The present disclosure provides satellite tracking systems and tracking methods. The satellite tracking system includes an array of antenna elements and a control unit. A feed current for each of the antenna elements passes through a phase shifter. The control unit generates a control signal for the phase shifter. The satellite tracking system searches, positions, and tracks a target satellite in accordance with the control signal. The satellite tracking systems and methods utilize step scanning and particle swarm optimization in the search stage, compensating for gaps formed during the satellite searching in the positioning stage, and conical scanning in the tracking stage.

A correlation and track system identifies whether a Radar warning (RW) Track contains one or more emitters by receiving a set of initial Short and Long Baseline Interferometer (SBI) (LBI) detections; receiving inertial navigational data; receiving subsequent LBI detections; determining whether the LBI detections represent one or multiple emitter(s) by designating an initial SBI conic with a multiple of its one sigma conic Direction Finding (DF) accuracy window as containing the emitter; laying down a set of grid points within the SBI conic window as possible emitters' locations; summing real and imaginary values of a residual phase in the form of a unit vector at each grid point for each LBI update; identifying whether there are one or more emitters in RW track based on whether the magnitude of a peak vector is above or below a defined threshold; and invoking geolocation algorithms based on the vector's magnitude.

The present invention relates to a blind area tracking method and apparatus for a directional antenna and a motion tracking system. The method includes: acquiring a position and a velocity of a tracking target relative to the directional antenna; determining, according to the position and the velocity, whether the tracking target is located in a tracking blind area of the directional antenna; and driving, in a preset blind area guidance mode and when the tracking target is located in the tracking blind area, the directional antenna to rotate. The method may help switch to a corresponding blind area guidance mode when an unmanned aerial vehicle enters a tracking blind area, to implement all-the-way tracking of a tracking target without temporarily losing the tracking target within the tracking blind area. In this way, a better tracking effect is ensured.

The present invention relates to a blind area tracking method and apparatus for a directional antenna and a motion tracking system. The method includes: acquiring a position and a velocity of a tracking target relative to the directional antenna; determining, according to the position and the velocity, whether the tracking target is located in a tracking blind area of the directional antenna; and driving, in a preset blind area guidance mode and when the tracking target is located in the tracking blind area, the directional antenna to rotate. The method may help switch to a corresponding blind area guidance mode when an unmanned aerial vehicle enters a tracking blind area, to implement all-the-way tracking of a tracking target without temporarily losing the tracking target within the tracking blind area. In this way, a better tracking effect is ensured.

Techniques are disclosed for determining a true bearing angle from an airborne platform to a source of a radar signal. In an embodiment, a grid is generated based on a coarse range to, and angle-of-arrival of, an electromagnetic signal. The grid represents a geographic area thought to contain the emission source. A measured spatial angle is computed for each pulse of the signal received during a data collection interval. Hypothesized spatial angles are computed for a point in each grid box in the grid. A score is generated for each grid point based on the computed hypothesized spatial angles for the grid point and the measured spatial angles. The grid point having the lowest score is identified as a seed location and is used to launch a Nelder-Mead algorithm that converges on a point in the grid. A true bearing angle to the source of a radar angle is computed to the point provided by the Nelder-Mead algorithm.

The present disclosure provides satellite tracking systems and tracking methods. The satellite tracking system includes an array of antenna elements and a control unit. A feed current for each of the antenna elements passes through a phase shifter. The control unit generates a control signal for the phase shifter. The satellite tracking system searches, positions, and tracks a target satellite in accordance with the control signal. The satellite tracking systems and methods utilize step scanning and particle swarm optimization in the search stage, compensating for gaps formed during the satellite searching in the positioning stage, and conical scanning in the tracking stage.

The present disclosure provides satellite tracking systems and tracking methods. The satellite tracking system includes an array of antenna elements and a control unit. A feed current for each of the antenna elements passes through a phase shifter. The control unit generates a control signal for the phase shifter. The satellite tracking system searches, positions, and tracks a target satellite in accordance with the control signal. The satellite tracking systems and methods utilize step scanning and particle swarm optimization in the search stage, compensating for gaps formed during the satellite searching in the positioning stage, and conical scanning in the tracking stage.

The present invention relates to a blind area tracking method and apparatus for a directional antenna and a motion tracking system. The method includes: acquiring a position and a velocity of a tracking target relative to the directional antenna; determining, according to the position and the velocity, whether the tracking target is located in a tracking blind area of the directional antenna; and driving, in a preset blind area guidance mode and when the tracking target is located in the tracking blind area, the directional antenna to rotate. The method may help switch to a corresponding blind area guidance mode when an unmanned aerial vehicle enters a tracking blind area, to implement all-the-way tracking of a tracking target without temporarily losing the tracking target within the tracking blind area. In this way, a better tracking effect is ensured.

A method for controlling the pointing of an antenna situated on a platform in the direction of a communications device emitting a reference signal, includes the following steps: S1) apply a first mode of pointing of the antenna using almanac data for the platform and for the communications device so as to obtain an initial position of pointing in azimuth and in elevation of the boresight of the antenna; S2) apply a second mode of pointing of the antenna, comprising at least one scan of the antenna around the initial position so as to point the antenna in a direction that maximizes a received power of the reference signal; S3) apply a third mode of pointing of the antenna wherein at least one triangulation manoeuvre is implemented for pointing the antenna based on the maximum power.

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes an antenna assembly configured to transmit and receive beams in time-varying directions, and a beam steering controller configured to determine a first beam pointing vector by searching for a satellite from a plurality of satellites included in the communication system. The antenna assembly maintains a communication link with a satellite of the plurality of satellites by determining a plurality of beam pointing vectors that converge to increasing signal quality measurements, the satellite associated with the first beam pointing vector. The beam steering controller is configured to obtain, from the satellite, satellite ephemeris information of the satellite and one or more of remaining satellites of the plurality of satellites. The beam steering controller is configured to determine an orientation of the antenna assembly based on the satellite ephemeris information and the plurality of beam pointing vectors.