Window-passage detection system of an airplane

• US 5,955,971 A
• Filed: 07/15/1998
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Uemura, Toshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US09/115,976
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 340/947, 340/952, 340/956, 342/33, 342/34, 342/35, 342/357, 342/437, 342/450, 342/413, 701/16, 701/17, 701/18, 701/300, 244/186, 244/194
• US Class Current: 340/947
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/14 using amplitude comparison of signals transmitted simultaneously from antennas or antenna systems having differently oriented overlapping directivity-characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A window-passage detection system has a ground system comprising: a first course generator (3) for generating a horizontal DDM (Differential Depth of Modulation) pattern for defining a horizontal width (25) of a virtual window frame by emitting a first carrier signal and a first side-band signal from a pair of first transmission antennae (6a and 6b), a second course generator (4) for generating a vertical DDM pattern for defining a vertical width (26) of the virtual window frame by emitting a second carrier signal and a second side-band signal from a pair of second transmission antennae (7a and 7b), and a third course generator (5) for generating a longitudinal DDM pattern for defining a longitudinal position (27) of the virtual window frame by emitting a third carrier signal and a third side-band signal from a pair of third transmission antenna (8a and 8b). Pairs of the first to the third transmission antennae (6a to 8b) generate three orthogonal polarization planes. With each pair of antenna, each carrier signal is emitted with the same phase and each side-band signal is emitted with inverted phase. Each carrier signal is amplitude-modulated with addition of a first and a second modulation signal, and each side-band signal is balanced-modulated with differential of the first and the second modulation signal.

Claims

1. A window-passage detecting system of an airplane having at least one ground system each comprising:

a first course generator for generating a horizontal DDM (Differential Depth of Modulation) pattern for defining a horizontal width of a virtual window frame through which a precision approach landing course of an airplane is set, by emitting a first carrier signal and a first side-band signal at the same time upwards toward the virtual window frame from a pair of first transmission antennae provided under the virtual window frame and arranged horizontally and line-symmetrically to a center line of a runway to generate a polarization plane parallel to a horizontal direction of the virtual window frame,

said first carrier signal being obtained by amplitude-modulating a first base signal of a first frequency with a first and second modulation signal synchronized with each other,

said first side-band signal being obtained by balanced-modulating the first base signal with the first modulation signal whereof phase is inverted and the second modulation signal,

one of said first transmission antennae being supplied with the first side-band signal and the first carrier signal, and

the other of said first transmission antennae being supplied with the first side-band signal whereof phase is inverted and the first carrier signal;

a second course generator for generating a vertical DDM pattern for defining a vertical width of the virtual window frame, by emitting a second carrier signal and a second side-band signal at the same time in the horizontal direction toward the virtual window frame from a pair of second transmission antennae provided sideways of the virtual window frame and arranged vertically and line-symmetrically to a horizontal line orthogonal to the center line and crossing with the precision approach landing course to generate a polarization plane parallel to a vertical direction of the virtual window frame,

said second carrier signal being obtained by amplitude-modulating a second base signal of a second frequency which is a little shifted from the first frequency with the first and the second modulation signal,

said second side-band signal being obtained by balanced-modulating the second base signal with the first modulation signal whereof a phase is inverted and the second modulation signal,

one of said second transmission antennae being supplied with the second side-band signal and the second carrier signal, and

the other of said second transmission antennae being supplied with the second side-band signal whereof a phase is inverted and the second carrier signal; and

a third course generator for generating a longitudinal DDM pattern for defining a longitudinal position of the virtual window frame, by emitting a third carrier signal and a third side-band signal at the same time in the horizontal direction toward the virtual window frame from a pair of third transmission antennae provided sideways of the virtual window frame and arranged horizontally and line-symmetrically to the horizontal line orthogonal to the center line and crossing with the precision approach landing course to generate a polarization plane parallel to a normal direction of the virtual window frame,

said third carrier signal being obtained by amplitude-modulating a third base signal of a third frequency which is a little shifted from both of the first and the second frequency with the first and the second modulation signal,

said third side-band signal being obtained by balanced-modulating the third base signal with the first modulation signal whereof a phase is inverted and the second modulation signal,

one of said third transmission antennae being supplied with the third side-band signal and the third carrier signal, and

the other of said third transmission antennae being supplied with the third side-band signal whereof a phase is inverted and the third carrier signal.

2. A window-frame passage detection system of an airplane as recited in claim 1;

each of the first to the third course generator comprising;

an attenuator for controlling amplitude of respective each of the first to the third side-band signal;

a splitter/synthesizer for splitting respective each of the first to the third carrier signal into two signals each to be supplied with the same phase to each of respective each pair of the first to the third transmission antennae, and splitting respective each of the first to the third side-band signal into two signals each to be supplied with a phase 180°

different with each other to each of respective each pair of the first to the third transmission antennae; and

a phase shifter for controlling phases of signals to be supplied to one of respective each pair of the first to the third transmission antennae.

3. A window-frame passage detection system of an airplane as recited in claim 1;

wherein

the virtual window frame generated by each of said at least one of ground system is arranged appropriately separated from each other when said at least one is more then one;

the horizontal width of the virtual window frame is set to represent an allowable horizontal deviation of an airplane approaching according to the precision approach landing course at a point of the precision approach landing course where the virtual window frame is generated, by controlling an amplitude ratio between the first carrier signal and the first side-band signal with the attenuator of the first course generator of said corresponding each of said at least one ground system; and

the vertical width of the virtual window frame is set to represent an allowable vertical deviation of the airplane at the point, by controlling an amplitude ratio between the second carrier signal and the second side-band signal with the attenuator of the second course generator of said corresponding each of said at least one ground system.

4. A window-frame passage detection system of an airplane as recited in claim 3;

wherein

height of said point of the precision approach landing course is category decision height of one of categories defined in RNP (Required Navigation Performance) proposed by AWOP (All Weather Operating Panel) of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization); and

a size of the virtual window frame is the same with allowable deviations defined in the RNP corresponding to the category decision height.

5. A window-frame passage detection system of an airplane as recited in claim 1;

wherein the polarization plane generated by each pair of the first to the third transmission antennae is orthogonal to each other.

6. A window-frame passage detection system of an airplane as recited in claim 1, whereof an airborne system provided on an airplane comprises:

a first detector for detecting passage of the airplane inside of the horizontal width of the virtual window frame, from output of a first airborne receiver having a first reception antenna of the same polarization plane with the pair of the first transmission antennae;

a second detector for detecting passage of the airplane inside of the vertical width of the virtual window frame, from output of a second airborne receiver having a second reception antenna of the same polarization plane with the pair of the second transmission antennae;

a third detector for detecting passage of the airplane traversing the longitudinal position of the virtual window frame, from output of a third airborne receiver having a third reception antenna of the same polarization plane with the pair of the third transmission antennae; and

an AND detector for detecting passage of the airplane inside of the virtual window frame, from AND logic of outputs of the first to the third detector.