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US 9,996,079 B2Granted
Radio frequency device detection and intervention
AssigneeCitadel Defense Company
InventorsDaniel Magy, Henrik Borgstrom, Graham Booth, Joao Diogo de Mesquita Piquard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, devices and methods are disclosed for detecting, characterizing and engaging unmanned vehicles. In one aspect, a method includes detecting an object, such as an unmanned aerial, land or aquatic vehicle that communicates using a radio control (RC) communications protocol, traveling to a zone including scanning one or more frequencies of RF signals; analyzing one or both of time and frequency information of the RF signals to characterize the detected object; and engaging the detected object as an authorized or unauthorized object in the monitored zone.
Claims30
A method for monitoring and protecting a designated area, the method comprising:
- detecting an object traveling to a zone by:
- scanning one or more frequency bands of one or more received radio frequency (RF) signals;
- mixing the one or more received RF signals with a local oscillator signal provided by a phase locked loop in order to generate a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal and a second IF signal, wherein the first IF signal and the second IF signal are out of phase;
- filtering the first IF signal and the second IF signal with a narrow-band filter to generate a first filtered IF signal in a first phase and second filtered IF signal in a second phase;
- amplifying the first filtered IF signal in the first phase and the second filtered IF signal in the second phase;
- generating, via an RF power detector, a first analog power signal for the first filtered IF signal in the first phase and a second analog power signal for the second filtered IF signal in the second phase;
- determining a first RF power for first filtered IF signal in the first phase based on the first analog power signal and a second RF power for second filtered IF signal in the second phase based on the second analog power signal;
- generating an RF signature based on the first RF power associated with the first filtered IF signal in the first phase and the second RF power associated with the second filtered IF signal in the second phase;
- comparing the RF signature to one or more known RC communication protocols;
- based on the comparing the RF signature to one or more known RC communication protocols, determining an RC communication protocol used by the object;
- and
- engaging the detected object by transmitting an interference signal in synchrony with the RC communication protocol of the object.
9 more elements
A system for protecting a territory from unauthorized drones, the system comprising:
- one or more wireless signal detection units positioned around a designated area, each wireless signal detection unit comprising one or more antennas and being configured to:
- receive radio frequency (RF) signal from a drone flying in a detection region included inside and/or outside the designated area;
- scan one or more frequency bands of the one or more received radio frequency (RF) signals;
- mix the one or more received RF signals with a local oscillator signal provide by a phase locked loop in order to generate a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal and a second IF signal, wherein the first IF signal, wherein the first IF signal and the second IF signal are out of phase;
- filter the first IF signal and the second IF signal with a narrow-band filter to generate a first filtered IF signal in a first phase and a second filtered IF signal in a second phase;
- amplify the first filtered IF signal in the first phase and the second filtered IF signal in the second phase;
- generate, via an RF power detector, a first analog power signal for the first filtered IF signal in the first phase and a second analog power signal for the second filtered IF signal in the second phase;
- determine a first RF power for a first filtered IF signal in the first phase based on the first analog power signal and a second RF power for second filtered IF signal in the second phase based on the second analog power signal;
- generate an RF signature based on the first RF power associated with the first filtered IF signal in the first phase and the second RF power associated with the second filtered IF signal in the second phase;
- and
- a data processing system in communication with the one or more wireless signal detection units, the data processing system comprising a memory comprising executable instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions and cause the data processing system to:
- receive an RF signature from at least one of the one or more wireless signal detection units;
- compare the RF signature to one or more known RC communication protocols;
- based on the comparing the RF signature to one or more known RC communication protocols, determine an RC communication protocol used by the drone;
- and
- engage the detected from by causing an interference signal to be transmitted in synchrony with the RC communication protocol of the drone.
13 more elements
A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions, which, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the device to perform a method of monitoring and protecting a designated area, the method comprising:
- detecting an object traveling to a zone by:
- scanning one or more frequencies of one or more radio frequency (RF) signals;
- mixing the one or more received RF signals with a local oscillator signal provided by a phase locked loop in order to generate a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal and a second IF signal, wherein the first IF signal and the second IF signal are out of phase;
- filtering the first IF signal and the second IF signal with a narrow-band filter to generate a first filtered IF signal in a first phase and a second filtered IF signal in a second phase;
- amplifying the first filtered IF signal in the first phase and the second filtered IF signal in the second phase;
- generating, via an RF power detector, a first analog power signal for the first filtered IF signal in the first phase and a second analog power signal for the second filtered IF signal in the second phase;
- determining a first RF power for the first filtered IF signal in the first phase based on the first analog power signal and a second RF power for second filtered IF signal in the second phase based on the second analog power signal;
- generating an RF signature based on the first RF power associated with the first filtered IF signal in the first phase and the second RF power associated with the second filtered IF signal in the second phase;
- comparing the RF signature to one or more known RC communication protocols;
- based on the comparing the RF signature to one or more known RC communication protocols, determining an RC communication protocol used by the object;
- and
- engaging the detected object by transmitting an interference signal in synchrony with the RC communication protocol of the object.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.