IP Library Granted Patent US 11,882,540
Granted Patent B2
US 11,882,540 · App. 17/592,150 · Granted Jan 23, 2024

Determining emitter locations

Inventors: Timothy James O'Shea (Arlington, VA); Robert W. McGwier (Elliston, VA); Nicholas Aaron McCarthy (Arlington, VA)
Assignee: HawkEye 360, Inc.
H04W64/00G01S5/02G01S5/0246G01S5/0249G01S5/0252H04W24/10
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,882,540
App. No.
17/592,150
Granted
Jan 23, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

First information corresponding to a radio signal received at a first sensing device from a candidate location is obtained. Second information corresponding to a radio signal received at a second sensing device from the candidate location is obtained. A first relationship between the first sensing device and the candidate location and a second relationship between the second sensing device and the candidate location are determined. A first inverse and a second inverse of respectively the first and second relationships are obtained. A first estimate of the radio signal at the first sensing device is determined from the first information and the first inverse. A second estimate of the radio signal at the second sensing device is determined from the second information and the second inverse. Energy emitted from the candidate location is measured based on the first estimate and the second estimate.

Claims (37)

1. A system comprising:

a first sensing device configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving a radio signal received from a satellite telephone; and

transmitting, to a ground station, information corresponding to the radio signal; and

the ground station communicably coupled to the first sensing device, wherein the ground station is configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving the information corresponding to the radio signal from the first sensing device; and

processing the received information, wherein the processing comprises

mixing the information corresponding to the radio signal with a modifying function, to obtain a modified signal having a different time-dependent magnitude than the information corresponding to the radio signal, and

determining additional information about the satellite telephone based at least on the modified signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the additional information comprises a location of the satellite telephone.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensing device comprises a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite, a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite, a Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) satellite, a nano satellite, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or a mobile platform.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the additional information is based on the modified signal and on a second modified signal corresponding to a second radio signal received from the satellite telephone.

5. The system of claim 4 , comprising a second sensing device configured to receive the second radio signal.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein mixing the information corresponding to the radio signal with the modifying function comprises convolving the information corresponding to the radio signal with the modifying function.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modifying function is based on at least one of a position of the satellite telephone, a position of the first sensing device, or a velocity of the first sensing device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modifying function comprises an inverse function estimate.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first sensing device, from a satellite telephone, a radio signal; and

transmitting, to a ground station, from the first sensing device, information corresponding to the radio signal;

receiving the information corresponding to the radio signal at the ground station from the first sensing device; and

processing the received information, wherein the processing comprises

mixing the information corresponding to the radio signal with a modifying function, to obtain a modified signal having a different time-dependent magnitude than the information corresponding to the radio signal, and

determining additional information about the satellite telephone based at least on the modified signal.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the additional information comprises a location of the satellite telephone.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first sensing device comprises a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite, a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite, a Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) satellite, a nano satellite, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or a mobile platform.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the additional information is based on the modified signal and on a second modified signal corresponding to a second radio signal received from the satellite telephone.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein mixing the information corresponding to the radio signal with the modifying function comprises convolving the information corresponding to the radio signal with the modifying function.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the modifying function is based on at least one of a position of the satellite telephone, a position of the first sensing device, or a velocity of the first sensing device.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the modifying function comprises an inverse function estimate.

16. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a ground station, from a first sensing device, information corresponding to a radio signal received at the first sensing device from a satellite telephone;

mixing the information corresponding to the radio signal with a modifying function, to obtain a modified signal having a different time-dependent magnitude than the information corresponding to the radio signal; and

determining additional information about the satellite telephone based at least on the modified signal.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the additional information comprises a location of the satellite telephone.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the first sensing device comprises a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite, a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite, a Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) satellite, a nano satellite, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or a mobile platform.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein determining the additional information is based on the modified signal and on a second modified signal corresponding to a second radio signal received from the satellite telephone.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein mixing the information corresponding to the radio signal with the modifying function comprises convolving the information corresponding to the radio signal with the modifying function.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 26, 2026
From: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
To: HAWKEYE 360, INC.; HAWKEYE 360 FEDERAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 074761/0901 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 26, 2026
From: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
To: HAWKEYE 360, INC.; HAWKEYE 360 FEDERAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 074762/0033 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2026
From: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
To: HAWKEYE 360, INC.
Reel/Frame 074742/0189 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2026
From: HAWKEYE 360, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 074709/0384 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2025
From: HAWKEYE 360, INC.; HAWKEYE 360 FEDERAL, INC.
To: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 073286/0564 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2025
From: HAWKEYE 360, INC.; HAWKEYE 360 FEDERAL, INC.
To: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 073286/0540 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2024
From: HAWKEYE 360, INC.
To: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066950/0626 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2022
From: HAWKEYE 360, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 059424/0450 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2022
From: O'SHEA, TIMOTHY JAMES; MCGWIER, ROBERT W.; MCCARTHY, NICHOLAS AARON
To: HAWKEYE 360, INC.
Reel/Frame 058881/0292 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 17072595 · Oct 16, 2020
Continuation 16550369 · Aug 26, 2019
Continuation 15998985 · Aug 20, 2018
Continuation 15599530 · May 19, 2017
Continuation 15369228 · Dec 5, 2016
Provisional Application 62357082 · Jun 30, 2016
Related Publication 20220159609A1 · May 19, 2022