Passive RF Emitter Identification System and Methods

Abstract

A blind RF emitter identifier includes the ability to receive an RF transmission from an RF emitter and assess various characteristics of the RF signal and/or RF emitter that produced the signal. The blind RF emitter identifier can operate upon well-defined RF transmissions produced by regulated devices, but can also operate upon unknown devices that may not adhere to any RF standard or definition. An RF signal received by the blind RF emitter identifier can be demodulated through approximate and/or iterative techniques to reveal a bit stream rich in content. In one embodiment, the RF emitter identifier can discard unneeded bit streams (e.g., related to synchronization, payload, etc) and retain a string of bits that identify the device. The blind RF emitter identifier can also retain the baud rate, modulation, and other characteristics for subsequent comparison with other transmissions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.