Phase difference of arrival geolocation

DWPI Title: Method of geolocating a transmitter located on earth, by combining phase changes of received frequency carrier between transmitter and platforms to determine transmitter location
Abstract: Geolocation is performed by receiving, at a plurality of non-earthbound platforms each moving in a known manner within a spatial coordinate system, a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from a transmitter at an unknown location on earth within the spatial coordinate system. For each of the platforms, a phase change of the received frequency carrier is measured over the same duration of time. The measured phase changes are combined to determine the transmitter location.
Use: Method of geolocating a transmitter located on earth.
Advantage: More than two phase measurements per platform are used to reduce measurement noise. Time synchronization may not be required, however frequency synchronization at the platforms is required in all cases to eliminate uncontrolled phase changes due to oscillator drift. The phase measurements used permit rapidly changing signal frequency to be accommodated in frequency-of-arrival (FOA)-based radio-frequency emitter geolocation.
Novelty: The method involves receiving (41), at non-earthbound platforms each moving in a known manner within a spatial coordinate system, a frequency carrier transmitted from the transmitter at an unknown location on earth within the spatial coordinate system. For each of the platforms, over a same duration of time, a phase change of the received frequency carrier between the transmitter and an associated platform is measured (42). The measured phase changes are combined (43) to determine the transmitter location.
Filed: 6/19/2012
Application Number: US13527383A
Tech ID: SD 11808.0
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate
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