Systems and methods for detecting, tracking and identifying small unmanned systems such as drones

• US 9,977,117 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: XiDrone Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: XiDrone Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Parker, Dwaine A., Stern, Damon E., Pierce, Lawrence S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter M
• Application Number:
  US15/598,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20170248687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 342 13
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/02 Anti-aircraft or anti-guided missile or anti-torpedo defence installations or systems cartridges or missiles for producing smoke or for dispensing radar chaff or infrared material F42B5/15, F42B12/48, F42B12/70; informative reference: details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00; jamming or electronic countermeasures G01S7/38, G01S7/495, H04K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0075 the high-energy beam being a radiofrequency beam
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/883 for missile homing, autodirectors missile guidance systems F41G7/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/782 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction
• 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 7/38 Jamming means, e.g. producing false echoes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/414 Discriminating targets with respect to background clutter
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/14 : for the transfer of light or images, e.g. for video-surveillance, for television or from a computer screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 : for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/32 : including a particular configuration of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/42 : characterized by the control of the jamming frequency or wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/44 : characterized by the control of the jamming waveform or modulation type
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 : characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/65 : using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/92 : related to allowing or preventing remote control

Abstract

A system for providing integrated detection and countermeasures against unmanned aerial vehicles include a detecting element, a location determining element and an interdiction element. The detecting element detects an unmanned aerial vehicle in flight in the region of, or approaching, a property, place, event or very important person. The location determining element determines the exact location of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The interdiction element can either direct the unmanned aerial vehicle away from the property, place, event or very important person in a non-destructive manner, or can cause disable the unmanned aerial vehicle in a destructive manner.

Claims

1. A target detection system for detecting small unmanned systems such as drones, the target detection system comprising:

a first data connection that receives (a) radar-detected azimuth and elevation data of a target and (b) target range information;

a second data connection that receives radio frequency spectral analysis data of target radio frequency signals that identifies or classifies the target; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the first and second data connections, the at least one processor including a direction and range estimation processor configured to develop, from the received azimuth and elevation data and the target range information, data indicating target location in a three-dimensional coordinate system where three coordinates specify the position of the target in three-dimensional space.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the direction and range estimation processor is configured to develop data indicating said target location for unmanned systems including unmanned aerial systems weighing less than 55 pounds.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the radar-detected azimuth and elevation data comprise data detected by a low power x-band radar.

4. The system of claim 1 further including a further data connection that receives azimuth and elevation data of the target an optical sensor detects independently of the radar, wherein the direction and range estimation processor uses both the azimuth and elevation data detected by the optical sensor and the azimuth and elevation data detected by the radar.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor produces sensor movement control signals to control tracking movement of at least one sensor, and the at least one processor produces tracking data values to slew the tracking movement of the at least one sensor thereby tracking the target.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a directional radio frequency receiving antenna connected to RF spectrum analysis hardware and software that produces the radio frequency spectral analysis data.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a further data connection that provides radio frequency receiver data corresponding to signals received by an omnidirectional radio frequency receiving antenna and a directional radio frequency receiving antenna.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is configured to produce classification data that classifies objects of interest as targets and identifies unmanned vehicles utilizing multiple databases or libraries created and categorized with spectral signatures for unmanned vehicles.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the spectral signatures include sound, heat, radar data, and/or radio frequency wave pattern.

10. The system of claim 1 further including a direction finding receiver configured to produce search data for the target.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is configured to produce data that controls the direction of an automatic antenna alignment device to thereby track the target.

12. A target detection system for detecting small unmanned systems including drones, the target detection system comprising:

at least one radar configured to detect first azimuth and elevation data of a target;

at least one optical sensor configured to detect second azimuth and elevation data of the target;

at least one of the radar and the optical sensor producing target range information;

at least one radio frequency receiver configured to identify the target using radio frequency spectral analysis of radio frequency signals received from the target; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the at least one radar, the at least one optical sensor and the at least one radio frequency receiver, the at least one processor including a direction and range estimation processor configured to use the first and second detected azimuth and elevation data and the range information to determine target location in a three-dimensional coordinate system where the target location comprises three coordinates that together specify the position of the target in three-dimensional space.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the system is configured to detect unmanned aerial targets that weigh less than 55 pounds.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the radar comprises a low power xband radar.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the optical sensor detects azimuth and elevation data of the target independently of the radar.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor produces sensor movement signals, and implements slew to cue to track the target.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a directional radio frequency receiving antenna that tracks the target using the slew to cue.

18. The system of claim 12 further comprising an omnidirectional radio frequency receiving antenna and a directional radio frequency receiving antenna configured to receive radio signals emitted by the target.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor detects and identifies unmanned vehicles utilizing a database library comprising spectral signatures.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the spectral signatures include sound, heat, radar cross-section, and/or radio frequency wave pattern.

21. The system of claim 12 further including a direction finder to search for the target.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor controls the direction of an automatic antenna alignment target tracker.

23. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor performs image recognition algorithms.