Texas Instruments Corporation

Hughes Aircraft Company

Kenneth K Colson

George W LeCompte

Patrick A Whipps

Charles B Muse

Bryan S Reese

Jack R Markle

With a controlled scanning device (5, 6, 7), such as a FLIR, the scene which provides a modulated source is scanned with the scanning frequency being changed. This results in scanning of the scene with two different known scanning frequencies. By knowing the change in sampling frequency and correlating the changes in the Fourier frequency results in a spectrum analyzer (13), the frequency of the modulated source, including a source modulated at frequencies higher than the sampling rate of the sensor, is remotely measured.

Remote sensing of modulated sources by undersampled methods

An infrared tracker for tracking a carrier in clutter comprises a pyrotechnically heated emitter, a beam concentrator, and a blanking means all of which are mounted on the carrier, and a command link, a thermal detector, a display signal storage means, a display, and a comparator all of which are located remotely to the carrier, said command link operative to provide an emitter start-up signal and a blanking command signal, said emitter and blanking means operative in response to the command signals sent to the carrier when there is clutter present that might be confused with the carrier, respectively, to actuate the emitter and blanking means, said display storage means operative to store a first video frame of the carrier while the emitter is blanked out, and said comparator for ocmparing the first video frame without the emitter to a subsequent video frame including the emitter to distinguish between the clutter is being substantially canceled.

Carrier tracking system

Growing community of inventors

Dallas, TX, United States of America

Kenneth K Colson