Collision avoidance system
First Claim
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1. A collision avoidance system for a warning aircraft, which comprises:
- an interrogate transmitter which sends a signal to interrogated the transponder of warned aircraft;
an interrogating receiver to receive the signal which has been transmitted by the transponder of warned aircraft;
a computer having memory circuitry into which can be programmed the type of aircraft that the warning aircraft is and the generally horizontal distance or the rate of closure at which the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft will be so close or approaching one another so rapidly as to constitute traffic for one another and also having logic circuitry for determining time differentials, for calculating the generally horizontal distance between the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft by using the difference in time between the sending of the interrogation by the warning aircraft and the receipt of the answering data from the transponder of the warned aircraft, and for utilizing the data in the computer memory together with the preceding calculations to determine whether the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft constitute "traffic" for one another, which computer communicates with said interrogating transmitter and with said interrogating receiver; and
a warning system which communicates with said computer and provides a vocal warning to the warned aircraft, at the direction of the computer when said computer determines that the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft constitute traffic for one another.
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Abstract
A collision avoidance system for a warning aircraft includes a transmitter and receiver for interrogating the transponder of a warned aircraft. A computer to be installed in the warning aircraft is programmed with the distances or rates of closure at which the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft constitute traffic for one another. When the computer has determined that the warning aircraft and a warned aircraft constitute traffic for one another, a warning system broadcast an appropriate vocal warning.
66 Citations
62 Claims
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1. A collision avoidance system for a warning aircraft, which comprises:
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an interrogate transmitter which sends a signal to interrogated the transponder of warned aircraft; an interrogating receiver to receive the signal which has been transmitted by the transponder of warned aircraft; a computer having memory circuitry into which can be programmed the type of aircraft that the warning aircraft is and the generally horizontal distance or the rate of closure at which the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft will be so close or approaching one another so rapidly as to constitute traffic for one another and also having logic circuitry for determining time differentials, for calculating the generally horizontal distance between the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft by using the difference in time between the sending of the interrogation by the warning aircraft and the receipt of the answering data from the transponder of the warned aircraft, and for utilizing the data in the computer memory together with the preceding calculations to determine whether the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft constitute "traffic" for one another, which computer communicates with said interrogating transmitter and with said interrogating receiver; and a warning system which communicates with said computer and provides a vocal warning to the warned aircraft, at the direction of the computer when said computer determines that the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft constitute traffic for one another. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A collision avoidance system for a warning aircraft, which comprises:
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a means for interrogating the transponder of warned aircraft; a means for receiving the signal which has been transmitted by the transponder of warned aircraft; a means for storing the type of aircraft that the warning aircraft is and the generally horizontal distance or the rate of closure at which the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft will be so close or approaching one another so rapidly as to constitute traffic for one and another and also for determining time differentials, for calculating the generally horizontal distance between the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft by using the difference in time between the sending of the interrogation by the warning aircraft and the receipt of the answering data from the transponder of the warned aircraft, and for utilizing the data in the computer memory together with the preceding calculations to determine whether the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft constitute "traffic" for one another, which means for storing and determining communicates with the means for interrogating and the means for receiving; and a means for providing a vocal warning to the warned aircraft, at the direction of the means for storing and determining when said means for storing and determining determines that the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft constitute traffic for one another.
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62. A process for avoiding collision between aircraft, which comprises:
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interrogating the transponder of warned aircraft; receiving the signal which has been transmitted by the transponder of warned aircraft; storing the generally generally horizontal distance or the rate of closure at which the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft will be so close or approaching one another so rapidly as to constitute traffic for one and another; calculating the generally horizontal distance between the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft by using the difference in time between the sending of the interrogation by the warning aircraft and the receipt of the answering data from the transponder of the warned aircraft; utilizing the stored data together with the preceding calculations to determine whether the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft constitute "traffic" for one another; and providing a vocal warning to the warned aircraft when the warning aircraft and the warned aircraft constitute traffic for one another.
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Specification