Systems and methods for phased array beam control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10340593-B2
Application number	US-201615053278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2016
Priority date	Feb 25, 2016
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

Described embodiments provide techniques for controlling a phased array system by a control system including one or more distributed control stations. At least one of the control stations displays a control interface having a status window, a beam window, and a scan window. The control system instructs the phased array system to operate in an operating mode selected from among selectable operating modes displayed in the status window. In the beam window, at least one beam is selected from among selectable beams available to track a target. The control system instructs the phased array system to form the selected beam and assigns the formed beam to (i) track a target detected by the phased array system, or (ii) monitor a selected location. The scan window displays (i) targets tracked by the phased array system, and (ii) beams generated by the phased array system.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a phased array system by a distributed control system comprising one or more control stations, the method comprising:
displaying, by each of the one or more control stations, a control interface of the phased array system, the control interface comprising a status window, a beam window and a scan window;
instructing the phased array system to operate in a selected operating mode, the operating mode selected from among at least one selectable operating mode of the phased array system displayed in the status window of the control interface, wherein the at least one selectable operating mode of the phased array system comprises at least one of an open loop mode and a closed loop mode;
receiving a selection in the beam window of at least one beam, the at least one beam selected from among one or more selectable beams of the phased array system available to track a target;
instructing, through each of the one or more control stations, the phased array system to form the selected at least one beam;
assigning, through each of the one or more control stations, the formed beam to (i) track a selected target detected by the phased array system, or (ii) monitor a selected location;
displaying, in the scan window of the control interface, (i) targets tracked by the phased array system, and (ii) beams generated by the phased array system:
receiving a selection of the closed loop operating mode of the phased array system in the status window;
receiving a selection of an available beam in the beam window;
receiving a drag of the selected beam from the beam window over a desired target in the scan window;
assigning the selected beam to track the desired target,
after receiving the selection of the closed loop mode and receiving the selection of the available beam, instructing the phased array system to form the selected beam at a determined azimuth and elevation; and
in response to telemetry data of the formed beam, automatically adjusting the azimuth and elevation of the formed beam to acquire and track a desired target.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the one or more beams displayed in the beam window when a beam is assigned to track the desired target.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a selection of the open loop operating mode of the phased array system in the status window;
receiving a selection of an available beam in the beam window;
receiving a drag of the selected beam from the beam window over a desired region in the scan window; and
assigning the selected beam to monitor the desired region.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
after receiving the selection of the open loop mode and receiving the selection of the available beam, instructing the phased array system to form the selected beam at a determined azimuth and elevation.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
updating the one or more beams displayed in the beam window when a beam is assigned to monitor the desired region.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying, in the scan window, telemetry data of at least one assigned target; and providing feedback indicative of the telemetry data, wherein the feedback is at least one of: audible feedback, visual feedback and haptic feedback.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more control stations are in communication via a communications network and wherein the one or more control stations are located in separate geographic locations.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more control stations are located in separate geographic locations than the phased array system.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one beam is operable in at least one of: an L-frequency band, an S-frequency band, and a C-frequency band.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more control stations comprises a touchscreen, the method further comprising:
receiving input from an operator of the control station by one or more touch gestures, wherein the one or more touch gestures include at least one of: a tap, a double tap, a multiple tap, a tap and hold, a tap and drag, a release, and a drag and drop.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
receiving a single tap selects an operating mode of the phased array system;
receiving a double tap turns off a generated beam;
receiving a tap and hold shows information associated with a generated beam;
receiving a tap and drag selects an available beam and moves the available beam over a target or region, and a release generates the beam and assigns the beam to monitor the target or region.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising acquiring a target along a dynamic path, the dynamic path set by an operator of the phased array system.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising steering an assigned beam around an unintended or interfering target.

14. A distributed control system for a phased array system, the control system comprising:
one or more distributed control stations, the control stations each comprising at least one screen;
each control station configured to:
display, on the at least one screen, a control window of the phased array system, the control window comprising a status window, a beam window, and a scan window;
display, in the status window, at least one selectable operating mode of the phased array system, wherein the at least one selectable operating mode of the phased array system comprises at least one of: an open loop mode and a closed loop mode;
display, in the beam window, one or more beams of the phased array system available to track a target;
operate the phased array system in a selected operating mode;
receive a selection input selecting at least one beam and cause the phased array system to form the selected at least one beam;
assign the formed beam to (i) track a selected target detected by the phased array system, or (ii) monitor a selected location;
display, in the scan window, (i) targets tracked by the phased array system, and (ii) beams formed by the phased array system;
cause the phased array system to track each of the assigned targets and monitor each of the assigned locations,
receive a selection input selecting the closed loop operating mode of the phased array system in the status window;
receive a selection input selecting an available beam in the beam window;
receive a selection input dragging the selected beam from the beam window over a desired target in the scan window;
cause the phased array system to generate the selected beam at a determined azimuth and elevation;
assign the selected beam to track the desired target and, in response to telemetry data of the formed beam, automatically adjust the azimuth and elevation of the formed beam to acquire and track the desired target; and
update the one or more beams displayed in the beam window when a beam is assigned to track the desired target.

15. The control system of claim 14 , each control station further configured to:
receive a selection input selecting the open loop operating mode of the phased array system in the status window;
receive a selection input selecting an available beam in the beam window;
receive a selection input dragging the selected beam from the beam window over a desired region in the scan window;
cause the phased array system to generate the selected beam at a determined azimuth and elevation;
assign the selected beam to monitor the desired region; and
update the one or more beams displayed in the beam window when a beam is assigned to track

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Micono Jeffrey G
• Pace Michael T
• Petty Michael A
• Patscheck Christopher S

Classifications

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G01S7/22

  Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means · CPC title

• H01Q3/005 Primary

  using remotely controlled antenna positioning or scanning · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G01S2013/0254

  Active array antenna · CPC title