Honeywell International Inc.

Raytheon Bbn Technologies Corp.

James A Freebersyser

Srivatsan Varadarajan

David W Meyers

Vicraj T Thomas

Michael Joseph Geile

Michael R Franceschini

John B McKitterick

Dongsong Zeng

Harold Vincent Poor

During flight, a military aircraft can use an infrared countermeasures (IRCM) system. The IRCM system can use a wide field of view sensor to detect a spectral signature of a missile and record a coarse estimate of the angular location of the missile. Upon such detection, the IRCM system can trigger a narrow field of view sensor to more finely determine the angular location of the missile. The narrow field of view sensor can emit infrared light toward the missile, which can confuse the guidance system of the missile and can help redirect the missile away from the aircraft. During time intervals when the narrow field of view sensor is not actively locating a missile, the IRCM system can use the narrow field of view sensor to form an infrared communications link with a corresponding narrow field of view sensor of a corresponding IRCM system of another aircraft.

Airborne infrared countermeasures systems and method for establishing an infrared communications link between airborne infrared countermeasures systems

A system and method for maintaining spatio-temporal data for a given area (e.g., an airspace) containing a given node (e.g., an aircraft) and one or more other nodes (e.g., aircraft). The given aircraft may break the given airspace into a first plurality of smaller airspaces, and may also break the given airspace into a second plurality of smaller airspaces. The given aircraft may then detect local spatio-temporal data for each smaller airspace located within its detectable range. The aircraft may also receive remote spatio-temporal data for the smaller airspaces from the one or more other aircraft. Thereafter, the aircraft may update stored spatio-temporal data based on the aircraft's navigation data, the local spatio-temporal data, the remote spatio-temporal data, and/or a reliability of the data. Further, the aircraft may transmit the stored spatio-temporal data for receipt by the one or more other aircraft.

Method and system for maintaining spatio-temporal data

A communication system is provided. The communication system comprises a remote transmitter, at least one central unit, and M number of nodes distributed in a coverage area to form a distributed array antenna in order to receive signals from the at least one remote transmitter and retransmit the received signals to the at least one central unit such that when combined the retransmitted signals form a composite signal with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) array gain of approximately M and the time to receive the retransmitted signals at the at least one central unit is increased by an inflation rate of approximately M or less.

Distributed array reception

A method and system for communicating using pulsed radar signal data links is disclosed. The method comprises encoding downlink data with a signature sequence as a secondary function onto a continuous wave pulse signal having a primary function at a master device. The data-encoded pulse signal from the master device is interpreted at one or more slave devices configured to receive the pulse signal within a first communications bandwidth of the primary and secondary functions. The master device synchronizes returning communication transmissions from each of the one or more slave devices for the secondary function within a prescribed return interval of the primary function.

Method and system for communicating using pulsed radar signal data links

A method and system are disclosed where transmitted radar pulses are utilized for both a radar sensing function and for data communications. The data communications are performed in a manner that is simultaneous and transparent to the radar sensing function, in terms of non interference or interruption. The method and system are applicable to data communications between multiple pulsed radar devices as well as radar devices that are capable of receiving pulsed transmissions and transmitting continuous wave transmissions.

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Chanhassen, MN, United States of America

James A Freebersyser