Method of improved initial transmission of acquisition and tracking interrogations in an aircraft tracking system
First Claim
1. In an aircraft having an aircraft tracking system, said aircraft being a monitoring aircraft, and wherein said monitoring aircraft interrogates target aircraft in the vicinity of said monitoring aircraft in order to determine potentially dangerous situations, said target aircraft responding to said interrogations with parameter information which includes identification (ID), a method of interrogating said target aircraft comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving unsolicited signals from the target aircraft in the vicinity of the monitoring aircraft, the received unsolicited signals being received by the monitoring aircraft at a first power level; and
b) based on the first power level of the received unsolicited signals, interrogating the target aircraft with a first interrogation signal, the first interrogation signal being transmitted at a second power level, the second power level being based on the first power level of the received unsolicited signals, thereby minimizing interference in the environment and optimizing receipt of the first interrogation signal by the target aircraft.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an aircraft having an aircraft tracking system (ATS), the aircraft being a monitoring aircraft, the monitoring aircraft interrogates target aircraft in the vicinity of the monitoring aircraft in order to determine potentially dangerous situations. The target aircraft responds to the interrogations with parameter information which includes identification (ID). A method of interrogating the target aircraft comprises the steps of receiving unsolicited signals from the target aircraft in the vicinity of the monitoring aircraft. The received unsolicited signals are received by the monitoring aircraft at a first power level. Based on the first power level of the received unsolicited signals, the monitoring aircraft interrogates the target aircraft with a first interrogation signal. The first interrogation signal is transmitted at a second power level, the second power level being based on the first power level of the received unsolicited signal, thereby minimizing interference in the environment and optimizing receipt of the first interrogation signal by the target aircraft.
31 Citations
12 Claims
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1. In an aircraft having an aircraft tracking system, said aircraft being a monitoring aircraft, and wherein said monitoring aircraft interrogates target aircraft in the vicinity of said monitoring aircraft in order to determine potentially dangerous situations, said target aircraft responding to said interrogations with parameter information which includes identification (ID), a method of interrogating said target aircraft comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving unsolicited signals from the target aircraft in the vicinity of the monitoring aircraft, the received unsolicited signals being received by the monitoring aircraft at a first power level; and b) based on the first power level of the received unsolicited signals, interrogating the target aircraft with a first interrogation signal, the first interrogation signal being transmitted at a second power level, the second power level being based on the first power level of the received unsolicited signals, thereby minimizing interference in the environment and optimizing receipt of the first interrogation signal by the target aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeL-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
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Original AssigneeHoneywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
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InventorsSturm, Patricia K., Ybarra, Kathryn W., Curtis, Michael H.
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Primary Examiner(s)TUBBESING, THEODORE
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Application NumberUS07/976,150Time in Patent Office431 DaysField of Search342/29, 342/30, 342/32US Class Current342/32CPC Class CodesG01S 13/765 with exchange of informatio...G01S 13/781 Secondary Surveillance Rada...
