Airport surface aircraft locator

• US 5,530,440 A
• Filed: 10/06/1994
• Issued: 06/25/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Rail Automation Ltd. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Rail Automation Ltd. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Carlson, Leonard A., Danzer, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/319,354
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 340/958, 340/933, 340/988, 340/961, 340/953, 340/989, 340/990, 340/991, 340/993, 340/994, 340/905, 340/947, 342/29, 342/36, 342/32, 364/439, 364/460, 364/449, 364/461
• US Class Current: 340/933
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/934 on airport surfaces, e.g. while taxiing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground

Abstract

A system for identifying the location of an aircraft on the surface of an airport includes a plurality of low power FM transmitters located along the boundaries of runway and taxiways. Each transmitter provides an FM signal having a common carrier frequency and each FM signal is encoded with unique information indicative of the position of the transmitter on the airport surface. Aircraft and other vehicles containing a conventional FM receiver "capture" only the strongest signal and process the "captured" signal to determine which transmitter was the source of the signal and hence where the aircraft is on the airport surface.

Claims

1. An airport vehicle collision avoidance system which is located along an airport surface to communicate with vehicles on the airport surface, said system comprising:

a. an encoder for generating an encoded position signal indicative of a unique location on the airport surface;

b. a low power FM transmitter located at said unique location which generates an FM signal containing said encoded position signal, and transmits said FM signal to the vehicle where said FM signal is received by using the frequency modulation capture effect;

c. a receiver associated with said transmitter which receives a signal from the vehicle indicative of the vehicle identity and vehicle position on the surface of the airport;

d. means for transmitting said signal received from said vehicle to a display; and

e. a vehicle transmit/receive unit having an omni-directional antenna which receives said encoded position signal, a vehicle receiver which detects and signal processes said encoded position signal and provides a detected position signal to determine the position of the vehicle on the airport surface, a low power vehicle transmitter which transmits a status signal indicative of both the vehicle identity and the vehicle position on the surface of the airport, and a display responsive to the status signal, said display displaying information indicative of vehicle identity and vehicle position;

wherein said receiver also receives warning/caution/advisory data, said transmitter also transmits warning/caution/advisory data, said warning/caution/advisory data including at least one of vehicle proximity data and vehicle collision data and active runway data, said vehicle acquiring said FM signal using the FM capture effect, said vehicle receiver providing the detected position signal to at least one of a cockpit display and an aircraft data bus, and said system further comprising a switch connected between said antenna and said transmitter, and said antenna and said receiver, for routing respective transmitted signals from said transmitter to said antenna, and respective received signals from said antenna to said receiver.

2. The airport vehicle collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein said low-power vehicle transmitter further comprises means for encoding the vehicle identity and vehicle position information into a Mode S format such that said status signal includes the vehicle position and identity information encoded in said Mode S signal format.

3. A collision avoidance apparatus for use with an airport vehicle having a vehicle receiver and a vehicle transmitter, said airport vehicle on an airport surface, comprising:

a. a plurality of frequency modulated transmitters;

b. each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters having a common carrier frequency signal;

c. each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters being placed at a respective predefined location on said airport surface;

d. each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters having an encoder for generating an encoded position signal indicative of said respective predefined location;

e. each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters modulating said encoded position signal onto said common carrier frequency signal, thereby generating a location signal;

f. each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters having an antenna and providing said location signal thereto;

g. each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters transmitting a respective predefined location signal based on a predefined location including an identification component to a receiver on said airport vehicle, said airport vehicle engaging a selected location signal using the frequency-modulation capture effect;

h. a plurality of frequency-modulated receivers;

i. each of said plurality of frequency-modulated receivers being associated with a respective one of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters;

j. each of said plurality of frequency-modulated receivers receiving from said vehicle transmitter a vehicle signal of said airport vehicle indicative of at least one of a vehicle identity and a vehicle location on said airport surface; and

k. means for transmitting said vehicle signal to a display.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a vehicle transceiver having

a. a vehicle antenna capable of receiving information signals from a plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters, said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters being located on said airport surface;

b. a vehicle receiver connected to said antenna for engaging one of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters using the frequency-modulation capture effect producing a selected information signal thereby, said selected information signal containing said selected location signal, said selected location signal being unique to the location of said one relative to said airport surface;

c. a decoder connected to said vehicle receiver for decoding said selected information signal and providing a decoded information signal to at least one of a vehicle display and a vehicle data bus, said decoded information signal including a decoded location signal indicative of the location of said one relative to said airport surface;

d. a vehicle transmitter for transmitting a status signal indicative of at least one of a vehicle identity and a vehicle location on said airport surface; and

e. a display responsive to said status signal and displaying vehicle information indicative of at least one of said vehicle identity and said vehicle location.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters also transmits warning/caution/advisory data obtained from an external source, each of said frequency-modulated receivers also receive warning/caution/advisory data, and said warning/caution/advisory data including at least one of vehicle proximity data and vehicle collision data and active runway data.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said encoded position signal also includes warning/caution/advisory data, and said warning/caution/advisory data includes at least one of vehicle proximity data and vehicle collision data and active runway data.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said vehicle transmitter further comprises means for encoding vehicle information into a Mode S format such that said status signal includes said vehicle information encoded in said Mode S signal format.

8. A collision avoidance apparatus for use with an airport vehicle on an airport surface, comprising:

a. a plurality of frequency modulated transmitters, each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters having a common carrier frequency signal, each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters being placed at a respective predefined location on said airport surface, each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters having an encoder for generating an encoded position signal indicative of said respective predefined location, each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters modulating said encoded position signal onto said common carrier frequency signal, thereby generating a location signal, each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters having an antenna and providing said location signal thereto, and each of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters transmitting a respective location signal to said airport vehicle, said airport vehicle engaging a selected location signal using the frequency-modulation capture effect;

b. a plurality of frequency-modulated receivers, each of said plurality of frequency-modulated receivers being associated with a respective one of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters, each of said plurality of frequency-modulated receivers receiving a vehicle signal of said airport vehicle indicative of at least one of a vehicle identity and a vehicle location on said airport surface;

c. means for transmitting said vehicle signal to a display; and

d. a vehicle transceiver having an antenna capable of receiving information signals from a plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters, said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters being located on said airport surface, a vehicle receiver connected to said antenna for engaging one of said plurality of frequency-modulated transmitters using the frequency-modulation capture effect producing a selected information signal thereby, said selected information signal containing said selected location signal, said selected location signal being unique to the location of said one relative to said airport surface, a decoder connected to said receiver for decoding said selected information signal and providing a decoded information signal to at least one of a vehicle display and a vehicle data bus, said decoded information signal including a decoded location signal indicative of the location of said one relative to said airport surface, a vehicle transmitter for transmitting a status signal indicative of at least one of a vehicle identity and a vehicle location on said airport surface; and

e. a display responsive to said status signal and displaying vehicle information indicative of at least one of said vehicle identity and said vehicle location.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said information signals also include warning/caution/advisory data, and said warning/caution/advisory data includes at least one of vehicle proximity data and vehicle collision data and active runway data.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said vehicle transmitter further comprises means for encoding vehicle information into a Mode S format such that said status signal includes said vehicle information encoded in said Mode S signal format.