Method and apparatus for tracking aircraft and securing against unauthorized access
First Claim
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1. A combined airborne and ground-based system for monitoring an aircraft, comprising:
- a first airborne means for receiving navigation signals and deriving a position vector therefrom,a second airborne means for receiving an input representative of altitude of the aircraft above ground level,a third airborne means for sampling said position vector and outputting a succession of samples of said position vector, representing successive discrete positions of the aircraft, wherein said third airborne means is responsive to the second airborne means such that the sample rate has a first substantially constant value in the event that the aircraft is at an altitude greater than a predetermined altitude and has a second substantially constant value, greater than the first constant value, in the event that the aircraft is at an altitude less than said predetermined altitude,a fourth airborne means for receiving the succession of samples of the position vector from the third airborne means and generating data packets descriptive of said successive discrete positions of the aircraft,a fifth airborne means for transmitting the data packets,a first ground-based means for receiving the data packets,a second ground-based means for extracting the aircraft position vector samples from the data packets, anda third ground-based means for graphic display of the position vector samples.
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Abstract
A system for monitoring an aircraft receives navigation signals and deriving a position vector therefrom and also receives an input representative of altitude of the aircraft above ground level. The system samples the position vector at a selected sample rate and outputs a succession of samples of the position vector, the sample rate depending on whether the altitude of the aircraft above ground level is less than a predetermined value. Data packets that contain respective samples of the position vector are transmitted to a ground-based receiving station. The ground-based receiving station may calculate secondary data.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A combined airborne and ground-based system for monitoring an aircraft, comprising:
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a first airborne means for receiving navigation signals and deriving a position vector therefrom, a second airborne means for receiving an input representative of altitude of the aircraft above ground level, a third airborne means for sampling said position vector and outputting a succession of samples of said position vector, representing successive discrete positions of the aircraft, wherein said third airborne means is responsive to the second airborne means such that the sample rate has a first substantially constant value in the event that the aircraft is at an altitude greater than a predetermined altitude and has a second substantially constant value, greater than the first constant value, in the event that the aircraft is at an altitude less than said predetermined altitude, a fourth airborne means for receiving the succession of samples of the position vector from the third airborne means and generating data packets descriptive of said successive discrete positions of the aircraft, a fifth airborne means for transmitting the data packets, a first ground-based means for receiving the data packets, a second ground-based means for extracting the aircraft position vector samples from the data packets, and a third ground-based means for graphic display of the position vector samples. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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12. A combined airborne and ground-based system for monitoring an aircraft, comprising:
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a first airborne means for receiving navigation signals and deriving an aircraft position vector therefrom, a second airborne means for sampling said aircraft position vector at a selected sample rate and outputting a succession of samples of said aircraft position vector, a third airborne means for receiving the succession of samples of the aircraft position vector and generating data packets that contain respective samples of the aircraft position vector, and a fourth airborne means for transmitting the data packets, a first ground-based means for receiving the data packets, and a second ground-based means for extracting the aircraft position vector samples from the data packets and calculating an aircraft flight parameter from the position vector samples wherein the second ground-based means includes a means for calculating a trajectory of the aircraft based on position vector samples contained in successive data packets received by the first ground-based means and for calculating a net terminal location of the aircraft based on terrain features and the trajectory of the aircraft, and wherein the second ground-based means includes a means for conditionally asserting an alarm signal, a means for comparing current values of parameters that define the aircraft'"'"'s trajectory with nominal values of those parameters and negating the conditional alarm signal in the event that the current values of the parameters match the nominal values within a predetermined tolerance, and a means operative in the event that the current values do not match the nominal values within said predetermined tolerance for comparing current values of control settings of the aircraft with stored values to determine whether adjustment of the control settings can influence the trajectory of the aircraft sufficiently to avoid collision with terrain features and, if so, canceling the alarm signal, and, if not, reporting the net terminal location to a ground-based facility for emergency response. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A combined airborne and ground-based system for monitoring an aircraft, comprising:
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a first airborne means for receiving navigation signals and deriving an aircraft position vector therefrom, a second airborne means for sampling said aircraft position vector at a selected sample rate and outputting a succession of samples of said aircraft position vector, a third airborne means for receiving the succession of samples of the aircraft position vector and generating data packets that contain respective samples of the aircraft position vector, and a fourth airborne means for transmitting the data packets, a first ground-based means for receiving the data packets, and a second ground-based means including a means for determining the position of the aircraft, represented by a position vector sample, selecting a spatial domain that includes the position of the aircraft, and providing a display of the spatial domain, the second ground-based means having a first state in which it displays the spatial domain as an air traffic control navigational display and a second state in which it displays the spatial domain and correlated terrestrial features that are not shown in the first state.
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16. A combined airborne and ground-based system for monitoring an aircraft, comprising:
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a first airborne means for receiving navigation signals and deriving an aircraft position vector therefrom, a second airborne means for sampling said aircraft position vector at a selected sample rate and outputting a succession of samples of said aircraft position vector, a third airborne means for receiving the succession of samples of the aircraft position vector and generating data packets that contain respective samples of the aircraft position vector, and a fourth airborne means for transmitting the data packets, a first ground-based means for receiving the data packets, and a second ground-based means including a means for comparing the position of the aircraft, represented by a position vector sample, with the positions of a plurality of ground-based facilities, allowing selection of one of said ground-based facilities, and calculating a distance vector from the aircraft position to said one ground-based facility, and wherein the second ground-based means includes a display means having a first state in which it displays general air-traffic control information pertaining to the vicinity of the selected ground-based facility and a second state in which it displays said distance vector and terrestrial features in the vicinity of the selected ground-based facility.
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17. A combined airborne and ground-based system for monitoring an aircraft, comprising:
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a first airborne means for receiving navigation signals and deriving an aircraft position vector therefrom, a second airborne means for sampling said aircraft position vector at a selected sample rate and outputting a succession of samples of said aircraft position vector, a third airborne means for receiving the succession of samples of the aircraft position vector and generating data packets that contain respective samples of the aircraft position vector, and a fourth airborne means for transmitting the data packets, a first ground-based means for receiving the data packets, and a second ground-based means including a means for comparing the position of the aircraft, represented by a position vector sample, with the positions of a plurality of ground-based facilities, allowing selection of one of said ground-based facilities, and calculating a distance vector from the aircraft position to said one ground-based facility, and wherein the second ground-based means includes a display means having a first state in which it displays general aircraft navigational information pertaining to the vicinity of the selected ground-based facility and a second state in which it displays said distance vector and terrestrial features in the vicinity of the selected ground-based facility. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification