The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 20, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 23, 1997
John H Murphy, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Laurence E Kline, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Harvey C Nathanson, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Harry V Winsor, Catonsville, MD (US);
Northrop Grumman Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
An array of individual and autonomous modules are deployed in a region to be surveilled. Each module, contained in an air dropable bomblet, includes a GPS system for determining the exact location of the deployed module. The module also includes an rf receiver and transmitter, as well as an atomic clock circuit for providing highly precise time and clocking signals, with operation of the module circuitry being governed by a control computer. The computers of the modules are individually programmed such that the modules of the array collectively operate as a distributed phased array antenna system, but without any hardwired interconnection between the modules. In another embodiment a single receiver is utilized and the apparatus operates on the frequency set of the GPS system.