a superheterodyne receiver simultaneously

• US 9,742,441 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Whitaker, George, Maas, Jeff, Christianson, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US14/244,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20150011170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 455323-324, 455336, 455431, 455334
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0053 with common antenna for more than one band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An apparatus and method associated with exploiting a characteristic in super-heterodyne receivers such that a modulated signal will be received on all channels simultaneously regardless of the channel selected on the receiver.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with an entity having an unknown selection of radio communication channel setting, comprising:

detecting an unauthorized aircraft comprising one of a plurality of superheterodyne communication architecture systems, each of said superheterodyne communication architecture systems comprising a band pass filter type with a first frequency range associated with aircraft communications bands and one of a plurality of different intermediate frequency filter types each associated with different superheterodyne radio architectures, wherein each of said band pass filter type and ones of associated said plurality of different intermediate frequency filter types are respectively associated with each of said plurality of superheterodyne communication architecture systems;

determining the unauthorized aircraft'"'"'s location and bearing using an aircraft location detection system;

selecting a first of said plurality of superheterodyne communication architecture systems comprising said band pass filter and a first intermediate frequency filter type of said plurality of different intermediate frequency filter types;

selecting at least a first frequency or channel and a second frequency or channel configured for respectively broadcasting a first omnidirectional signal from a first omnidirectional antenna and a directional signal from a directional antenna, wherein said first frequency or channel and said second frequency or channel is selected based on one or more design parameters of said first of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture systems, said one or more design parameters of said first of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture systems comprising frequencies which said first of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture systems will not reject using said band pass filter type or said first intermediate filter type of said plurality of different intermediate frequency filter, said first frequency or channel and said second frequency or channel are also determined based on a mixer product that results in a first intermediate frequency that will pass through said first intermediate frequency filter type, wherein said first intermediate frequency is further determined based on determining a frequency range separation between said first frequency or channel and second frequency or channel by differencing said first frequency or channel from said second frequency or channel to determine an absolute value difference that defines said first intermediate frequency that is equivalent to said frequency range separation;

broadcasting said first omnidirectional signal from a omnidirectional antenna;

orienting a beampath of said directional signal towards said unauthorized aircraft and maintaining said aircraft within said beampath of said directional signal during a period to transmit a message to said unauthorized aircraft; and

modulating and transmitting said directional signal with said message for said period to transmit said message so as to mix said first omnidirectional signal and said directional signal at said unauthorized aircraft'"'"'s location during said period to transmit said message.

2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising selecting a third frequency or channel to broadcast a second omnidirectional signal if no radio response is received from said unauthorized aircraft in response to said message during or after said message period, wherein said third frequency or channel is selected based on one or more frequencies that a second of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture systems will not reject using said band pass filter type, wherein said second of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture system comprises one said bandpass filter type and a second intermediate frequency filter type of said plurality of said intermediate frequency filter types, wherein said first, second, and third frequencies or channels are also determined based on predicted mixing of said first, second and third frequencies or channels after they pass through said band pass filter type to produce a second intermediate frequency associated with said second of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture systems.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said step of determining the mobile vehicle'"'"'s location and bearing is further determined based on a prediction of said mobile vehicles location based on prior observation or predicted path.

4. A method of communicating with an entity having an unknown selection of radio communication settings

communicating with an unauthorized aircraft comprising a superheterodyne communication architecture system comprising a band pass filter and one of a plurality of intermediate frequency filters associated with different superheterodyne communication architecture systems;

providing a library of sets of first frequencies or channels and second frequencies or channels each respectively associated with each said different superheterodyne communication architecture systems, each of said first frequencies or channels and second said frequencies or channels are selected to be operable for respectively broadcasting an unmodulated omnidirectional signal and a directional signal, wherein each set of said first frequency or channel and said second frequency or channel is selected based on one or more sets of design parameters associated with a particular one of said different said superheterodyne communication architecture systems, each set of said one or more design parameters comprising a frequency range that each associated said superheterodyne communication architecture system will not reject using said band pass filter or respective said intermediate frequency filter, said sets of said first frequencies or channels and second frequencies or channels are also determined based on one of a plurality of intermediate frequencies at each said intermediate frequency filter of each said different said superheterodyne communication architecture systems, wherein each said intermediate frequency is defined by a different separation between each set of said first and second frequencies;

selecting one of said sets of said first and second frequencies;

orienting said directional signal towards said unauthorized aircraft and maintaining said aircraft within said directional signal beampath during a period to transmit a message to said unauthorized aircraft; and

modulating and transmitting one of said directional signal with said message for said period to transmit said message using said one of said sets of said first and second frequencies.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein one of said omnidirectional signal or directional signal comprises multiple frequencies.

