Polarization sensitive synthetic aperture radar system and method for local positioning

1. A method of determining the position of a device relative to a landmark, comprising:

transmitting a pulse from the device, the pulse having a particular polarization;

receiving a return signal over a period of time, the return signal including a reflected pulse from the landmark, the receiving including preferentially receiving signals having the particular polarization; and

processing the return signal so as to isolate the reflected pulse from the return signal and to determine a range from the device to the landmark;

wherein the reflected pulse from the landmark has a polarization substantially the same as the particular polarization, and the return signal includes components not having the particular polarization; and

wherein the method includes transmitting the pulse at a first position of the device, separating the received return signal into multiple portions, and determining from the multiple portions a first plurality of range candidates, each range candidate representing a possible range to the landmark.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular polarization is a circular polarization.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular polarization is selected from the group consisting of right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) and left-hand circular polarization (LHCP).

4. The method of claim 1 , including using a same circularly polarized antenna for both the transmitting and receiving.

5. The method of claim 1 , including:

moving the device in a particular direction, at a velocity, while performing the receiving step;

detecting a Doppler shift in the reflected pulse portion of the return signal; and

determining an angle between the particular direction and a straight line between the device and the landmark as a function of the detected Doppler shift.

6. The method of claim 1 , including:

transmitting the pulse at a second position of the device and determining from the received return signal a second set of range candidates; and

processing the first and second sets of range candidates to produce a reduced set of range candidates that are consistent with one or more potential landmark positions.

7. The method of claim 1 , including:

transmitting the pulse at a plurality of additional positions of the device and determining from the received return signal a plurality of additional sets of range candidates; and

processing the first and additional sets of range candidates to produce a reduced set of range candidates that are consistent with one or more potential landmark positions.

8. The method of claim 1 , including repeating the transmitting and receiving a plurality of times and combining the resulting return signals to produce a representative return signal, wherein the processing step processes the representative return signal.

9. The method of claim 1 , including repeating the transmitting and receiving a plurality of times while the device remains at substantially a single location, and combining the resulting return signals to produce a representative return signal, wherein the processing step processes the representative return signal.

10. A method of determining the position of a device relative to a landmark, comprising:

transmitting a pulse from the device, the pulse having a particular polarization;

receiving a return signal over a period of time, the return signal including a reflected pulse from the landmark, the receiving including preferentially receiving signals having the particular polarization; and

processing the return signal so as to isolate the reflected pulse from the return signal and to determine a range from the device to the landmark;

wherein the reflected pulse from the landmark has a polarization substantially the same as the particular polarization, and the return signal includes components not having the particular polarization;

wherein:

the transmitting includes transmitting the pulse multiple times, each transmission of the pulse having a respective transmission beam pattern with a null over a different respective range of angles;

the processing including:

determining from the return signals from the multiple pulse transmissions a first set of range candidates, each range candidate representing a possible range to the landmark, each range candidate having an associated range of angles, and

analyzing the range of angles associated with each range candidate to produce a reduced set of range candidates that are consistent with one or more potential landmark positions.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the null in the respective transmission beam pattern is less than 15° wide.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the transmitting includes transmitting using at least two antennas driven by substantially identical signals having a phase difference, the phase difference controlling the range of angles of the null.

13. A method of determining the position of a device relative to a landmark, comprising:

transmitting a pulse from the device, the pulse having a particular polarization;

receiving a return signal over a period of time, the return signal including a reflected pulse from the landmark, the receiving including preferentially receiving signals having the particular polarization; and

processing the return signal so as to isolate the reflected pulse from the return signal and to determine a range from the device to the landmark;

wherein the reflected pulse from the landmark has a polarization substantially the same as the particular polarization, and the return signal includes components not having the particular polarization;

wherein:

the transmitting includes transmitting a series of pulses;

the receiving includes (A) receiving the series of pulses at a plurality of distinct locations having a predefined separation distance therebetween and generating a series of received pulse data sets corresponding to at least a subset of the received pulses, each received pulse data set having received pulse data from receiving a respective pulse at each two or more of the plurality of distinct locations, and (B) combining the pulse data within each pulse data set to produce a combined return signal having a receive pattern null in an associated range of angles;

the processing including:

determining from the combined return signals a first set of range candidates, each range candidate representing a possible range to the landmark, and determining for each range candidate angle-related signal strength data comprising a plurality of amplitude values associated with a respective plurality of angle ranges; and

analyzing the angle-related signal strength data associated with at least one of the range candidates to produce a reduced set of range candidates that are consistent with one or more potential landmark positions.

14. A method of determining the position of a device relative to a landmark, comprising:

transmitting a pulse from the device, the pulse having a particular polarization;

receiving a return signal over a period of time, the return signal including a reflected pulse from the landmark, the receiving including preferentially receiving signals having the particular polarization; and

processing the return signal so as to isolate the reflected pulse from the return signal and to determine a range from the device to the landmark;

wherein the reflected pulse from the landmark has a polarization substantially the same as the particular polarization, and the return signal includes components not having the particular polarization;

wherein:

the receiving includes

receiving the pulse at a plurality of distinct locations having a predefined separation distance therebetween and generating received pulse data for at least two of the plurality of distinct locations at which the pulse is received;

combining the received pulse data multiple times, using a plurality of phase offsets, to produce multiple combined return signals, each having a receive pattern null in an associated range of angles;

the processing includes

determining from the combined return signals a first set of range candidates, each range candidate representing a possible range to the landmark, and determining for each range candidate angle-related signal strength data comprising a plurality of amplitude values associated with a respective plurality of angle ranges; and

analyzing the angle-related signal strength data associated with at least one of the range candidates to produce a reduced set of range candidates that are consistent with one or more potential landmark positions.

15. A positioning system, comprising

a passive, isotropic reflecting landmark at a fixed position; and

a device configured to transmit an electromagnetic pulse, the pulse having a particular polarization; the device further configured to receive a return signal over a period of time, the return signal including a reflected pulse from the landmark, and to process the return signal so as to isolate the reflected pulse from the return signal and to determine a range from the device to the landmark;

wherein the reflecting landmark is configured to reflect the electromagnetic pulse so as to produce the reflected pulse with a polarization substantially the same as the particular polarization; and

and wherein the device is configured to transmit the pulse at a first position of the device, to separate the received return signal into multiple portions, and to determine from the multiple portions a first plurality of range candidates, each range candidate representing a possible range to the landmark.