Raytheon Company

William L Lewis

Eric N Boe

John Fraschilla

Jeffrey A Kardatzke

A method and system use the mutual coupling property of multiple antenna elements for measuring differences in propagation time among various signal paths involving antenna elements in a radio frequency transmit/receive system. The method and system alleviate the need for external test equipment by using the same hardware used in standard operation of the transmit/receive system for performing propagation time measurement through the generation, mutual coupling, and acquisition of a specially selected reference signal. In an embodiment involving calibration of various signal paths to realize matched propagation times, the signal energy returned through these various paths during standard system operation arrives for acquisition more closely coincident in time, increasing the instantaneous bandwidth of the system.

Method and system for propagation time measurement and calibration using mutual coupling in a radio frequency transmit/receive system

A method and system use the mutual coupling property of multiple antenna elements for characterizing signal waveform distortion introduced by items in the signal path, including the antenna elements, of a radio frequency transmit/receive system. The method and system alleviate the need for external test equipment by using the same hardware used in standard operation of the transmit/receive system for performing waveform distortion characterization through the generation, mutual coupling, and acquisition of a reference signal. In an embodiment involving application of complementary inverse predistortion to generation of an operational signal and/or to processing of a received operational signal, the signal as received and processed during standard system operation is compensated for distortion contributed by system hardware, improving impulse response and system performance.

Method and system for signal distortion characterization and predistortion compensation using mutual coupling in a radio frequency transmit/receive system

A duty dithering method for use with electronic support measures and radar warning receivers, and the like, that provides for improved probability of intercept at low utilization levels. The electronic support measures (ESM) system and radar warning receiver are controlled by a multi-system sensor manager having an ESM scheduler. In accordance with the present method, a maximum duty cycle is chosen for the ESM system. The chosen duty cycle is allocated to the ESM system each frame by the ESM scheduler. At the beginning of each frame, the ESM scheduler picks a random offset and subtracts it from the maximum duty to compute an ESM duty for that frame. The ESM scheduler commands data collections based on the computed duty for that frame. This step is repeated each frame.

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Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

William L Lewis