Patent ID: 6670920
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A method for determining the geographical location of a signal emitter, comprising the steps of:coherently measuring a phase gradient of a signal emitted by the signal emitter at a plurality of measurement points across a measurement aperture, each phase gradient measurement including an amplitude and a phase gradient of the received signal at the measurement point, determining a vector for each measurement point by integrating the corresponding measured phase gradient wherein each vector has a direction from the measurement point to the signal emitter and an amplitude proportional to the received signal at the measurement point, determining a figure of merit for each possible location of the signal emitter by integrating each vector with respect to a propagation path between the measurement point of the vector and the possible location of the signal emitter, and determining the location of the signal emitter as the possible location of the signal emitter having the highest figure of merit.