Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g. – Directive – Including a satellite
Patent
1997-11-12
1999-08-10
Issing, Gregory C.
Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g.,
Directive
Including a satellite
34235708, 342458, 701213, G01S 502, H04B 7185
Patent
active
059365749
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELEVANT APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
The invention relates to a device for monitoring the distance between two objects according to and more particularly to a device for monitoring the distance between two objects, at least one of which is moving and carries transmission units and receiving units.
DISCUSSION OF RELEVANT ART
Such devices are known in connection with monitoring the distance between two aircraft and are sold by the company, Honeywell, under the name of TCAS (traffic alert and collision avoidance system). Said known device makes use of the standard radar equipment of the aircraft, the position data of the various aircraft being communicated by their transponders to the radar ground station and from there together with other data to all other aircraft flying in the same air space.
A similar device is sold by the company Ryan, under the name of TCAD (traffic/collision alert device). Said known device receives and decodes transponder signals and displays the air traffic in the relevant air space in the form of character strings on a small display unit. In said system too, however, use is made of the standard radar transponder signals.
Although radar air monitoring is an excellent aid for traffic zones at greater altitudes, it is precisely at low flying heights, where the risk of aircraft coming dangerously close to one another is particularly high, that radar monitoring and the transfer of data transmitted together with radar signals is less satisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is a device for monitoring the distance between two objects, at least one of which is moving, wherein the object distance is determined independently of radar signals.
This object is achieved by the present invention, as follows which is a moving object having transmission units carried by the two objects and a receiving a unit carried at least by moving object, the transmission units transmitting position data signals for carrying object, and an identification signal associated with the carrying object, and the receiving unit receiving the position data signals and object identification signals of other object, wherein the moving object carries a GPS unit which supplies the position data signals; wherein the transmission units and the receiving unit operate in the VHF range and each comprise an antenna with a substantially spherical operating characteristic; and wherein the transmission units have identical transmitting power and the receiving units are connected to a discriminator circuit which rejects received signals of an amplitude below a preset threshold value, and at least the moving object carries monitoring computers which, from the position data signals of the moving object and the received position data signals of the other object, calculates the distance between the two objects.
In the case of the monitoring device according to the invention, the objects which are to monitored for dangerous proximity continuously transmit position data signals and object identification signals in the VHF range. Transmission of said signals is effected substantially with an spherical characteristic. The receiving units which are used likewise operate with a spherical characteristic. Each of the moving objects carries a monitoring computer which calculates the instantaneous object distance from the received position data signals and its own position data signals. The position data signals in the case of moving objects are generated in each case by a GPS unit (GPS=Global Positioning System), i.e. are based on a standard determination using the output signals of a plurality of navigation satellites disposed in space. The location determination thus obtained is very precise. The GPS units have meantime become available at low cost.
A further advantage of the invention is that GPS position determination and also VHF position data transmission operate well not only at high altitudes but a
REFERENCES:
patent: 5493309 (1996-02-01), Bjornholt
Issing Gregory C.
Phan Dao L.
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