Air traffic control system

• US 3,925,750 A
• Filed: 11/19/1971
• Issued: 12/09/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Glen A. Gilbert, James Hobbs
• Original Assignee: Glen A. Gilbert, James Hobbs
• Inventors: Gilbert, Glen A., Hobbs, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Application Number:
  US05/200,633
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 340/27R,27NA,324A 343/112CA,112TC,107,5ST,5EM
• US Class Current: 340/961
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/787 co-operating with direction defining beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/935 for terrain-avoidance

Abstract

An aircraft traffic control system which has a first portion that allows aircraft to detect other aircraft in their vicinity so that they are aware of them and which also allows an aircraft to maintain a particular spacing with respect to a selected aircraft to alleviate the load on the ground air traffic controllers, is disclosed. The identification, altitude and coordinates of an aircraft is transmitted and received by other aircraft and/or by ground stations to allow other aircraft to be aware of the position of traffic, and the ground stations may utilize the information for local and enroute control so that monitoring and control of all aircraft may be maintained throughout the system. Various instrumentations and implementations are disclosed which allow existing facilities to be used with modifications which are simple and relatively inexpensive.

Claims

1. An aircraft navigation instrument comprising:

an aircraft indicia presented at the center of the instrument and controlled so as to indicate the aircraft'"'"''"'"'s heading, a vertical indicator on the instrument for indicating the aircraft'"'"''"'"'s offset from a selected ground location, a horizontal indicator on the instrument for indicating the aircraft'"'"''"'"'s distance to or from said selected ground location, indicia on the instrument for indicating the position of other aircraft, and including a larger indicia which represents a selected one of said other aircraft.