US 11,726,162 B2
System and method for neighbor direction and relative velocity determination via doppler nulling techniques
Eric J. Loren, North Liberty, IA (US); William B. Sorsby, Cedar Rapids, IA (US); and Tj T. Kwon, Marion, IA (US)
Assigned to Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA (US)
Filed by Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA (US)
Filed on Apr. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/233,107.
Prior Publication US 2022/0334211 A1, Oct. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 13/62 (2006.01); G01S 5/00 (2006.01); G01S 13/58 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 5/0027 (2013.01) [G01S 13/583 (2013.01); G01S 13/62 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communications node of a multi-node communications network, comprising:
a communications interface including at least one antenna element;
a controller operatively coupled to the communications interface, the controller including one or more processors and configured to:
identify a plurality of signals transmitted by a neighbor node of the communications node, the plurality of signals corresponding to a set of Doppler nulling angles traversed by the neighbor node and to at least one frequency adjustment of the neighbor node to resolve a Doppler frequency offset at the corresponding Doppler nulling angle, the neighbor node moving relative to the communications node according to one or more of a velocity vector and an angular direction;
determine, based on the plurality of identified signals, a plurality of frequency shift points (FSP), each FSP corresponding to the Doppler frequency offset at the corresponding Doppler nulling angle and associated with a relative radial velocity between the communications and neighbor nodes;
and
determine, based on the plurality of FSPs, a magnitude of the velocity vector.