MARINE RADAR-BEACON TRANSPONDER NAVIGATION AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM

• US 3,772,692 A
• Filed: 01/05/1972
• Issued: 11/13/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frederick D. Braddon
• Original Assignee: Frederick D. Braddon
• Inventors: Braddon, Frederick D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tubbesing, T. H.
• Application Number:
  US05/215,521
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 343/5PC,6R,112CA
• US Class Current: 342/41
• 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 13/937 of marine craft

Abstract

A marine radar-beacon transponder navigation and collision avoidance system provides facilities for early detection of, identification of, and communication with cooperating marine vessels by virtue of the integration of the radar and radio transponder systems of the ships into a complete intelligence processing system permitting early detection and identification of any two stations, additionally providing an intelligence conveying link therebetween. Any collision threat situation and its participants are identified by cooperative reference to the radar plan position indicator or to a permanent plotted record which displays dangerous constant bearing intruders as specially characterized and easily recognized lines.

Claims

1. A radio system for navigation and for avoiding collisions between first and second stations comprising:

beacon transponder means adapted to be mounted at an elevated position on said first station, azimuth scanning radar transmitter means mounted on said second station for irradiating said first station and said beacon transponder means, radar receiver means mounted on said second station for receiving signals in response to the irradiation of said first station, beacon receiver means mounted on said second station for receiving signals in response to operation of said beacon transponder means, means including indicator means for forming a display selectively in response to said radar and said beacon receiver means for collision avoidance purposes, plotter means for forming a permanent record in a medium selectively in response to said radar and said beacon receiver means, said plotter means comprising printer means movable along a first path adapted to mark said medium moving along a second path substantially at right angles to said first path, said plotter means being so constructed and arranged that said intensifying signals produce a lineal marking substantially parallel to said second path only for a station having substantially a constant bearing course with respect to said second station for collision warning purposes, azimuth cursor control means for cooperative operation with said indicator means, pick-off means responsive to said azimuth cursor control means, and lineal electrical meter means cooperating with said printer means and having pointer means responsive to said pick-off means for motion substantially parallel to said first path, said cursor control means, said pick-off means, and said lineal meter means being adapted for correlation of the identification of selected station representations shown on said indicator means and on said medium.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1 additionally comprising:

range cursor control means for cooperative operation with said indicator means, said range cursor control means being adapted to identify the range of said selected station.

3. A radio navigation collision avoidance system including an azimuth scanning radar system of the type supplying electron beam intensifying signals representing an object irradiated by said radar system to plan position indicator means, said system comprising:

azimuth scanning antenna means for collecting signals from said irradiated object, deflection means for supplying electrical azimuth-stabilized deflection signals to said plan position indicator means for deflecting the cathode ray beam thereof when intensified, said deflection means comprising;

antenna azimuth angle position transmission means, differential data transmitter means responsive to said antenna position transmitter means and to compass means, and data repeater means responsive to said differential data transmitter means, printer means movable along a first path adapted to mark a medium moving along a second path substantially at right angles to said first path, means responsive to said deflection means for moving said printer means along said first path, and means for supplying said electron beam intensifying signals to said printer means for marking said moving medium with object course defining markings.

4. Apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said deflection means additionally comprises:

rotatable electron beam deflection yoke means disposed in electron beam deflecting association with said plan position indicator means for receiving said azimuth deflection signals and positioned in response to said data repeater means.

5. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said printer means is moved along said first path in response to said data repeater means.

6. Apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein said printer means includes medium-supply drum means And driven drum means adapted to move said medium along said second path from said medium-supply drum means to said driven drum means.

7. A radio navigation collision avoidance system including an azimuth scanning radar system of the type supplying electron beam intensifying signals representing an object irradiated by said radar system to plan position indicator means, said system comprising:

deflection means for supplying electrical azimuth-stabilized deflection signals to said plan position indicator means for deflecting the cathode ray beam thereof when intensified, printer means movable along a first path adapted to mark a medium moving along a second path substantially at right angles to said first path, means responsive to said deflection means for moving said printer means along said first path, and means for supplying said electron beam intensifying signals to said printer means for marking said moving medium with object course defining markings, said printer means being so constructed and arranged that said intensifying signals produce a lineal marking substantially parallel to said second path only for an object having a substantially constant bearing course with respect to said collision avoidance system for collision warning purposes, azimuth cursor control means for cooperative operation with said plan position indicator means, pick-off means responsive to said azimuth cursor control means, and lineal electrical meter means cooperating with said printer means and having pointer means responsive to said pick-off means for motion substantially parallel to said first path, said cursor control means, said pick-off means, and said lineal meter means being cooperatively adapted for correlation of the identification of a selected object representation shown on said plan position indicator means and on said medium.

8. Apparatus as described in claim 7 additionally comprising:

range cursor control means for cooperative operation with said plan position indicator means, said range cursor control means being adapted to identify the range of said selected object.

9. A radio system for navigation and for avoiding collisions between first and second stations comprising:

omnidirectional transponder receiver means at said first station for detecting the full frequency range of an operating marine navigation radar system located at said second station, omnidirectional transponder transmitter means at said first station for transmitting a characteristic signal in response to said detected marine radar signal toward said radar system for automatically distinguising said characteristic signal from normal echo responses from said first station, said transponder transmitter signal being tuned to an off-set dedicated frequency for permitting isolation of said transmitter signal returns from said normal echo responses. display means at said second station responsive to said radar system for displaying the bearing of said transponder transmitter signal returns to register the degree of threat of collision between said two stations, and directive communication antenna means selectably positionable according to the observed value of said bearing for establishing private line communication with said transponder for transmission of data for collision avoidance purposes.