Antenna arrangement and aircraft collision avoidance system
First Claim
1. An antenna arrangement on a host aircraft for generating signals related to a direction from which a transponder reply signal is received from a threat aircraft, the arrangement comprising:
- a first monopole antenna element and a second monopole antenna element arranged along a first axis of the host aircraft for receiving the reply signal;
a third monopole antenna element and a fourth monopole antenna element arranged along a second axis of the host aircraft for receiving the reply signal, the second axis being orthogonal to the first axis;
a first quadrature combiner coupled to the first and second monopole antenna elements for generating first and second signals from the received reply signal, respective power levels of the first and second signals being related to the direction from which the reply signal is received from the threat aircraft; and
a second quadrature combiner coupled to the third and fourth monopole antenna elements for generating third and fourth signals from the received reply signal, respective power levels of the third and fourth power signals being related to the direction from which the reply signal is received from the threat aircraft.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An antenna arrangement on a host aircraft for generating power signals related to a direction from which a transponder reply signal is received from a threat aircraft. The arrangement includes first and second monopole antenna elements arranged along a first axis of the host aircraft, third and fourth monopole antenna elements arranged along a second axis of the host aircraft, with the second axis being orthogonal to the first axis, a first quadrature combiner coupled to the first and second monopole antenna elements for generating first and second signals from the received reply signal, and a second quadrature combiner coupled to the third and fourth monopole antenna elements for generating third and fourth signals from the received reply signal. The respective power levels of the first, second, third and fourth signals are related to the direction from which the reply signal is received from the threat aircraft.
79 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An antenna arrangement on a host aircraft for generating signals related to a direction from which a transponder reply signal is received from a threat aircraft, the arrangement comprising:
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a first monopole antenna element and a second monopole antenna element arranged along a first axis of the host aircraft for receiving the reply signal; a third monopole antenna element and a fourth monopole antenna element arranged along a second axis of the host aircraft for receiving the reply signal, the second axis being orthogonal to the first axis; a first quadrature combiner coupled to the first and second monopole antenna elements for generating first and second signals from the received reply signal, respective power levels of the first and second signals being related to the direction from which the reply signal is received from the threat aircraft; and a second quadrature combiner coupled to the third and fourth monopole antenna elements for generating third and fourth signals from the received reply signal, respective power levels of the third and fourth power signals being related to the direction from which the reply signal is received from the threat aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An aircraft collision avoidance system on a host aircraft, the system comprising:
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a first monopole antenna element and a second monopole antenna element arranged along a first axis of the host aircraft for receiving a transponder reply signal from a threat aircraft; a third monopole antenna element and a fourth monopole antenna element arranged along a second axis of the host aircraft for receiving the reply signal, the second axis being orthogonal to the first axis; a first quadrature combiner coupled to the first and second monopole antenna elements for generating first and second signals from the received reply signal, respective power levels of the first and second power signals being related to a direction from which the reply signal is received from the threat aircraft; a second quadrature combiner coupled to the third and fourth monopole antenna elements for generating third and fourth signals from the received reply signal, respective power levels of the third and fourth power signals being related to the direction from which the reply signal is received from the threat aircraft; and a receiver coupled to the first and second quadrature combiners for generating first, second, third and fourth video signals from the first, second, third, and fourth signals, respectively, the first, second, third and fourth video signals each having an amplitude related to the direction from the host aircraft to the threat aircraft from which the reply signal is received. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for determining a bearing of a transponder reply signal received from a threat aircraft with respect to a heading of a host aircraft, the host aircraft including a first monopole antenna element and a second monopole antenna element arranged along a first axis of the host aircraft, a third monopole antenna element and a fourth monopole antenna element arranged along a second axis of the host aircraft, the second axis being orthogonal to the first axis, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving the reply signal at the first, second, third and fourth monopole antenna elements; generating first, second, third and fourth received signals, the first, second, third and fourth received signals related to the reply signal received at the first, second, third and fourth monopole antenna elements, respectively; generating first and second signals from a quadrature summation of the first and second received signals, the first signal corresponding to an antenna pattern in a first direction along the first axis of the host aircraft, and the second signal corresponding to an antenna pattern in a second direction along the first axis of the host aircraft; generating third and fourth signals from a quadrature summation of the third and fourth received signals, the third signal corresponding to an antenna pattern of a first direction along the second axis of the host aircraft, and the fourth power level signal corresponding to an antenna pattern of a second direction along the second axis of the host aircraft; generating first, second, third and fourth video signals from the first, second, third and fourth signals, respectively, the first, second, third and fourth video signals each having an amplitude related to a bearing of the reply signal received from the threat aircraft with respect to the heading of a host aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification