Direct Broadcast Alert Apparatus And Method

• US 20150203218A1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aviosonic Space Tech, SRLS
• Original Assignee: Aviosonic Space Tech, SRLS
• Inventors: Fattori Martegani, Piermarco
• Granted Patent: US 9,517,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/56 Protection against meteoroids or space debris
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 3/00 Observing or tracking cosmonautic vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2694 Wings or other aircraft parts
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

An alert apparatus and an alert method implemented by said direct broadcast apparatus for protection against collisions with debris and the like found in the Earth'"'"'s atmosphere or in space, said apparatus comprising: —a containing structure mounted outside or inside a body of an aircraft, of a space vehicle or of a flying object in general which moves through the atmosphere or the space, in which sensor means are housed that is arranged for checking a release of debris and the like, coming from said body following an explosion and/or ablation thereof that are dispersed in a hazard space (2) and/or arranged for checking conditions that are referable to said explosion and/or ablation and for detecting features of the hazard space (2), —a processing unit, arranged in the containing structure, connected to the sensor means for processing the features of the hazard space (2) in order to determine the extent and the dynamics of the hazard space (2); —transceiver means arranged for sending an output signal (B) carrying an alert message on the basis of the extent and of the dynamics of said hazard space (2) to a space vehicle (3) and/or to an aircraft (4) having a route intersecting the hazard space (2), and/or to a ground station (5, 17) and/or to an end user (6, 16) arranged on the Earth'"'"'s surface (20) at a presumed impact area between the hazard space (2) and the Earth'"'"'s surface (20) in order to activate respective emergency procedures, the sensor means and the transceiver means being positioned at the hazard space

Claims

1. Direct broadcast alert apparatus for protection against collisions with debris and the like found in the Earth'"'"'s atmosphere or in space comprising:

a containing structure mounted outside or inside a body of an aircraft, of a space vehicle or of a flying object in general which moves through the atmosphere or the space, in which sensor means are housed that are arranged for checking a release of debris and the like, coming from said body following an explosion and/or ablation thereof, that are dispersed in a hazard space and/or arranged for checking conditions that are referable to said explosion and/or ablation and for detecting features of said hazard space,

a processing unit, arranged in said containing structure, connected to said sensor means for processing said features in order to determine the extent and the dynamics of said hazard space;

transceiver means arranged for sending an output signal (B) carrying an alert message on the basis of said extent and said dynamics to a space vehicle and/or to an aircraft having a route intersecting said hazard space, and/or to a ground station and/or to an end user arranged on the Earth'"'"'s surface at a presumed impact area between said hazard space and the Earth'"'"'s surface in order to activate respective emergency procedures,

said sensor means and said transceiver means being positioned at said hazard space.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means comprises first sensor means arranged for detecting a temperature, a pressure and a density that are distinctive of the atmosphere surrounding said containing structure after said release in order to determine said release, and/or said conditions referable to said explosion and/or ablation and said features of said hazard space.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means comprises an acceleration sensor arranged for determining said release and/or a re-entry phase into the atmosphere of said alert apparatus and/or said conditions referable to said explosion and/or ablation.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means comprises electrical and/or mechanical and/or electromechanical connections connected directly or by further sensor means to parts of said body in order to determine said release and/or said conditions referable to said explosion and/or ablation.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transceiver means comprises receiver means provided with reception antenna means arranged for receiving an input signal (A) coming from a satellite constellation and a receiving and decoding unit arranged for decoding said input signal (A) for obtaining positioning information thereof in the space of said containing structure contained therein.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said sensor means comprises second sensor means arranged for detecting a position of said containing structure with respect to a tern of Cartesian axes starting from an initial position acquired by said satellite constellation or by a positioning system inside said alert apparatus.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transceiver means comprises transmitting means provided with an encoding and transmitting unit arranged for encoding said output signal (B) and transmission antenna means arranged for sending said output signal (B) from said hazard space.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, and further comprising a storage unit that is suitable for storing and saving information contained inside said input signal (A) coming from said satellite constellation, information received from said sensor means and features thereof or defined by mathematical models of said aircraft, of said space vehicle or of said flying object in general that moves through the atmosphere or space on which said containing structure is originally mounted.

9. Direct broadcast alert method for protection against collisions with debris and the like found in the Earth'"'"'s atmosphere or in space comprising the steps of:

activating an alert apparatus by sensor means of said alert apparatus, by direct switching on by an operator or by an activation signal (C) sent remotely;

monitoring by said sensor means of said alert apparatus a body of an aircraft, of a space vehicle or of a flying object in general that moves through the atmosphere or space on which or in which said alert apparatus is placed to verify a release of debris and the like, coming from said body following an explosion and/or ablation, that are dispersed in a hazard space and/or for verifying conditions referable to said explosion and/or ablation;

detecting by sensor means features of said hazard space, when said release occurred;

processing by a processing unit said features for determining the extent and dynamics of said hazard space;

sending by transceiver means an output signal (B) carrying an alert message on the basis of said extent and of said dynamics to a space vehicle, and/or to an aircraft (4) having a route intersecting said hazard space and/or to a ground station, and/or to a user on the Earth'"'"'s surface at a presumed impact area between said hazard space and said Earth'"'"'s surface in order to activate respective emergency procedures,

said detecting said features of said hazard space and said sending said output signal (B) being made from the inside of said hazard space.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein said processing said features comprises obtaining a geometrical representation simulating the evolution of the movement of said hazard space with the passing of time from the moment of said release to the moment wherein said alert apparatus impacts said Earth'"'"'s surface.

11. Method according to claim 9, wherein said detecting said features comprises detecting a temperature, a pressure and a density that are distinctive of the atmosphere surrounding said alert apparatus in order to determine a possible transmission mode of said output message (B).

12. Method according to claim 9, wherein said processing comprises decoding an input signal (A, C) coming from a satellite constellation for obtaining positioning information thereof in the space of said alert apparatus contained therein and/or commands for said alert apparatus and/or information required for determining said features of said hazard space.