Electronic landmark enhancement to GPS based navigation systems
First Claim
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1. An aircraft landing system comprising:
- a global positioning system on board an aircraft for generating a present position report for the aircraft;
an interrogating radar, coupled to the aircraft for providing an interrogating signal in a predetermined direction, with respect to a flight direction of the aircraft;
a radar-activated passively powered runway beacon disposed at a predetermined location near an aircraft runway which transmits a unique identification signal when interrogated by the aircraft; and
a receiver disposed upon the approaching aircraft which receives the unique identification signal.
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Abstract
A system and apparatus for enhancing the satellite based navigation systems which includes providing an aircraft with an interrogating radar for interrogating beacons disposed at a predetermined location in front of a runway wherein the beacons are radar-activated passively powered runway beacons.
21 Citations
6 Claims
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1. An aircraft landing system comprising:
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a global positioning system on board an aircraft for generating a present position report for the aircraft; an interrogating radar, coupled to the aircraft for providing an interrogating signal in a predetermined direction, with respect to a flight direction of the aircraft; a radar-activated passively powered runway beacon disposed at a predetermined location near an aircraft runway which transmits a unique identification signal when interrogated by the aircraft; and a receiver disposed upon the approaching aircraft which receives the unique identification signal.
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2. A navigation system, on board an aircraft, comprising:
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a radar transceiver, on the aircraft, for interrogating a beacon disposed at a predetermined location with respect to an aircraft runway; the transceiver further for receiving an encoded message from the beacon, which identifies the runway; the transceiver coupled to a means for providing information to a pilot; and the means for providing information to the pilot is coupled to a GPS receiver which provides information relating to a location of the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. An aerial navigation system comprising:
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a radar transmitter for interrogating a beacon disposed at an airport; a beacon receiver for receiving encoded messages from the beacon; a directional antenna selectively coupled to the transmitter and the beacon receiver; a digital decode logic means coupled to the beacon receiver for decoding the message received from the beacon and outputting a runway identification signal; a display system coupled to the digital decode logic means for receiving the runway identification signal and for providing a pilot with an image generated in response to the runway identification signal; and a GPS receiver for generating position information of an aircraft, the GPS receiver coupled to the display system, the display system generating a representation to the pilot in response to a signal output from the GPS receiver.
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Specification