Collision avoidance system for use in aircraft
First Claim
1. A collision avoidance system for use in a vehicle comprising a dielectric antenna shaped at least as part of a sphere formed by a plurality of sectors, an L-band microwave transmitter, a plurality of transmit/receive switches with one of said switches associated with a respective one of said sectors, means connecting said transmitter to said switches so that when said switches are in a transmit mode a plurality of L-band microwave signals are transmitted simultaneously from said sectors omnidirectionally around said antenna, a plurality of L-band microwave detectors with one of said detectors associated with a respective one of said sectors to detect, when said switches are in a receive mode, a return microwave signal reflected from an obstacle in the area surrounding the vehicle, circuit means for processing return microwave signals to provide an output signal containing information regarding said obstacle, and display means connected to said circuit means for displaying that information to the operator of the vehicle enabling the operator to take appropriate action to avoid a collision with the obstacle.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A collision avoidance system mountable on an aircraft for providing to the pilot of that aircraft an early warning of the presence of another nearby threat aircraft within the surrounding air space. The system operates autonomously from that aircraft and does not require the presence of any matched system on board the threat aircraft. The system includes an omni-directional L-band microwave antenna formed by a dielectric sphere cut into eight equal “orange wedge” sectors covering eight distinct beam patterns. Eight L-band microwave signals are transmitted simultaneously from all eight dielectric sectors to provide a sphere of detection around the aircraft. The sectors also act as receivers for detecting a microwave signal reflected back from the threat aircraft, and indicating means provides information to the pilot regarding the direction, closeness and rate of closure of the threat aircraft.
-
Citations
14 Claims
- 1. A collision avoidance system for use in a vehicle comprising a dielectric antenna shaped at least as part of a sphere formed by a plurality of sectors, an L-band microwave transmitter, a plurality of transmit/receive switches with one of said switches associated with a respective one of said sectors, means connecting said transmitter to said switches so that when said switches are in a transmit mode a plurality of L-band microwave signals are transmitted simultaneously from said sectors omnidirectionally around said antenna, a plurality of L-band microwave detectors with one of said detectors associated with a respective one of said sectors to detect, when said switches are in a receive mode, a return microwave signal reflected from an obstacle in the area surrounding the vehicle, circuit means for processing return microwave signals to provide an output signal containing information regarding said obstacle, and display means connected to said circuit means for displaying that information to the operator of the vehicle enabling the operator to take appropriate action to avoid a collision with the obstacle.
- 8. A collision avoidance system for use on an aircraft comprising a hollow dielectric antenna shaped at least as part of a sphere formed by a plurality of equal sized wedge sectors, each sector having an outer spherical surface and three flat surfaces extending radially inward toward the center of the sphere, an L-band microwave transmitter, a plurality of transmit/receive switches mounted within said antenna with each of said switches associated with a respective one of said sectors, means connecting said transmitter to said switches so that when said switches are in a transmit mode a plurality of L-band microwave signals are transmitted simultaneously from said sectors omnidirectionally around said antenna, a plurality of L-band microwave detectors mounted within said antenna with each of said detectors associated with a respective one of said sectors to detect, when said switches are in a receive mode, a return microwave signal reflected from an obstacle in the area surrounding the aircraft and received by its respective sector, the flat sides of said sectors being coated with a conductive material to guide a return signal through a sector to its associated detector, circuit means for processing return microwave signals to provide an output signal containing information regarding said obstacle, and display means connected to said circuit means for displaying that information to the operator of the vehicle enabling the operator to take appropriate action to avoid a collision with the obstacle.
Specification