METHOD AND DEVICE FOR POSITIONING AIRCRAFT, SUCH AS FOR AUTOMATIC GUIDING DURING THE LANDING PHASE

• US 20090243911A1
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Cornic, Pascal, Lacomme, Philippe, Garrec, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US11/719,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/44 Monopulse radar, i.e. simultaneous lobing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/762 with special measures concerning the radiation pattern, e.g. S.L.S. aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns, e.g. providing sum and difference patterns, H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/78 discriminating between different kinds of targets, e.g. IFF-radar, i.e. identification of friend or foe G01S13/75, G01S13/79 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/913 for landing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/40 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4052 by simulation of echoes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4056 specially adapted to FMCW
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4091 during normal radar operation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device for locating aircraft. A radar (3) performs distance and angle location of the aircraft. Location is refined by means of at least one airborne beacon (4) aboard the aircraft and of at least one beacon (5) whose position is predetermined with respect to the radar (3), the measurement of the position of the airborne beacon (4) being performed by the radar (3) by differential measurement between the position of at least one ground beacon (5) and of at least one airborne beacon (4). The invention is in particular used for the automatic guidance of drones in the approach and landing phase.

Claims

1. A method of locating an aircraft, comprising:

a first step of locating the aircraft in terms of distance and angle by means of a radar;

a second step for refining the location by means of at least one airborne beacon aboard the aircraft and of at least one ground beacon whose position is predetermined with respect to the radar, the measurement of the position of at least one airborne beacon being performed by the radar by differential measurement between the position of at least one ground beacon and of at least one airborne beacon.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radar waveform comprises frequency plateaux f_p inserted between frequency ramps, the frequency f_p being detected by the beacons, the beacons retransmitting towards the radar a signal of frequency (f₁, f₂) shifted by a fixed frequency (Δ

f) specific to each of the beacons.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a frequency plateau is inserted between each ramp.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein a plateau is inserted following several ramps.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the signal transmitted during the frequency plateaux is modulated so as to code messages destined for the beacons.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the triggering of transmission of an airborne beacon is caused by a message.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein distance and angle location is performed on the frequency ramps.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein distance and angle location begins in the first step and continues in the second step.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the second step, the radar being of monopulse type, it measures the angular positions of the beacons, a deviometry pathway being reserved for each beacon.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first step begins in a landing runway approach phase.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft is a drone.

12. A device for locating an aircraft, comprising:

a radar performing distance and angle location of the aircraft;

at least one airborne beacon aboard the aircraft and at least one ground beacon whose position is predetermined with respect to the radar so as to refine the location, the measurement of the position of at least one airborne beacon being performed by the radar by differential measurement between the position of at least one ground beacon and of at least one airborne beacon.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the radar waveform comprises frequency plateaux f_p inserted between frequency ramps, the frequency f_p being detected by the beacons, the beacons retransmitting towards the radar a signal of frequency (f₁, f₂) shifted by a fixed frequency (Δ

f) specific to each of the beacons.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein a frequency plateau is inserted between each ramp.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein a plateau is inserted following several ramps.

16. The device according to claim 13, wherein the signal transmitted during the frequency plateaux is modulated so as to code messages destined for the beacons.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the triggering of transmission of an airborne beacon is caused by a message.

18. The device according to claim 13, wherein distance and angle location is performed on the frequency ramps.

19. The device according to claim 12, wherein distance and angle location continues during the differential measurements performed with the aid of the beacons.

20. The device according to claim 12, wherein the radar being of monopulse type, it comprises at least two deviometry pathways, a first deviometry pathway being reserved for an airborne beacon transmitting at a first frequency (f₁) and a second deviometry pathway being reserved for a ground beacon transmitting at a second frequency (f₂), the radar performing the beacon angular position measurements.

21. The device according to claim 12, wherein location is performed in a landing runway approach phase.

22. The device according to claim 12, wherein the aircraft is a drone.