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US 11,402,488 B2Granted
Sidelobe detector and angle/angle-rate estimator for a slewing monopulse antenna
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorAndrew L. Kintz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present system and method allow for accurate estimation of angle and angle rate for a target using a slewing antenna. These issues are accounted for by using a special form of non-coherent integration. An extension of the non-coherent integration may be used to estimate the target's angle rates. This technique can also be expanded to determine whether a target is in the main lobe or in a side lobe in one or two directions.
Claims19
An antenna system, comprising:
- a slewing monopulse antenna;
- a controller in communication with the slewing monopulse antenna, wherein the controller comprises a processing unit and a memory device, and the memory device contains instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, enable the controller to:
- receive a plurality of sets of observed monopulse signals from the antenna, each set of observed monopulse signals indicative of difference and sum channels, wherein each set of observed monopulse signals is generated for a respective pulse transmitted by the slewing monopulse antenna;
- associate each set of observed monopulse signals with a time and a slew angle;
- generate an observed monopulse vector for each set of observed monopulse signals;
- compare the observed monopulse vectors with test vectors, wherein the test vectors are generated over a range of angles using a-priori information about the antenna;
- and
- determine an angle of a target based on the comparison.
5 more elements
An antenna system, comprising:
- a slewing monopulse antenna, wherein the monopulse antenna transits pulses and has a main lobe and one or more sidelobes;
- a controller in communication with the slewing monopulse antenna, wherein the controller comprises a processing unit and a memory device, and the memory device contains instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, enable the controller to:
- receive a plurality of sets of observed monopulse signals from the antenna, each set of observed monopulse signals indicative of difference and sum channels, wherein each set of observed monopulse signals is generated for a respective pulse transmitted by the slewing monopulse antenna;
- generate an observed monopulse vector for each set of observed monopulse signals;
- compare the observed monopulse vectors with test vectors, wherein the test vectors are generated over a range of angles using a-priori information about the antenna, wherein the range of angles includes the one or more side lobes;
- and
- determine whether a target is within the main lobe or is in one of the one or more side lobes based on the comparison.
4 more elements
An antenna system, comprising:
- a slewing monopulse antenna, wherein the monopulse antenna transits pulses and has a main lobe and one or more sidelobes;
- a controller in communication with the slewing monopulse antenna, wherein the controller comprises a processing unit and a memory device, and the memory device contains instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, enable the controller to:
- receive a plurality of sets of observed monopulse signals from the antenna, each set of observed monopulse signals indicative of difference and sum channels, wherein each set of observed monopulse signals is generated for a respective pulse transmitted by the slewing monopulse antenna;
- generate an observed monopulse vector for each set of observed monopulse signals;
- compare the observed monopulse vectors with test vectors, wherein the test vectors are generated over a range of angles using a piecewise linear approximation of a discriminant, the discriminant defined as the ratio of the difference channel to the sum channel, wherein the range of angles includes the one or more side lobes;
- and
- determine whether the target is within the main lobe or is in one of the one or more side lobes based on the comparison.
4 more elements
An antenna system, comprising:
- a slewing monopulse antenna, wherein the monopulse antenna transits pulses having a main lobe and one or more sidelobes;
- a controller in communication with the slewing monopulse antenna, wherein the controller comprises a processing unit and a memory device, and the memory device contains instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, enable the controller to:
- slew the antenna to scan for targets;
- receive a plurality of sets of observed monopulse signals from the antenna, each set of observed monopulse signals indicative of difference and sum channels, wherein each set of observed monopulse signals is generated for a respective pulse transmitted by the slewing monopulse antenna;
- determine an angle of the target based on the sets of observed monopulse signals;
- compare the angle of the target to a library of objects that are known;
- if the object is known, continue slewing the antenna;
- if the object is not known, determining if the target is in the main lobe or in one of the one or more sidelobes;
- if the object is in one of the one or more sidelobes, continue slewing the antenna;
- and
- if the object is not known and is in the main lobe, slewing the antenna to the target.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.