SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING SURFACE MULTIPATH MITIGATION

• US 20120039422A1
• Filed: 08/09/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stayton, Gregory T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/340
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

Multipath mitigation can be performed in a surface environment by various systems and methods. For example, antenna beams from multiple antennas can be used to reduce the impact of multipath on a received signal. Thus, a method can include monitoring for a signal on at least one upper antenna beam of an aircraft. The method can also include monitoring for the signal on at least one lower antenna beam of the aircraft while monitoring on the at least one upper antenna beam. The method can further include processing the signal received by the at least one upper antenna beam and/or the at least one lower antenna beam.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring for a signal on at least one upper antenna beam of an aircraft;

monitoring for the signal on at least one lower antenna beam of the aircraft while monitoring on the at least one upper antenna beam; and

processing the signal received by the at least one upper antenna beam and/or the at least one lower antenna beam.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a single antenna upon which to receive a remainder of the signal based on the processing of the signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one lower antenna beam or at least one upper antenna beam comprises an antenna beam of a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the signal received comprises processing a first pulse of a preamble of a message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a bearing determination on at least one data pulse of the signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises processing at least two antenna beams of an upper antenna and at least two antenna beams of a lower antenna.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring for the signal on the at least one upper antenna beam comprises monitoring for the signal on two antenna beams having opposite bearings.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring for the signal on the at least one lower antenna beam comprises monitoring for the signal on a beam having a bearing approximately orthogonal to a bearing of one of the at least one upper antenna beam.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decoding overlaying modulating parity bits to detect and/or correct at least one error in the signal.

11. A system, comprising:

at least one memory including computer instructions; and

at least one processor,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system at least to

monitor for a signal on at least one upper antenna beam of an aircraft;

monitor for the signal on at least one lower antenna beam of the aircraft while monitoring on the at least one upper antenna beam; and

process the signal received by the at least one upper antenna beam and/or the at least one lower antenna beam.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the signal comprises an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) message.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system at least to

select a single antenna upon which to receive a remainder of the signal based on the processing of the signal.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least one lower antenna beam or at least one upper antenna beam comprises an antenna beam of a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system at least to process the signal received by processing a first pulse of a preamble of a message.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system at least to

perform a bearing determination on at least one data pulse of the signal.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system at least to process the signal received by processing at least two antenna beams of an upper antenna and at least two antenna beams of a lower antenna.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system at least to monitor for the signal on the at least one upper antenna beam by monitoring for the signal on two antenna beams having opposite bearings.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system at least to monitor for the signal on the at least one lower antenna beam by monitoring for the signal on a beam having a bearing approximately orthogonal to a bearing of one of the at least one upper antenna beam.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system at least to

decode overlaying modulating parity bits to detect and/or correct at least one error in the signal.

21. The system of claim 11, further comprising a radio frequency receiver, wherein the system is configured to monitor for the signal using the radio frequency receiver.

22. An aircraft, comprising:

at least one upper antenna;

at least one lower antenna; and

a system, the system comprising;

at least one memory including computer instructions; and

at least one processor,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system at least to

monitor for a signal on at least one upper antenna beam of the upper antenna;

monitor for the signal on at least one lower antenna beam the lower antenna while monitoring on the at least one upper antenna beam; and

process the signal received by the at least one upper antenna beam and/or the at least one lower antenna beam.