Pilot's traffic monitoring system
First Claim
1. A system apparatus for monitoring the movement of at least one "other ship" comprising in combination,means for receiving a signal on the position and altitude of the "other ship" within a transmit-receive duty cycle,means operatively connected to said receiving means for demodulating its signal,first means for converting into a Cartesian or like coordinate reference frame a signal representing "own ship" position,second means for discriminating against a signal representing the altitude of an "other ship" not within a preselected band of "own ship" altitude,third means for synchronizing an altitude signal and converted position signal of "own ship" and a signal of the "other ship" not discriminated against and within such preselected band of altitude,means for graphically displaying "own ship" and "other ship" relative positions operatively connected to said synchronizing means,whereby a representation of "other ship" lying within the preselected band of altitude about "own ship" is visually observed on said display means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pictorial display system in which continuously updated images of `other ship` aircraft within a specified airspace envelope are superimposed on a map display along with the pilot'"'"'s `own ship` position, whereby collision threats are avoided by taking corrective flight action. This information is displayed, independently of and without interfering with ground facilities operations and communications, as a response to a low-powered signal transmitted from an onboard FM transceiver-multiplexer unit in which the response in terms of positions and altitudes of other aircraft in electrical form, is received, demodulated and then transformed into digital form. Such digital information along with "own ship" position and altitude in digital form, are fed into an altitude discriminator synchronizer unit. The "own ship" altitude data from existing on-board equipment, is synchronized in digital form with other aircrafts'"'"' altitude data; and likewise, the "own ship" navigational data, obtained through existing navigational equipment, is also converted to digital form and is synchronized. All of this synchronized digital information is then applied to a function generator which formats it into a form compatible with the requirements of the pictorial display. This display presents the data to the pilot who is then able to properly manuever the aircraft to achieve safe control thereof in relation to other aircraft, or take the necessary collision avoidance action relative to another aircraft, as the case may be.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A system apparatus for monitoring the movement of at least one "other ship" comprising in combination,
means for receiving a signal on the position and altitude of the "other ship" within a transmit-receive duty cycle, means operatively connected to said receiving means for demodulating its signal, first means for converting into a Cartesian or like coordinate reference frame a signal representing "own ship" position, second means for discriminating against a signal representing the altitude of an "other ship" not within a preselected band of "own ship" altitude, third means for synchronizing an altitude signal and converted position signal of "own ship" and a signal of the "other ship" not discriminated against and within such preselected band of altitude, means for graphically displaying "own ship" and "other ship" relative positions operatively connected to said synchronizing means, whereby a representation of "other ship" lying within the preselected band of altitude about "own ship" is visually observed on said display means.
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5. A method of monitoring the movement of at least one "other ship" in relation to "own ship" comprising in combination,
converting the navigation position signal of "own ship" into a Cartesian or the like coordinate reference frame, combining such converted signal with the altitude signal of "own ship", receiving an incoming like-converted signal on an "other ship" position and on its altitude, demodulating the incoming like-converted signal, discriminating against the incoming like-converted signal, such discrimination representing the altitude of the "other ship" not within a preselected band of "own ship" altitude, synchronizing the "own ship" combined signal and the incoming like-converted signal not discriminated against, and displaying in suitable graphic presentation the output signals developed by said synchronizing step, such signals representing "other ship" position and the converted navigational "own ship" position.
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9. A system apparatus for monitoring the movement of at least one "other ship" comprising in combination,
a transmitting means for broadcasting a signal on the position and altitude of an "own ship" over a transmit-receive duty cycle, means for receiving a signal on the position and altitude of the "other ship" within the transmit-receive duty cycle, means operatively connected to said transmitting and receiving means for accomplishing such a cycle therebetween, means operatively connected to said transmitting and receiving means for respectively modulating and demodulating their signals, first means for converting into a Cartesian or like coordinate reference frame a signal representing "own ship" position, second means for discriminating against a received signal in which the altitude of an "other ship" is not within a preselected band of "own ship" altitude, third means for synchronizing an altitude signal and converted position signal of "own ship" and a received signal of the "other ship" not discriminated against and within such preselected band of altitude, said synchronizing means being operatively connected to said modulating means whereby the "own ship" signal on its position and altitude is broadcast through said transmitting means, and means for graphically displaying "own ship" and "other ship" relative positions operatively connected to said synchronizing means.
Specification