Deployable intelligence and tracking system for homeland security and search and rescue

• US 8,446,321 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ERA as (Omnipol as)
• Original Assignee: Omnipol as
• Inventors: Smith, Alexander E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US11/649,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20130093625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 342/442, 342455-457, 342/463, 342/465, 701/117, 701/120
• US Class Current: 342/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/30 the synchronised signals being continuous waves or intermittent trains of continuous waves, the intermittency not being for the purpose of determining direction or position line and the transit times being compared by measuring the phase difference
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/22 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/28 takes precedence

Abstract

This invention builds on previous industry techniques to correlate data from a variety of sources for the purposes of tracking and identifying aircraft, vehicles, and marine vessels in real time over a variety of different areas including oceans and mountainous terrain. Passive broadband tracking of aircraft emitters, and electronic fingerprinting of emitters, correlated with audio, video, infrared, primary radar and other information is employed to provide a comprehensive assessment of an aircraft'"'"'s position, track and identification for a variety of applications including homeland security and search and rescue.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a target, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a plurality of sensors at a plurality of locations, a plurality of signals from the target on a wide frequency band of one or more of aircraft, vehicle, vessel, and fixed target emitted signals;

time-stamping the plurality of signals with time stamps indicating when the signals arrive at the plurality of locations; and

determining position of the target using time difference of arrival of the plurality of signals at the plurality of locations,

wherein one or more of the sensors is installed at one or more of a fixed location, buoy-mounted, ship mounted, aircraft mounted or unmanned aerial vehicle mounted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the target is one or more of an aircraft, vehicle, vessel, or fixed target.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, from the target, electronic intelligence data to categorize emitter type of the target; and

correlating the target track with electronic intelligence data to correlate emitter type to the tracked target.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the emitter comprises an emitter located on one or more of aircraft, vehicles, marine vessels, and a surface to air missile (SAM) battery.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the emitter comprises one or more of JTIDS, IFF, DME, TACAN, VAT, SSR, Mode S, ADS-B, weather radar, jamming radar, communications, electromagnetic pulses, and pulse emitters.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

tracking the target using Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS); and

validating an ADS track using the target position determined using time difference of arrival of the plurality of signals at the plurality of locations.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

correlating of the emitter location with information including one or more of noise levels, noise spectra, vibration, audio, video, primary radar, passive radar, secondary radar and infra red imagery.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

categorizing target type from one or more of noise levels, noise spectra, vibration, audio, video, primary radar, passive radar, secondary radar and infra red imagery.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of time-stamping the plurality of signals with time stamps indicating when the signals arrive at the plurality of locations further comprises the steps of:

receiving a time clock value from an individual sensor, and

time stamping a signal received at the sensor with a time clock value from the sensor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of time-stamping the plurality of signals with time stamps indicating when the signals arrive at the plurality of locations further comprises the steps of:

receiving a time clock value from a central server; and

time stamping a signal received at the sensor with a time clock value from the central server.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transmitting one or more of time stamp, timing, tracking and identification data from the plurality of sensors, to a central processor over one or more of analog line, digital line, internet, Ethernet, wireless, fiber, and microwave link,

wherein said step of determining position of the target using time difference of arrival of the plurality of signals at the plurality of locations comprises calculating position of the target at the central processor using data from the plurality of sensors.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensors and the central processor are one or more of a fixed system, deployable, and portable.

13. A system for tracking a target, comprising:

means for receiving, at a plurality of sensors at a plurality of locations, a plurality of signals from the target on a wide frequency band of one or more of aircraft, vehicle, vessel, and fixed target emitted signals;

means for time-stamping the plurality of signals with time stamps indicating when the signals arrive at the plurality of locations; and

means for determining position of the target using time difference of arrival of the plurality of signals at the plurality of locations,

wherein one or more of sensors is installed at one or more of a fixed location, buoy-mounted, ship mounted, aircraft mounted or unmanned aerial vehicle mounted.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the target is one or more of an aircraft, vehicle, vessel, or fixed target.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving, from the target, electronic intelligence data to categorize emitter type of the target; and

means for correlating the target track with electronic intelligence data to correlate emitter type to the tracked target.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the emitter comprises an emitter located on one or more of aircraft, vehicles, marine vessels, and a surface to air missile (SAM) battery.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the emitter comprises one or more of JTIDS, IFF, DME, TACAN, VAT, SSR, Mode S, ADS-B, weather radar, jamming radar, communications, electromagnetic pulses, and pulse emitters.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for tracking the target using Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS); and

means for validating an ADS track using the target position determined using time difference of arrival of the plurality of signals at the plurality of locations.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for correlating of the emitter location with information including one or more of noise levels, noise spectra, vibration, audio, video, primary radar, passive radar, secondary radar and infra red imagery.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for categorizing target type from one or more of noise levels, noise spectra, vibration, audio, video, primary radar, passive radar, secondary radar and infra red imagery.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for time-stamping the plurality of signals with time stamps indicating when the signals arrive at the plurality of locations further comprises:

means for receiving a time clock value from an individual sensor, and

means for time stamping a signal received at the sensor with a time clock value from the sensor.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for time-stamping the plurality of signals with time stamps indicating when the signals arrive at the plurality of locations further comprises:

means for receiving a time clock value from a central server; and

means for time-stamping a signal received at the sensor with a time clock value from the central server.

23. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for transmitting one or more of time stamp, timing, tracking and identification data from the plurality of sensors, to a central processor, said means for transmitting including one or more of analog line, digital line, interne, Ethernet, wireless, fiber, and microwave link,

wherein said means for determining position of the target using time difference of arrival of the plurality of signals at the plurality of locations comprises means for calculating position of the target at the central processor using data from the plurality of sensors.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensors and the central processor are one or more of a fixed system, deployable, and portable.