Deployable passive broadband aircraft tracking

• US 7,777,675 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ERA as (Omnipol as)
• Original Assignee: ERA Systems Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Evers, Carl A., Hulstrom, Russell, Smith, Alexander E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/840,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 342/455, 342/456, 342/463, 342/465, 701/117, 701/120
• US Class Current: 342/463
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02213 Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

In a first, preferred embodiment of the present invention, integrated tracking is provided using passive broadband. The invention takes the system for deployable passive broadband detection and extends it by incorporating the capability to decode position for ADS-B, SSR multilateration, and broadband multilateration. In a second embodiment, validation of a self-reported position is provided. The invention takes the system for deployable passive broadband detection and extends it by incorporating the capability to decode self-reported position for ADS-B, and compare it to line of calculated position, or line of precision, derived from multilateration techniques applied to various signals received from the aircraft. In a third embodiment, validation of a self-reported ADS-B position using independent surveillance is provided by the system.

Claims

1. A system for validating aircraft self-reported position, comprising:

a plurality of antennas for receiving radio signals from an aircraft, including an aircraft self-reported position;

a processor, coupled to the plurality of antennas, for determining aircraft position through time difference of arrival processing of the signals from the aircraft to produce a determined aircraft position; and

a comparator, coupled to the processor, for comparing the determined aircraft position with the aircraft self-reported position and determining whether the self-reported position is within a predetermined range of the determined position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the radio signals from the aircraft comprise high frequency radio signals emanating from the aircraft.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the high frequency radio signals comprise one or more of UAT, DME, TACAN, SSR, Mode S, ADS-B, Pulse Radar, Weather Radar, Communications, Military Radar or a pulse emitter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the comparator generates a (FOM) indicating a level of confidence in the aircraft self-reported position.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an alarm, coupled to the comparator, for generating an alarm signal if the FOM is below a predetermined threshold value.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor determines at least one line of precision based upon signals received from at least two of the plurality of antennas.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the comparator compares the line of precision to the aircraft self-reported position and generates an alert if the aircraft self-reported position is not within a predetermined range of the line of precision.