Syracuse, NY – SRC, Inc. ("SRC" or "Company"), a global, not-for-profit, defense research and development company, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued SRC a patent for its Radar Apparatus and Methods for Determining the Presence of a Reflective Target Using a Multiple Response Comparison, a new software-based method that helps radar systems distinguish real objects from electronic interference that could otherwise cause false detections.
SRC's patent addresses the growing challenge of increasingly congested environments, where signals from other radars, nearby radio transmitters, cell phone towers, and other sources can be stronger than actual radar echoes. These signals may resemble legitimate radar echoes, causing a radar to report or track objects that are not actually present.
The new software-based method helps scanning radars separate real objects from interference before a detection reaches an operator. By comparing signal levels across overlapping radar beams, the technology determines whether a received signal behaves like a legitimate return. Signals that do not match the expected pattern can be filtered out before they are displayed or tracked, reducing false detections and conserving critical system resources.
"Innovation has been at the core of SRC for nearly 70 years, and our engineers continue to push the boundaries of what radar technology can achieve," said Kevin Hair, president and CEO. "This patent reflects our ability to solve complex challenges facing radar operators and turn those solutions into practical advancements. By helping operators trust what they see and focus on the information that matters most, this technology can support more effective radar performance across a broad range of missions."
The methodology was designed for use across a wide range of radar systems that scan an area or volume and is not limited to a single radar platform. This flexibility creates opportunities for SRC to incorporate the method into radar systems used in increasingly congested and complex radio frequency environments. SRC developed and evaluated the technology using recorded radar data.
The patent was issued June 23, 2026, as U.S. Patent No. 12,663,529 and names SRC engineers John C. Dougherty and David L. Weldum as inventors. Dougherty, chief systems engineer, has 25 years of experience at SRC and five years of prior industry experience. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a master's degree in electrical engineering from Syracuse University and an MBA from Syracuse University. This marks his seventh patent. Weldum, senior principal systems engineer, has 23 years of experience at SRC and 14 years of prior industry experience. He holds a bachelor's degree from Michigan Technological University and a master's degree from Syracuse University. This is his second patent awarded at SRC and third overall.
The patent's issuance adds to SRC's growing portfolio of patented radar technologies and reinforces the company's continued investment in innovations that help operators identify real activity, reduce distractions and make mission-critical decisions with greater confidence.
SRC, Inc. (@SRCDefense), a not-for-profit research and development company, combines information, science, technology and ingenuity to solve “impossible” problems in the areas of defense, environment and intelligence. Across a family of companies, SRC applies bright minds, fresh thinking and relentless determination to deliver innovative products and services that are redefining possible® for the challenges faced by America and its allies.
Since 1957, SRC's commitment to the customer and the best solution — not the bottom line — has remained a core value that guides its efforts. This passion for quality carries through to the technologies the company invents and manufactures, the laboratories and facilities it builds, the people they hire, and communities where they work. Today, more than 1,400 engineers, scientists and professionals work together at SRC to protect people, the environment and our way of life.
