Timothy S O'Donnell

US Patent:

7282695, Oct 16, 2007

Filed:

Feb 24, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/064589

Inventors:

Jonathan L. Weber - Nashua NH, US
Timothy J. O'Donnell - Bedford NH, US
Norman O. Marler - Mont Vernon NH, US
Kathryn G. Lanier - Mont Vernon NH, US

Assignee:

BAE Systems Information and Electric Systems Integration Inc. - Nashua NH

International Classification:

G02F 1/01
G01C 21/02
G01C 3/00
G01C 3/08

US Classification:

250225, 2502031, 356 401, 356 502

Abstract:

It has been found that target optics produce non-specular, augmented optical returns when interrogated by a laser pulse. This non-specular radiation is detected by an active laser search system employing a direct-reading, thresholded focal plane detector that is able to detect non-cooperating targets with optics that employ a detector or optical element at the focal plane of their receiving optics. The pulses returned from such target optics have a width commensurate with the original transmitted pulse width, whereas passive background noise and the spread out active returns from the ground exhibit temporally long returns. By setting the sensor threshold sufficiently high, the system discriminates against noise and clutter while at the same time reducing the number of sweeps required to detect a target within the search area.

US Patent:

7505689, Mar 17, 2009

Filed:

Jan 27, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/044821

Inventors:

Robert C. Guyer - Beverly MA, US
Tate J. Keegan - Goffstown NH, US
Kevin A. LaRochelle - Goffstown NH, US
Timothy J. O'Donnell - Bedford NH, US
Joseph M. Schlupf - Newburyport MA, US
Heather L. Keegan - Goffstown NH, US

Assignee:

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. - Nashua NH

International Classification:

H04B 10/00

US Classification:

398138, 398 41, 398135, 398136, 398128

Abstract:

A transceiver system allows for simultaneous operation of transmit and receive modes, even in shared path configurations, by temporarily making the receiver insensitive to transmitter energy and by modifying standard readout technology to rapidly dissipate any transmitter energy deposited onto the receiver's detector elements. The entirely electronic technique alerts the receiver to the imminent emission of each transmitter pulse. This alert opens a gate voltage switch in the readout and prevents energy that is present on the detector from being passed to the readout integrator. As soon as the transmitter pulse has passed and any charges it generated on the detector have been dissipated, the switch is automatically closed and the receiver is again fully active. Since this on/off switching happens automatically and rapidly it can operate independently from, and have very little impact on the receiver. Furthermore, it levies absolutely no limitations whatsoever on the operation of the transmitter.