Various embodiments that pertain to surface non-uniformity detection through use of radio waves are described. A vehicle can transmit radio waves to an area the vehicle is traveling to, such as a road in front of an automobile. The automobile can receive and process returned radio waves to determine if the road has a non-uniformity, such as a significant pothole or speed bump. If the road has the non-uniformity, then a driver of the automobile can be alerted so the driver can decide if evasive action should be taken and take such action if appropriate.

An aircraft display system to present a real-time, three-dimensional depiction of a region around an aircraft, where this three-dimensional depiction is fixed to the aircraft's coordinate location and attitude. As the aircraft moves in attitude (e.g. roll, pitch, or yaw), in altitude (e.g., climbing and descending), and/or laterally, the three-dimensional depiction tilts and moves with the aircraft. The display may include a three-dimensional volumetric representation that may identify and prioritize hazards in the region around the aircraft. The aircraft display system may combine data from a plurality of sensors into a composite, real-time, three-dimensional synthetic vision display that determines a priority for each hazard.

Various embodiments that pertain to surface non-uniformity detection through use of radio waves are described. A vehicle can transmit radio waves to an area the vehicle is traveling to, such as a road in front of an automobile. The automobile can receive and process returned radio waves to determine if the road has a non-uniformity, such as a significant pothole or speed bump. If the road has the non-uniformity, then a driver of the automobile can be alerted so the driver can decide if evasive action should be taken and take such action if appropriate.

An apparatus includes a communications interface configured to receive, at a first aircraft, data related to a radiofrequency (RF) survey of a particular location. The RF survey is based on RF samples from at least a second aircraft. The apparatus further includes a radio, an onboard network system (ONS) configured to determine that the first aircraft is approaching the particular location, and a radio controller coupled to the radio. The radio controller is configured to automatically adjust, based on the RF survey and responsive to determining that the first aircraft is approaching the particular location, a parameter of the radio.

A SYSTEM FOR DETECTING AND VISUALIZING TARGETS BY AIRBORNE RADAR, comprising a plurality of N antennae with a narrow beam in elevation and wide in azimuth, regularly disposed on a rotary base coupled to an engine, the elevation orientations of said antennae being staggered according to a defined pattern, each antenna being associated to a radar device endowed with computer means furnishing information relating to distance, azimuth, elevation and speed of fixed and moving obstacles above and below the plane of said rotary base. Some antennae point towards a place above the horizon, the angles of view being progressively descending so as to cover a volume that extends above and below the plane of the horizon, and may reach the ground. Said volume results from the sum of the volumes of superimposed cones, each cone corresponding to an elevation angle. The system combines the images of the N conical volumes to provide the pilot or operator a three-dimensional image.

A trajectory tracking system includes a set of dynamic models, a trajectory database, a trajectory handler, a parameter extractor and a classifier. There is one dynamic model per expected obstacle type and it models an expected trajectory of a point of normal incidence (PNI) of the expected obstacle. The trajectory database stores trajectories for a current set of obstacles being tracked. The trajectory handler at least associates incoming detections to existing trajectories and to update the existing trajectories. The parameter extractor periodically extracts parameters from the trajectories and the classifier classifies obstacles associated with the trajectories at least based on the parameters of the trajectories and on associated the dynamic models for the trajectories.

This disclosure is directed to techniques for an FMCW radar system to determine an unambiguous radial velocity of a target. The radar system measures the Doppler shift in the received return signal reflected from the target, while the radar system simultaneously performs normal surveillance functions. Such a radar system may digitize the beat frequency that results from mixing the received return signal from a target the transmitted signal for a given frequency ramp. The radar system may divide the usable digitized samples at the output of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) into a number of subsets and analyze the frequencies in each subset. Because each subset of samples covers a time interval that may be substantially less than the period of each frequency ramp, the radar system may extract without ambiguity the Doppler velocity of a target within as little as the period of single frequency ramp.

A method for radar-based object avoidance for a movable platform includes performing a plurality of ping-pong measurements to receive electromagnetic signals corresponding to an object and background clutters by a radar of the movable platform, and distinguishing the object from the background clutters. Each of the ping-pong measurements includes a first measurement and a second measurement. A first direction of the first measurement is different from a second direction of the second measurement.

A vertical landing vehicle including an airframe forming a hull and having at least one wing coupled to the airframe, at least one proximity sensor coupled to the airframe, and a flight control system including a control processor and an operator interface, wherein the at least one proximity sensor is coupled to the control processor, wherein the control processor, based on signals from the at least one proximity sensor, is configured to generate, for presentation through the operator interface, situational awareness indications corresponding to portions of the hull sensed by the at least one proximity sensor and obstacles sensed by the at least one proximity sensor, and wherein the situational awareness indications comprise a terrain map overlay including positional relationships between the hull and the obstacles.

A system and method to separate close targets includes transmitting a pulse sequence and detecting a first target at a first target Doppler frequency based on processed received reflections resulting from the pulse sequence. A nulling pulse sequence designed to null the processed received reflections at the target Doppler frequency is transmitted.