Pat.#5486833: Active signalling systems
INVENTORS: Barrett; Terence W., Vienna, VA 22182
ASSIGNEES: none
ISSUED: Jan. 23, 1996
FILED: Apr. 2, 1993
ABSTRACT: A signalling system in time-frequency space for detecting targets in the presence of clutter and for penetrating media, includes a transmitter antenna system, receiver and processor system. The transmitter antenna system generates and launches into a medium containing the targets an energy pulse (wave packet) having a predetermined duration and frequency characteristic, and which energy pulse matches at least one of the following: 1) the time-frequency reflection characteristics of the target(s) but not the clutter, or 2) the penetration time-frequency dielectric window of the medium, or 3) the time-frequency characteristics of the window of the receiver. Preferably, the time-frequency wave packet is the complex conjugate of the impulse response of the combined medium and target. Theprocessor solves the wave equation for transmissions through the medium, reflectance from the target(s) and transmission back through the medium and causes a match of the generated wave packet signals to both the medium and target for maximum propagation through the medium and reflectance from the target, the wave packet match to the medium and the target being with respect to both time and frequency response characteristics.