Glide slope surveillance sensor
OwnerWilliam L. Rubininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surveillance sensor for detecting and monitoring aerodynamic conditions in a vicinity of an aircraft landing glide slope utilizes a radar transmitter to illuminate the glide slope. Radar reflections from aircraft induced vortices, clear air turbulence, and glide slope cross winds are received by a monopulse radar system wherein a sum beam doppler spectrum and a difference beam doppler spectrum for the radar returns is determined. The sum and difference beams doppler spectra are processed to determine the aerodynamic conditions in the glide slope vicinity. These aerodynamic conditions are assessed to determine whether aerodynamic hazardous conditions exist in the glide slope region.
Claims17
A surveillance sensor for monitoring and detecting aerodynamic conditions in a vicinity of an aircraft landing glide slope comprising:
- means for transmitting a radar signal;
- monopulse means for receiving backscatter of said radar signal in range bins of predetermined length through a sum beam and a difference beam;
- doppler spectrum means coupled to said sum and difference beams for providing a sum beam doppler spectrum and a difference beam doppler spectrum;
- processor means coupled to said doppler spectrum means for processing said sum and difference beam doppler spectra and for providing signals representative of aerodynamic conditions;
- and
- means responsive to said signals representative of aerodynamic conditions for assessing said aerodynamic conditions and for providing hazardous condition warning signals when hazardous aerodynamic conditions are detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.