Antenna failure detection

• US 7,218,277 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Mark Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/274,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20070109190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 342/113, 342/147, 342/173, 342/359, 342/417, 455/8
• US Class Current: 342/359
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 Antenna boresight
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/403 in azimuth, i.e. in the horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4034 in elevation, i.e. in the vertical plane

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus, method, and computer-executable program for detecting antenna failures in directional antennas. In particular, the present invention compares a bearing calculated from received positional data concerning a target to the bearing of the target determined using the directional antenna. If the calculated bearing and the determined bearing differ by greater than a predetermined amount, it is determined that there is an antenna failure. In this way, bearing information determined by the directional antenna is compared against a piece of known data in order to determine if the antenna is functioning properly.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving positional data concerning a target;

calculating a bearing to a target with the received positional data;

determining a bearing of the target utilizing directional reception;

generating a bearing offset, the bearing offset being the difference between the calculated bearing and the determined bearing; and

informing of an antenna failure in the case that the bearing offset is greater than a predetermined error threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the positional data is received from the target.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the positional data is received from a source other than the target.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received positional data is in ADS-B format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein directional reception is achieved using a TCAS directional antenna.

6. A method of detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;

calculating a plurality of bearings to the target with the plurality of positional data points;

determining a plurality of bearings of the target utilizing directional reception;

generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and

informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current bearing offset differs from a previously generated bearing offset by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the positional data points are received from the target.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the positional data points are received from a source other than the target.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the received positional data points are in ADS-B format.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein directional reception is achieved using a TCAS directional antenna.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the current bearing offset and the previously generated bearing offset are consecutively generated bearing offsets.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein bearing offsets are divided into different groups based on a region of the directional antenna from which the determined bearings were received, and wherein the informing step compares bearing offsets within their respective groups.

13. A method of detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;

calculating a plurality of bearings to the target with the plurality of positional data points;

determining a plurality of bearings of the target utilizing directional reception;

generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and

informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current running average of bearing offsets differs from a previously generated running average of bearing offsets by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.

14. A computer-executable program stored on a computer-readable medium, the program for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the program comprising:

a receiving code for receiving positional data concerning a target;

a calculating code for calculating a bearing to the target with the received positional data;

a determining code for determining a bearing of the target utilizing directional reception;

a generating code for generating a bearing offset, the bearing offset being the difference between the calculated bearing and the determined bearing; and

an informing code for informing of an antenna failure in the case that the bearing offset is greater than a predetermined error threshold.

15. The program of claim 14, wherein the positional data is received from the target.

16. The program of claim 14, wherein the positional data is received from a source other than the target.

17. The program of claim 14, wherein the received positional data is in ADS-B format.

18. The program of claim 14, wherein directional reception is achieved using a TCAS directional antenna.

19. A computer-executable program stored on a computer-readable medium, the program for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the program comprising:

a receiving code for receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;

a calculating code for calculating a plurality of bearings to the target with the plurality of positional data points;

a determining code for determining a plurality of bearings of the target utilizing directional reception;

a generating code for generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and

an informing code for informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current bearing offset differs from a previously generated bearing offset by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.

20. The program of claim 19, wherein the positional data points are received from the target.

21. The program of claim 19, wherein the positional data points are received from a source other than the target.

22. The program of claim 19, wherein the received positional data points are in ADS-B format.

23. The program of claim 19, wherein directional reception is achieved using a TCAS directional antenna.

24. The program of claim 19, wherein the current bearing offset and the previously generated bearing offset are consecutively generated bearing offsets.

25. The program of claim 19, wherein bearing offsets are divided into different groups based on a region of the directional antenna from which the determined bearings were received, and wherein the informing code compares bearing offsets within their respective groups.

26. A computer-executable program stored on a computer-readable medium, the program for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the program comprising:

a receiving code for receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;

a calculating code for calculating a plurality of bearings to the target with the plurality of positional data points;

a determining code for determining a plurality of bearings of the target utilizing directional reception;

a generating code for generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and

an informing code for informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current running average of bearing offsets differs from a previously generated running average of bearing offsets by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.

27. An apparatus for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving positional data concerning a target;

a calculating unit for calculating a bearing to the target with the received positional data;

a directional antenna for determining a bearing of the target;

a generating unit connected to the calculating unit and the directional antenna, the generating unit for generating a bearing offset, the bearing offset being the difference between the calculated bearing and the determined bearing; and

an informing unit connected to the comparing unit, the informing unit for informing of an antenna failure in the case that the bearing offset is greater than a predetermined error threshold.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the receiver receives the positional data from the target.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the receiver receives the positional data from a source other than the target.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the received positional data is in ADS-B format.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the directional antenna is a TCAS directional antenna.

32. An apparatus for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;

a calculating unit for calculating a plurality of bearings of the target with the plurality of positional data points;

a directional antenna for determining a plurality of bearings of the target;

a generating unit connected to the receiver and the directional antenna, the generating unit for generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and

an informing unit connected to the generating unit, the informing unit for informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current bearing offset differs from a previously generated bearing offset by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the receiver receives positional data points from the target.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the receiver receives positional data from a source other than the target.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the received positional data points are in ADS-B format.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the directional antenna is a TCAS directional antenna.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the current bearing offset and the previously generated bearing offset are consecutively generated bearing offsets.

38. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein bearing offsets are divided into different groups based on a region of the directional antenna from which the determined bearings were received, and wherein the informing unit compares bearing offsets within their respective groups.

39. An apparatus for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;

a calculating unit for calculating a plurality of bearings of the target with the plurality of positional data points;

a directional antenna for determining a plurality of bearings of the target;

a generating unit connected to the receiver and the directional antenna, the generating unit for generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and

an informing unit connected to the generating unit, the informing unit for informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current running average of bearing offsets differs from a previously generated running average of bearing offsets by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.