Multifunction aircraft transponder

An aircraft mounted combined air traffic alert and collision avoidance system and Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System/Mode Select transponder device comprising:

• first and second spaced apart antennas, each said antenna configured for receiving and transmitting signals;
• a configurable switch for coupling one or more of a transponder receiver, an air traffic alert and collision avoidance system receiver, and a combined air traffic alert and collision avoidance system and transponder transmitter to each of said first and second antennas;
• and
• a transmit and switch control circuit coupled to said transponder receiver, said transmit and switch control circuit further coupled to said combined air traffic alert and collision avoidance system and transponder transmitter for generating at least one of an interrogation signal and a reply signal and coupled to said configurable switch for coupling said generated signal to at least one of said first and second antennas for transmission in response to a control signal received from said transponder receiver.

An aircraft mounted combined air traffic alert and collision avoidance system and Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System/Mode Select transponder device comprising:

• first and second antennas configured for receiving and transmitting signals, said first antenna mounted on an upper surface of a host aircraft and said second antenna mounted on a lower surface of the host aircraft;
• a combined TCAS/transponder processor including:
• a) an air traffic alert and collision avoidance system function,
• b) an Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System/Mode Select transponder function,
• c) a configurable switch for coupling one or more of said air traffic alert and collision avoidance system function and said Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System/Mode Select transponder function to each of said first and second antennas, and
• d) a transmit and switch control function coupled to each of said air traffic alert and collision avoidance system function, said Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System/Mode Select transponder function, and said configurable switch, said transmit and switch control function configuring said configurable switch.

In an environment having at least one of an interrogation signal source transmitting an interrogation signal and an aircraft posing a potential airborne collision threat, the aircraft having a transponder transmitting and receiving at least Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System format information signals, a method for detecting and responding to the transmitted signals, the method comprising:

• configuring first and second antennas to independently acquire Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System format interrogation and reply signals;
• configuring a configurable switch in a first receive mode having a transponder receiver function coupled to said first and second antennas and having an air traffic alert and collision avoidance system receiver function coupled to one of said first and second antennas,
• configuring said configurable switch in a second receive mode having said transponder receiver function coupled to first and second antennas and having said air traffic alert and collision avoidance system receiver function coupled to a different one of said first and second antennas,
• alternating said configuring of said configurable switch according to said first receive mode and said second receive mode, whereby said transponder receiver function is coupled to receive interrogation signals acquired on each of said first and second antennas and said air traffic alert and collision avoidance system receiver is alternately coupled to first receive signals acquired by said one of said first and second antennas and then coupled to receive signals acquired by said different one of said first and second antennas.

In an environment having at least one source of at least one of Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System format interrogation and reply signals, a method for detecting and responding to the interrogation and reply signals, the method comprising:

• acquiring one or more Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System format interrogation signals using at least one of no more than two common antennas;
• detecting and decoding said one or more acquired interrogation signals;
• coupling a transponder transmitter to at least one of said two common antennas;
• driving said at least one of said two common antennas to transmit an Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System format reply signal;
• acquiring at least one of Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System format squitters and reply signals using at least one of said no more than two common antennas;
• and
• detecting and decoding said one of acquired squitters and reply signals.