TCAS primary antenna on aircraft underside system and method

• US 8,976,057 B1
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Jacobson, Randy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barker, Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US13/540,419
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 342/29
• US Class Current: 342/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/28 using amplitude comparison of signals derived simultaneously from receiving antennas or antenna systems having differently-oriented directivity characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

A system and method for operational placement of Traffic Collision and Avoidance System (TCAS) antennas on an aerial vehicle. A TCAS primary directional antenna is configured to mount on a lower surface of the aerial vehicle wherein the directional antenna receives and determines a direction of reception of an RF signal. The omnidirectional antenna is mounted on an upper surface of the aerial vehicle for transmission and reception of TCAS signals. A TCAS processor has associated ports to send and receive signals to each antenna for communicating with TCAS target aircraft. The TCAS processor is configured to recognize a mounted location of the antennas via signals received from the inputs. The TCAS processor is further configured to accept a plurality of inputs via the associated ports from the lower mounted directional antenna yet still output accurate TCAS information to the TCAS display.

Claims

1. A system for operational placement of Traffic Collision and Avoidance System (TCAS) antennas on an aerial vehicle, the system comprising:

a TCAS primary directional antenna configured to mount on a lower surface of said aerial vehicle, the TCAS primary directional antenna configured for directionally receiving an radio frequency (RF) signal;

an omnidirectional antenna configured to mount on an upper surface of said aerial vehicle, said omnidirectional antenna configured for transmission and reception of the RF signal;

a TCAS display configured to be viewable by a pilot of said aerial vehicle;

a TCAS processor configured to operatively connect to;

said directional antenna;

said omnidirectional antenna; and

said TCAS display;

wherein said TCAS processor is configured to;

send and receive signals via said omnidirectional antenna, said omnidirectional antenna mounted to an upper surface of said aerial vehicle;

recognize a mounting location of said TCAS primary directional antenna and a mounting location of said omnidirectional antenna, as mounted on said aerial vehicle, said recognizing via a secondary sensor, said secondary sensor operatively connected to said TCAS processor via at least one secondary connector, said secondary connector configured at least to transmit a TCAS primary directional antenna location signal;

receive said directionally received RF signal from said TCAS primary directional antenna, said TCAS primary directional antenna mounted on said lower surface of said aerial vehicle; and

display TCAS information on said TCAS display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said aerial vehicle further comprises one of:

a heavier than air vehicle, a lighter than air vehicle, a fixed wing vehicle, a rotary wing vehicle, a spacecraft, a powered aircraft, and an unpowered aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said lower surface further comprises a surface of said aerial vehicle proximal to the earth during a majority of flight of said aerial vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said upper surface further comprises a surface of said aerial vehicle distal from the earth during a majority of flight of said aerial vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said TCAS primary directional antenna further comprises at least four azimuth divisions, each one of said at least four azimuth divisions configured to directionally receive said RF signal and transmit RF signal to said TCAS processor.

6. The TCAS primary directional antenna of claim 5, wherein said at least four azimuth divisions further comprise a forward division, an aft division, a left division and a right division.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said TCAS primary directional antenna is further configured having a plurality of directional connectors, each one of said plurality of directional connectors corresponding to an associated one of said at least four azimuth divisions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said plurality of directional connectors is further operatively connected to a first directional port on said TCAS processor.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said plurality of directional connectors is further operatively connected to a second directional port on said TCAS processor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said secondary connector is further operatively connected to a secondary port on said TCAS processor, said secondary port configured to receive said TCAS primary directional antenna location signal.

11. A method for operational placement of Traffic Collision and Avoidance System (TCAS) antennas on an aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

configuring and mounting a TCAS primary directional antenna on a lower surface of said aerial vehicle, said TCAS primary directional antenna configured for directionally receiving an configured to signal;

mounting an omnidirectional antenna on an upper surface of said aerial vehicle;

configuring said aerial vehicle with a TCAS processor, said TCAS processor having a first directional port, a second directional port, and a secondary port;

connecting said TCAS primary directional antenna to at least one of said first directional port and said second directional port via a plurality of directional connectors;

connecting a secondary connector to said TCAS processor secondary port, said TCAS processor secondary port configured to receive a TCAS primary directional antenna location signal;

connecting said omnidirectional antenna at least one of said first directional port and said second directional port;

configuring said TCAS processor to recognize a mounting location of said TCAS primary directional antenna and a mounting location of said omnidirectional antenna, as mounted on said aerial vehicle;

sending and receiving signals to said omnidirectional antenna;

receiving said direction of reception from said TCAS primary directional antenna; and

displaying TCAS information on a TCAS display, said TCAS display configured for displaying TCAS information to a pilot of said aerial vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said aerial vehicle further comprises one of:

a heavier than air vehicle, a lighter than air vehicle, a fixed wing vehicle, a rotary wing vehicle, a spacecraft, a powered aircraft, and an unpowered aircraft.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said lower surface further comprises a surface of said aerial vehicle proximal to the earth during a majority of flight of said aerial vehicle and said upper surface further comprises a surface of said aerial vehicle distal from the earth during a majority of flight of said aerial vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said TCAS primary directional antenna further comprises at least four azimuth divisions, each one of said at least four azimuth divisions configured to directionally receive said RF signal and transmit RF signal to said TCAS processor, said at least four azimuth divisions further comprising at least a forward division, an aft division, a left division and a right division.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each one of said plurality of directional connectors corresponds to an associated one of said at least four azimuth divisions.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said TCAS primary directional antenna is further configured with a secondary sensor, said secondary sensor operatively connected to said TCAS processor via said at least one secondary connector, said secondary connector configured at least to transmit a TCAS primary directional antenna location signal.