Emergency locating transmitter and receiver system

• US 4,777,658 A
• Filed: 10/21/1986
• Issued: 10/11/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Inventors: Wren, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUNTZ, CURTIS A
• Application Number:
  US06/921,576
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 455/91, 455/95, 455/96, 455/98, 455/99, 455/100, 455/260, 455/265, 455/317, 455/264, 455/256, 455/316, 340/27 R, 340/539, 331/4, 331/2, 331/15, 331/47, 331/172, 315/119, 315/120, 315/81
• US Class Current: 455/260
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/685 using pulse modulation, e.g. pulse frequency modulation

Abstract

A receiver and transmitter are provided for a distress incident locating telecommunications system. The receiver is a superheterodyne AM receiver which applies the received distress transmissions to a normally unlocked phaselock loop which locks onto the unmodulated carrier signal portion of the distress transmission. The duration of the phaselock loop being locked, and unlocked immediately after being locked, are measured and compared to predetermined values to find a match. Each of the predetermined values corresponds to an item of information, and if a match is found, the receiver indicates it. The receiver is also capable of extracting audio information present in the distress transmission. The transmitter generates three signals which can be applied to a transmitting antenna. These signals are a radio frequency carrier signal, and a carrier signal modulated by a distress waveform or by an audio signal. The signal which is ultimately applied to the transmitting antenna will have four parameters where each set of parameters corresponds to a different item of information. The parameters are which one or more of the three signals will be applied to the antenna, the sequence of application of the signals to the antenna, the duration of each of the signals, and the frequency of the audio signal.

Claims

1. A receiver for receiving radio frequency transmissions intercepted by an antenna comprising:

radio frequency means for selecting and amplifying the radio frequency transmissions intercepted by said antenna;

intermediate frequency means for converting the selected and amplified radio frequency transmissions to a lower, intermediate frequency signal;

phaselock loop means for locking onto an unmodulated portion of the intermediate frequency signal for the duration of said unmodulated portion;

means for measuring the duration of said phaselock loop means being locked, and then unlocked immediately after being locked;

comparator means for detecting a match between the measured duration of said phaselock loop means being locked and a first set of values stored in said comparator means, and for detecting a match between the measured duration of said phaselock loop means being unlocked immediately after being locked and a second set of values stored in said comparator means, wherein different pairs of values from the two sets correspond to different items of information; and

means for indicating that a pair of measured durations of said phaselock loop means being locked and unlocked immediately after being locked corresponds to a particular pair of values stored in said comparator means.

2. The receiver of claim 1 further comprising:

means for attenuating said intermediate frequency signal before it it fed to said phaselock loop means.

3. The receiver of claim 1 further comprising:

an amplitude modulation detector for demodulating said intermediate frequency signal;

a plurality of diversely tuned narrow band audio filters for receiving the demodulated signal from said amplitude modulation detector; and

means for indicating which of said narrow band audio filters has passed said demodulated signal.

4. The receiver of claim 1 further comprising:

a timer for generating reset pulses; and

means to prevent said phaselock loop from searching for additional distress transmissions during the interval between pulses from said timer.

5. The receiver of claim 4 wherein said means for measuring comprises:

a first resettable counter having a predetermined reset state for counting the duration of said phaselock loop means being locked;

a second resettable counter having a predetermined reset state for counting the duration of said phaselock loop means being unlocked immediately after being locked, and

said first and second resettable counters are simultaneously reset to their respective predetermined reset state by a reset pulse from said timer.

6. The receiver of claim 5 wherein said comparator means comprises:

a first resettable comparator having a memory in which said first set of values are stored, a plurality of outputs where each output corresponds to a different value in said first set of values, and a reset state of binary 0 at each of its outputs;

a second resettable comparator having a memory in which said second set of values are stored, an equal plurality of outputs where each output corresponds to a different value in said second set of values, and a reset state of binary 0 at each of its outputs; and

said first and second resettable comparators are simultaneously reset by a reset pulse from said timer.

7. The receiver of claim 6 wherein said means for indicating comprises:

a plurality of two input AND gates;

one input of each of said AND gates is connected to a different one of said plurality of outputs of said first comparator;

the other input of each of said AND gates is connected to the one output of the plurality of outputs of said second comparator that corresponds to a pair of outputs which, in turn, corresponds to one of said items of information; and

a plurality of lamps individually connected to the output of a different AND gate.