6. A method of communicating with an entity having an unknown selection of radio communication channel setting, comprising:

detecting a mobile vehicle comprising one of a plurality of superheterodyne communication architecture systems, each of said superheterodyne communication architecture systems comprising a band pass filter type with a first frequency range associated with said mobile vehicle type'"'"'s communications bands and one of a plurality of different intermediate frequency filter types each associated with different superheterodyne radio architectures, wherein each of said band pass filter type and ones of associated said plurality of different intermediate frequency filter types are respectively associated with each of said plurality of superheterodyne communication architecture systems;

determining the mobile vehicle'"'"'s location and bearing using an mobile vehicle location detection system or a prediction of said mobile vehicles location based on prior observation or predicted path;

selecting a first of said plurality of superheterodyne communication architecture systems comprising said band pass filter and a first intermediate frequency filter type of said plurality of different intermediate frequency filter types;

selecting at least a first frequency or channel and a second frequency or channel configured for respectively broadcasting a first omnidirectional signal from a first omnidirectional antenna and a directional signal from a directional antenna, wherein said first frequency or channel and said second frequency or channel is selected based on one or more design parameters of said first of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture systems, said one or more design parameters of said first of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture systems comprising frequencies which said first of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture systems will not reject using said band pass filter type, said first frequency or channel and said second frequency or channel are also determined based on a first intermediate frequency that will pass through said first intermediate frequency filter type, wherein said first intermediate frequency is further determined based on determining a frequency range separation between said first frequency or channel and second frequency or channel by differencing said first frequency or channel from said second frequency or channel to determine an absolute value difference that defines said first intermediate frequency that is equivalent to said frequency range separation;

broadcasting said first omnidirectional signal from a omnidirectional antenna;

orienting a beampath of said directional signal towards said mobile vehicle and maintaining said mobile vehicle within said beampath of said directional signal during a period to transmit a message to said mobile vehicle; and

modulating and transmitting said directional signal with said message for said period to transmit said message so as to mix said first omnidirectional signal and said directional signal at said mobile vehicle'"'"'s location during said period to transmits said message.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said mobile vehicle is an aircraft.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein said aircraft is an unauthorized aircraft that is entering a restricted area when said message is broadcast.

9. A method as in claim 6, further comprising selecting a third frequency or channel to broadcast a second omnidirectional signal if no radio response is received from said mobile vehicle in response to said message during or after said message period, wherein said third frequency or channel is selected based on one or more frequencies that a second of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture systems will not reject using said band pass filter type, wherein said second of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture system comprises one said bandpass filter type and a second intermediate frequency filter type of said plurality of said intermediate frequency filter types, wherein said first, second, and third frequencies or channels are also determined based on predicted mixing of said first, second and third frequencies or channels after they pass through said band pass filter type to produce a second intermediate frequency associated with said second of said plurality of superheterodyne receiver architecture systems.

10. A method of communicating with an entity having an unknown selection of radio communication channel settings, comprising:

determining a plurality of different first intermediate frequencies (IF) each respectively associated with one of a plurality of different superheterodyne communication architecture systems that may be installed in an aircraft, each of said plurality of superheterodyne communication architecture systems comprising a band pass frequency type with a first frequency range that allows a plurality of aircraft communications frequencies to pass through each of the band pass filter types;

identifying a plurality of frequency pairs each comprising a respective F1 and F2 frequency value, wherein each of said respective F1 and F2 frequency values respectively associated with each of said frequency pairs is within the plurality of aircraft communication frequencies that will pass through the band pass filter types, wherein each said frequency pairs are each further defined so that when any two F1, F2 pairs are respectively differenced, the differenced product for each pair is respectively equal to one of the plurality of different first IFs;

detecting a first aircraft entering a predetermined restricted airspace comprising one of said plurality of superheterodyne communication architecture systems;

determining the first aircraft'"'"'s location and bearing from a point within a frame of reference using an aircraft location detection system;

selecting one of said plurality of frequency pairs each comprising a respective F1, F2;

selecting at a first and second transmission frequency each respectively equal to said one of said plurality of frequency pairs F1, F2;

transmitting an unmodulated omnidirectional first transmission signal at said first transmission frequency from an omnidirectional antenna;

orienting a beampath of a narrow beam directional antenna from said point within said frame of reference along said bearing towards said first aircraft and maintaining said first aircraft within said beampath during a first time period;

modulating and transmitting a second transmission signal from said narrow beam directional antenna within said beampath with a message during said first time period so as to mix said first transmission signal and said second transmission signal at said first aircraft'"'"'s location as it transits during said first period; and

selecting a different first and second transmission frequency each respectively equal to a different one of said plurality of frequency pairs F1, F2 if an operator in said first aircraft does not respond to said message and repeating said transmitting orienting, modulating and transmitting steps using the different first and second transmission frequency.

11. A method as in claim 10, further comprising providing a library comprising said plurality of frequency pairs each associated with one of said plurality of different IFs that are each respectively associated with one of said plurality of different superheterodyne communication architecture systems, wherein said step of selecting first and second transmission frequencies further comprises selecting said first and second transmission frequencies from said library based on a retrieval of one or more said frequency pairs from said library.

12. A method as in claim 10, wherein said message comprises a tone, a recorded message, or live audio from a microphone.