Emergency locator transmitter activation device for enhanced emergency location performance
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system onboard an aircraft comprising:
- an ELT remote panel on the flight deck of the aircraft, the ELT remote panel comprising a switch;
an antenna that is attached to an exterior of a fuselage skin of the aircraft;
an emergency locator transmitter connected to the antenna; and
an activation/trigger device connected to the switch of the ELT remote panel and to the emergency locator transmitter,wherein the emergency locator transmitter is also connected to the switch of the ELT remote panel;
wherein the activation/trigger device comprises a common ELT crew activation input interface, ELT activation logic configured to process inputs received from the common ELT crew activation input interface, and a common ELT crew activation output interface comprising first, second and third terminals and a switch;
wherein the first terminal of the common ELT crew activation output interface is connected to the emergency locator transmitter and the third terminal of the common ELT crew activation output interface is connected to ground;
wherein the switch has an input terminal connected to the second and third terminals, an ARM terminal and an ON terminal connected to the first terminal, the switch being switchable between a first switch state wherein the input terminal is electrically connected to the ARM terminal and a second state wherein the ON terminal is electrically connected to the input terminal; and
wherein the state of the switch is controlled by the ELT activation logic.
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Abstract
An aircraft avionics unit that enhances the emergency location capability of existing Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs). This aircraft avionics unit can be integrated with a wide range of existing ELTs and their existing aircraft interfaces by changes to a small number of the signal wires between the ELT and the aircraft systems and the addition of limited inputs from aircraft systems. This system requires no changes to either the current ELTs or the associated aircraft systems. The integrated system maintains the current ELT concept of operations while providing significantly enhanced ELT activation triggering with a low-impact, low-cost approach.
34 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system onboard an aircraft comprising:
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an ELT remote panel on the flight deck of the aircraft, the ELT remote panel comprising a switch; an antenna that is attached to an exterior of a fuselage skin of the aircraft; an emergency locator transmitter connected to the antenna; and an activation/trigger device connected to the switch of the ELT remote panel and to the emergency locator transmitter, wherein the emergency locator transmitter is also connected to the switch of the ELT remote panel; wherein the activation/trigger device comprises a common ELT crew activation input interface, ELT activation logic configured to process inputs received from the common ELT crew activation input interface, and a common ELT crew activation output interface comprising first, second and third terminals and a switch; wherein the first terminal of the common ELT crew activation output interface is connected to the emergency locator transmitter and the third terminal of the common ELT crew activation output interface is connected to ground; wherein the switch has an input terminal connected to the second and third terminals, an ARM terminal and an ON terminal connected to the first terminal, the switch being switchable between a first switch state wherein the input terminal is electrically connected to the ARM terminal and a second state wherein the ON terminal is electrically connected to the input terminal; and wherein the state of the switch is controlled by the ELT activation logic. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system onboard an aircraft comprising:
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a manually operable switch incorporated in an ELT remote panel; an antenna that is attached to an exterior of a fuselage skin of the aircraft; an emergency locator transmitter having a radio frequency signal port connected to the antenna; and an activation/trigger device connected to the switch of the ELT remote panel by wiring and connected to the emergency locator transmitter by wiring, wherein the emergency locator transmitter is also connected to the switch of the ELT remote panel by wiring; wherein the activation/trigger device comprises a common ELT crew activation input interface, ELT activation logic configured to process inputs received from the common ELT crew activation input interface, and a common ELT crew activation output interface comprising first, second and third terminals and a switch; wherein the first terminal of the common ELT crew activation output interface is connected to the emergency locator transmitter and the third terminal of the common ELT crew activation output interface is connected to ground; wherein the switch has an input terminal connected to the second and third terminals, an ARM terminal and an ON terminal connected to the first terminal, the switch being switchable between a first switch state wherein the input terminal is electrically connected to the ARM terminal and a second state wherein the ON terminal is electrically connected to the input terminal; and wherein the state of the switch is controlled by the ELT activation logic. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activation/trigger device comprising:
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first processing means comprising ELT activation logic; and an input interface comprising first, second and third terminals and second processing means configured to output an ELT ON state signal to the ELT activation logic if an impedance between the first and third terminals is effectively zero or if an impedance between the first and second terminals is effectively zero. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification