Systems and methods for pulse descriptor word generation using blind source separation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429491-B2
Application number	US-201615262987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A method for generating pulse descriptor words (PDWs) including frequency and/or bandwidth data from time-varying signals received by a sensor includes filtering, at a plurality of blind source separation (BSS) modules, signals derived from the time-varying signals, each BSS module including a filtering subsystem having a plurality of filter modules. Each filter module has a frequency filter coefficient (α) and is parameterized by a center frequency (f). The method also includes transmitting at least one blind source separated signal from the BSS modules to a PDW generation module communicatively coupled to the filtering subsystem. The method further includes generating, using the PDW generation module and based on the blind source separated signal, at least one PDW parameter vector signal containing the frequency data. The method also includes updating, upon generating and based on the PDW parameter vector signal, values of α and/or f for each filter module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for generating pulse descriptor words (“PDWs”) including at least one of frequency data and bandwidth data, from a plurality of time-varying signals using a signal data processor, said method comprising:
filtering, at a plurality of blind source separation (“BSS”) modules of the signal data processor, signals derived from the plurality of time-varying signals, each BSS module of the plurality of BSS modules including a filtering subsystem having a plurality of filter modules, wherein each filter module of the plurality of filter modules has a frequency filter coefficient (“α”) and is parameterized by a center frequency (“f”);
transmitting at least one blind source separated signal from the plurality of BSS modules to a PDW generation module communicatively coupled to the filtering subsystem;
generating, using the PDW generation module and based on the at least one blind source separated signal, at least one PDW parameter vector signal containing the frequency data;
updating, upon generating the at least one PDW parameter vector signal, and based thereupon, at least one of a value of a and α value of f for each filter module of the plurality of filter modules;
outputting the at least one PDW parameter vector signal from the PDW generation module to a computing device communicatively coupled to the signal data processor; and
directing movement of a vehicle based on the at least one PDW parameter vector signal.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising storing, in a memory communicatively coupled to the signal data processor, at least one of an updated value of α and an updated value of f, wherein updating at least one of the value of α and the value of f comprises transmitting at least one of the updated value of α and the updated value of f to the each filter module to facilitate tracking the frequency data for the plurality of time-varying signals.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising storing, in a memory communicatively coupled to the signal data processor, at least one of an initial value of α and an initial value of f.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein filtering signals comprises receiving denoised signals and state energy signals from at least one signal denoising module, said method further comprising determining a value of signal energy of the signals to facilitate tracking at least one of the frequency data and the bandwidth data for the plurality of time-varying signals.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein filtering the signals comprises using at least one filter module of the plurality of filter modules having a bandwidth filter coefficient (“β”) and further parameterized by a bandwidth (“w”), and wherein said method further comprises updating at least one of a value of β and a value of w of the at least one filter module.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5 further comprising storing, in a memory communicatively coupled to the signal data processor, at least one of an updated value of β and an updated value of w, wherein updating at least one of the value of β and the value of w comprises transmitting at least one of the updated value of β and the updated value of w to the each filter module to facilitate tracking the bandwidth data for the plurality of time-varying signals.

7. The method in accordance with claim 5 further comprising storing, in a memory communicatively coupled to the signal data processor, at least one of an initial value of β and an initial value of w.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising displaying at least one of the at least one PDW parameter vector signal and information derived therefrom on a display.

9. A system for processing a plurality of time-varying signals to generate at least one pulse descriptor word (“PDW”) including at least one of frequency data and bandwidth data, said system comprising:
a sensor configured to receive the at least one time-varying signal;
a signal data processor communicatively coupled to said sensor and comprising:
a plurality of blind source separation (“BSS”) modules, each BSS module of said plurality of BSS modules comprising a filtering subsystem comprising a plurality of filter modules, wherein each filter module of said plurality of filter modules has a frequency filter coefficient (“α”) and is parameterized by a center frequency (“f”); and
a PDW generation module communicatively coupled to said filtering subsystem, said plurality of BSS modules configured to filter signals derived from the plurality of time-varying signals and transmit at least one blind source separated signal to said PDW generation module, said PDW generation module configured to generate, based on the at least one blind source separated signal, at least one PDW parameter vector signal containing the frequency data to facilitate updating, substantially simultaneously with generating the at least one PDW parameter vector signal, and based thereupon, at least one of a value of α and a value of f for each filter module of said plurality of filter modules;

a computing device communicatively coupled to said signal data processor, said computing device configured to receive the at least one PDW parameter vector signal from said PDW generation module; and
a vehicle in communication with said computing device, said system configured to direct movement of said vehicle based on the at least one PDW parameter vector signal.

10. The system in accordance with claim 9 further comprising a memory configured to store at least one of an updated value of α and an updated value of f, wherein said each filter module is configured to receive at least one of the updated value of α and the updated value of f to facilitate tracking the frequency data for the plurality of time-varying signals.

11. The system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said computing device is communicatively coupled to said memory, said computing device further configured to:
deinterleave the at least one PDW parameter vector signal; and
transmit at least one frequency word signal to said signal data processing to further facilitate updating, substantially simultaneously with generating the at least one PDW parameter vector signal, and based thereupon, at least one of the value of α and the value of f for said each filter module.

12. The system in accordance with claim 11 further comprising a display communicatively coupled to said computing device, said computing device configured to display at least one of the at least one PDW parameter vector signal and information derived therefrom on said display.

13. The system in accordance with claim 9 further comprising at least one signal denoising module configured to generate denoised signals and state energy signals derived from the plurality of time-varying signals, said system configured to determine a value of signal energy of the signals to facilitate tracking at least one of the frequency data and the bandwidth data for the plurality of time-varying signals.

14. The system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein at least one filter module of said plurality of filter modules has a bandwidth filter coefficient (“β”) and is further parameterized by a bandwidth (“w”), the at least one PDW parameter vector signal further containing the bandwidth data to facilitate updating, substantially simultaneously with generating the at least one PDW parameter vector signal, and based thereupon, at least one of a value of β and a value of w of said at least one filter module.

15. The system in accordance with claim 14 further comprising a memory configur

Assignees

• Boeing Co
• Hrl Lab Llc

Inventors

• Ray Gary Alan
• Petre Peter
• Martin Charles E
• Rao Shankar R

Classifications

• G01S7/021 Primary

  Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like, e.g. radar jamming signals · CPC title

• G01R23/155

  giving an indication of the number of times this occurs, i.e. multi-channel analysers (for pulse characteristics) · CPC title

• G01S7/2923 Primary

  based on data belonging to a number of consecutive radar periods · CPC title

• G01S7/006

  using shared front-end circuitry, e.g. antennas (G01S13/765, G01S13/825 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01S13/66

  Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems · CPC title