SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING AND IDENTIFYING AIRCRAFT AND GROUND EQUIPMENT

• US 20100194622A1
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Clingman, Dan J., Whitley, Ted D., Jacobi, Edgar, Thiesen, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/37
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/44 Monopulse radar, i.e. simultaneous lobing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/781 Secondary Surveillance Radar [SSR] in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/916 Airport surface monitoring [ASDE]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/06 for control when on the ground

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods disclosed herein provide for tracking of objects, aircraft, vehicles, and ground equipment in a tracking area, such as an airspace and/or an airport terminal area. One embodiment of a tracking system of the present disclosure comprises a signal monitoring component adapted to communicate with an object, such as an aircraft, when the object enters the tracking area. The signal monitoring component is adapted to transmit a monopulse beacon query signal to the object and receive a monopulse beacon response signal from the object. The tracking system further comprises an interface component adapted to process the received monopulse beacon response signal from the object, initialize a beacon transponder on the object, and assign a network address to the object.

Claims

1. A system for tracking an object in a tracking area, the system comprising:

a signal monitoring component adapted to communicate with the object when the object enters the tracking area, the signal monitoring component adapted to transmit a monopulse beacon query signal to the object and receive a monopulse beacon response signal in response to the monopulse beacon query signal from the object; and

an interface component adapted to process the received monopulse beacon response signal from the object, initialize a beacon transponder on the object, and assign a network address to the object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the object comprises at least one of an aircraft, a vehicle, and ground equipment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking area comprises at least one of an airspace and an airport terminal area.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal monitoring component comprises a radar assembly having a radar transmitter and receiver adapted to communicate with the beacon transponder on the object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface component comprises a processing component adapted to interface with the signal monitoring component to process the received monopulse beacon response signal from the object, initialize the beacon transponder on the object, and assign the network address to the object via the signal monitoring component.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the beacon transponder is integrated with an anti-collision lamp mounted on the object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface component is adapted to set a pseudo-random noise (PN) code for the beacon transponder on the object.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal monitoring component is adapted to transmit the monopulse beacon query signal to the beacon transponder on the object via a communication channel and receive the monopulse beacon response signal in response to the monopulse beacon query signal via the communication channel.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the monopulse beacon response signal includes at least one of identification information related to the object, position information related to the object, velocity information related to the object, and time of response.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air traffic console component adapted to:

communicate with the interface component;

receive information related to the monopulse beacon response signal from the interface component;

process the received information; and

display information related to the object based on the monopulse beacon response signal information.

11. A method for tracking an object in a tracking area, the method comprising:

transmitting a monopulse beacon query signal to the object when the object enters the tracking area;

receiving a monopulse beacon response signal in response to the monopulse beacon query signal;

processing the received monopulse beacon response signal;

initializing a beacon transponder on the object; and

assigning a network address to the object.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating with the beacon transponder on the object to receive information related to the object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information related to the object includes at least one of identification information related to the object, position information related to the object, velocity information related to the object, and time of response.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising setting a pseudo-random noise (PN) code for the beacon transponder on the object.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the monopulse beacon query signal to the object comprises transmitting the monopulse beacon query signal to the beacon transponder on the object via a communication channel, and wherein receiving the monopulse beacon response signal in response to the monopulse beacon query signal comprises receiving the monopulse beacon response signal via the communication channel.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising display information related to the object based on the monopulse beacon response signal received from the object.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the object comprises at least one of an aircraft, a vehicle, and ground equipment.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the tracking area comprises at least one of an airspace and an airport terminal area.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the beacon transponder is integrated with an anti-collision lamp mounted on the object.

20. Software encoded in one or more computer readable media and when executed operable to track an object in a tracking area, the software further operable to:

transmit a monopulse beacon query signal to the object when the object enters the tracking area;

receive a monopulse beacon response signal in response to the monopulse beacon query signal;

process the received monopulse beacon response signal;

initialize a beacon transponder on the object; and

assign a network address to the object.

21. The software of claim 20, further operable to communicate with the beacon transponder on the object to receive information related to the object.

22. The software of claim 21, wherein the information related to the object includes at least one of identification information related to the object, position information related to the object, velocity information related to the object, and time of response.

23. The software of claim 20, further operable to set a pseudo-random noise (PN) code for the beacon transponder on the object.

24. The software of claim 20, wherein transmitting the monopulse beacon query signal to the object comprises transmitting the monopulse beacon query signal to the beacon transponder on the object via a communication channel, and wherein receiving the monopulse beacon response signal in response to the monopulse beacon query signal comprises receiving the monopulse beacon response signal via the communication channel.

25. The software of claim 20, further operable to display information related to the object based on the monopulse beacon response signal received from the object.