INTEGRATED, EXTERNALLY-MOUNTED ADS-B DEVICE

• US 20160170025A1
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Appareo Systems LLC (AGCO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Appareo Systems LLC (AGCO Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeffrey L., Thurow, Bradley R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,893,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/781 Secondary Surveillance Radar [SSR] in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00

Abstract

An integrated, externally-mounted Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) device comprising in one embodiment a 1030 MHz transmitter, a 1030 MHz antenna, a 1090 MHz receiver, a 1090 MHz antenna, a GNSS receiver, at least one GNSS antenna, a 978 MHz transmitter, and a 978 MHz antenna, wherein these components are integrated into a single enclosure, and wherein the GNSS antenna is placed at least partially into a projection extending out from the main enclosure body, such that the GNSS antenna has improved visibility to GNSS signals originating from altitudes above the current altitude of aircraft when the ADS-B device is mounted on the bottom of an aircraft.

Claims

1. An ADS-B device, comprising

a 1030 MHz transmitter;

a 1030 MHz antenna;

a 1090 MHz receiver;

a 1090 MHz antenna;

a GNSS receiver;

at least one GNSS antenna;

a 978 MHz transmitter;

a 978 MHz antenna;

an enclosure comprising a main enclosure body and at least one projection; and

wherein the 1030 MHz transmitter, the 1030 MHz antenna, the 1090 MHz receiver, the 1090 MHz antenna, the GNSS receiver, the at least one GNSS antenna, the 978 MHz transmitter, and the 978 MHz antenna are contained within the enclosure, wherein the at least one GNSS antenna is placed at least partially into the at least one projection, wherein the enclosure is mounted to the underside of the exterior of an aircraft, wherein the at least one projection extends out from the enclosure such that the at least one GNSS antenna has improved visibility to GNSS signals originating from altitudes above the current altitude of aircraft, wherein the 1090 MHz receiver receives data transmitted by an external 1090 MHz transponder for use in preparing an ADS-B broadcast, and wherein the 1030 MHz transmitter may be used to request a transmission of data from the external 1090 MHz transponder.

2. The ADS-B device of claim 1, wherein the 1030 MHz antenna, the 1090 MHz antenna, and the 978 MHz antenna are the same antenna.

3. The ADS-B device of claim 1, wherein the at least one projection is flexible and can be adhered to the exterior of the aircraft fuselage.

4. An ADS-B device, comprising

a 1090 MHz receiver;

a 1090 MHz antenna;

a GNSS receiver;

at least one GNSS antenna;

a 978 MHz transmitter;

a 978 MHz antenna;

an enclosure comprising a main enclosure body and at least one projection; and

wherein the 1090 MHz receiver, the 1090 MHz antenna, the GNSS receiver, the at least one GNSS antenna, the 978 MHz transmitter, and the 978 MHz antenna are contained within the enclosure, wherein the at least one GNSS antenna is placed at least partially into the at least one projection, wherein the enclosure is mounted to the underside of the exterior of an aircraft, wherein the at least one projection extends out from the enclosure such that the at least one GNSS antenna has improved visibility to GNSS signals originating from altitudes above the current altitude of aircraft, and wherein the 1090 MHz receiver receives data transmitted incidentally by an external 1090 MHz transponder for use in preparing an ADS-B broadcast.

5. The ADS-B device of claim 4, wherein the 1090 MHz antenna and the 978 MHz antenna are the same antenna.

6. The ADS-B device of claim 4, wherein the at least one projection is flexible and can be adhered to the exterior of the aircraft fuselage.

7. An ADS-B device, comprising

a 1090 MHz receiver;

a 1090 MHz antenna;

a GNSS receiver;

at least one GNSS antenna;

a 978 MHz transmitter;

a 978 MHz antenna;

a static pressure port;

a static pressure encoder;

an enclosure comprising a main enclosure body and at least one projection; and

wherein the 1030 MHz transmitter, the 1090 MHz receiver, the 1090 MHz antenna, the GNSS receiver, the at least one GNSS antenna, the 978 MHz transmitter, the 978 MHz antenna, and the static pressure encoder are contained within the enclosure, wherein the static pressure port is integral to the exterior of the enclosure, wherein the at least one GNSS antenna is placed at least partially into the at least one projection, wherein the enclosure is mounted to the underside of the exterior of an aircraft, wherein the at least one projection extends out from the enclosure such that the at least one GNSS antenna has improved visibility to GNSS signals originating from altitudes above the current altitude of aircraft, wherein the static pressure port senses a static air pressure, wherein the static pressure encoder receives and encodes a static air pressure reading from the static pressure port, wherein the static air pressure reading is used to calculate a pressure altitude for use in an ADS-B broadcast, and wherein the 1090 MHz receiver receives an external pressure altitude reading transmitted by an external 1090 MHz transponder and wherein the external pressure altitude reading is used to calculate a correction to the pressure altitude calculated from the static air pressure reading received from the static pressure encoder.

8. The ADS-B device of claim 7, wherein the 1030 MHz antenna, the 1090 MHz antenna, and the 978 MHz antenna are the same antenna.

9. The ADS-B device of claim 7, wherein the at least one projection is flexible and can be adhered to the exterior of the aircraft fuselage.

10. An ADS-B device, comprising

a 1090 MHz receiver;

a 1090 MHz antenna;

a GNSS receiver;

at least one GNSS antenna;

a 978 MHz transmitter;

a 978 MHz antenna;

a first enclosure;

a second enclosure; and

wherein the 1090 MHz receiver, the 1090 MHz antenna, the 978 MHz transmitter, the GNSS receiver, and the 978 MHz antenna are contained within the first enclosure, wherein the at least one GNSS antenna is placed in the second enclosure;

wherein the first enclosure is mounted to the underside of the exterior of an aircraft, wherein the second enclosure is mounted such that the at least one GNSS antenna has improved visibility to GNSS signals originating from altitudes above the current altitude of aircraft, wherein the 1090 MHz receiver receives data transmitted by an external 1090 MHz transponder for use in preparing an ADS-B broadcast.

11. The ADS-B device of claim 10 wherein the 1090 MHz antenna and the 978 MHz antenna are the same antenna.

12. The ADS-B device of claim 10, further comprising:

a 1030 MHz transmitter;

a 1030 MHz antenna; and

wherein the 1030 MHz transmitter and the 1030 MHz antenna are contained within the first enclosure, and wherein the 1030 MHz transmitter may be used to request a transmission of data from the external 1090 MHz transponder.

13. The ADS-B device of claim 12 wherein the 1030 MHz antenna, the 1090 MHz antenna, and the 978 MHz antenna are the same antenna.

14. The ADS-B device of any of claims 7, 8, 9, and 10 wherein the GNSS receiver is located in the second enclosure instead of the first enclosure.