Integrated airborne transponder and collision avoidance system

An integrated transponder and collision avoidance system for deployment on a given aircraft, comprising:

• an antenna array constructed and arranged for emitting and receiving signals within a certain range of the given aircraft at one or more defined radio frequencies;
• a receiver stage arranged to be coupled to the antenna array, wherein the receiver stage is constructed and arranged to detect,
• (i) first interrogation signals transmitted to the given aircraft,
• (ii) first resolution advisory (RA) signals directed to the given aircraft from nearby aircraft having certain collision avoidance systems on board, the first RA signals containing information relating to a collision avoidance maneuver that is determined by the nearby aircraft,
• (iii) first acquisition signals emitted from and containing certain information with respect to the nearby aircraft, and
• (iv) first reply signals transmitted from the nearby aircraft in response to interrogation signals transmitted to the nearby aircraft;
• a transmitter stage arranged to be operatively coupled to the antenna array, wherein the transmitter stage is constructed and arranged to produce,
• (i) second interrogation signals for transmission to the nearby aircraft,
• (ii) second RA signals for transmission to the nearby aircraft that have the collision avoidance systems on board, the second RA signals containing information relating to a maneuver that is determined by the given aircraft,
• (iii) second acquisition signals containing certain information with respect to the given aircraft, and
• (iv) second reply signals in response to received first interrogation signals;
• a system processor coupled to the receiver stage and to the transmitter stage for controlling operations of the receiver stage and the transmitter stage, wherein the processor is configured to produce (a) tracking and collision avoidance information according to information contained in signals detected by the receiver stage, and (b) waveforms for use in defining signals for transmission by the transmitter stage;
• a control unit coupled to the system processor, wherein the control unit and the processor are constructed and arranged to enable a pilot of the given aircraft to select and to control operating modes of the system, including an intercept mode of operation that interoperates with the collision avoidance system on board a nearby target aircraft, wherein the processor is configured to produce the second RA signals in a form that commands the system aboard the target aircraft to maintain level flight and does not respond to any detected first RA signals from the target aircraft;
• and
• a display unit coupled to the system processor, wherein the display unit is configured to produce a graphic representation of the tracking and collision avoidance information produced by the system processor.

An integrated transponder and collision avoidance system for deployment on a given aircraft, comprising:

• an antenna array constructed and arranged for emitting and receiving signals within a certain range of the given aircraft at one or more defined radio frequencies;
• a receiver stage arranged to be coupled to the antenna array, wherein the receiver stage is constructed and arranged to detect,
• (i) first interrogation signals transmitted to the given aircraft,
• (ii) first resolution advisory (RA) signals directed to the given aircraft from nearby aircraft having certain collision avoidance systems on board, the first RA signals containing information relating to a collision avoidance maneuver that is determined by the nearby aircraft,
• (iii) first acquisition signals emitted from and containing certain information with respect to the nearby aircraft, and
• (iv) first reply signals transmitted from the nearby aircraft in response to interrogation signals transmitted to the nearby aircraft;
• a transmitter stage arranged to be operatively coupled to the antenna array, wherein the transmitter stage is constructed and arranged to produce,
• (i) second interrogation signals for transmission to the nearby aircraft,
• (ii) second RA signals for transmission to the nearby aircraft that have the collision avoidance systems on board, the second RA signals containing information relating to a maneuver that is determined by the given aircraft,
• (iii) second acquisition signals containing certain information with respect to the given aircraft, and
• (iv) second reply signals in response to received first interrogation signals;
• a system processor coupled to the receiver stage and to the transmitter stage for controlling operations of the receiver stage and the transmitter stage, wherein the processor is configured to produce (a) tracking and collision avoidance information according to information contained in signals detected by the receiver stage, and (b) waveforms for use in defining signals for transmission by the transmitter stage;
• a control unit coupled to the system processor, wherein the control unit and the processor are constructed and arranged to enable a pilot of the given aircraft to select and to control operating modes of the system, including
• (i) a collision avoidance mode that interoperates with the collision avoidance systems on board the nearby aircraft, wherein the system processor is configured always to await detection by the receiver stage of the first RA signals from the nearby aircraft, and then to produce the second RA signals in a form representing collision avoidance maneuver information that is coordinated with the information contained in the detected first RA signals, so that the nearby aircraft is always allowed to resolve a potential collision conflict in a manner having least impact on an intended flight path of the nearby aircraft, and
• (ii) an intercept mode of operation wherein the processor is configured to produce the second RA signals in a form that commands the system aboard the target aircraft to maintain level flight and does not respond to any first RA signals detected from the target aircraft;
• and
• a display unit coupled to the system processor, wherein the display unit is configured to produce a graphic representation of the tracking and collision avoidance information produced by the system processor.