Patent US3708671A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3708671A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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System for indicating direction of intruder aircraft
Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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Filing: 1971-03-16
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Granted: 1973-01-02
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Expires: 1991-03-16
Abstract
Abstract A pilot warning indicator system is disclosed including a flashing beacon, a detector, and an indicating panel on each aircraft. The detector responds to radiant energy from another aircraft''s beacon by energizing particular signal lamps positioned in the periphery of the pilot''s normal field of view. Since the positions of the energized lamps are related to the direction from which radiant energy is received by the detector, the pilot is apprised of the relative position of an intruder aircraft without any shift in visual fixation.
Inventors
- 👤 A Story
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 19:49
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S3/00; G01S3/78; G01S3/781; G01S3/782; G01S3/783; G01S3/784
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
213 words
An indicating system for warning a pilot of an aircraft of the presence of an intruder aircraft in the area comprising a radiant energy detector means mounted on an aircraft for receiving radiant energy signals from intruder aircraft and for producing, responsive thereto, discrete output signals indicative of the direction of an intruder aircraft from the aircraft, a horizontal row of spaced apart lamps and a vertical column of spaced apart lamps forming a Cartesian coordinate system, each said row and column of lamps being mounted in the periphery of the field of view observed by an average pilot of the aircraft when facing forward and looking through the windshield of the aircraft in normal flying position so that said lamps may be observed without a shift in visual fixation from the normal flight path and that signals from the lamps are picked up by a visual channel different from that for foveal signals, and control means for receiving said discrete output signals and for maintaining in an energized condition, a lamp in said row and in said column so that the position of an intruder aircraft is indicated as having an x and y position in real space corresponding to the coordinates defined by the energized lamps in said Cartesian coordinate systeM.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
213 words
An indicating system for warning a pilot of an aircraft of the presence of an intruder aircraft in the area comprising a radiant energy detector means mounted on an aircraft for receiving radiant energy signals from intruder aircraft and for producing, responsive thereto, discrete output signals indicative of the direction of an intruder aircraft from the aircraft, a horizontal row of spaced apart lamps and a vertical column of spaced apart lamps forming a Cartesian coordinate system, each said row and column of lamps being mounted in the periphery of the field of view observed by an average pilot of the aircraft when facing forward and looking through the windshield of the aircraft in normal flying position so that said lamps may be observed without a shift in visual fixation from the normal flight path and that signals from the lamps are picked up by a visual channel different from that for foveal signals, and control means for receiving said discrete output signals and for maintaining in an energized condition, a lamp in said row and in said column so that the position of an intruder aircraft is indicated as having an x and y position in real space corresponding to the coordinates defined by the energized lamps in said Cartesian coordinate systeM.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The indicating system of claim 1 including means for intermittently flashing the energized lamps.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
285 words
An indicating system for warning a pilot of an aircraft of the presence of an intruder aircraft in the area comprising a radiant energy detector means mounted on an aircraft for receiving radiant energy signals from intruder aircraft and for producing, responsive thereto, discrete output signals indicative of the direction of an intruder aircraft from the aircraft, a plurality of horizontal rows of spaced apart lamps and a plurality of vertical columns of spaced apart lamps, each of said rows being mounted side by side and each of said columns of lamps being mounted side by side and the side by side lamps of the rows and columns forming a Cartesian coordinate system, said rows and said columns being located in the periphery of the field of view observed by an average pilot of the aircraft when facing forward and looking through the windshield of the aircraft in normal flying position so that said lamps may be observed without a shift in visual fixation from the normal flight path and that signals from the lamps are picked up by a visual channel different from that for foveal signals, control means for receiving said discrete output signals and for maintaining in an energized condition, corresponding lamps in said rows and in said columns so that the position of an intruder aircraft is indicated as having an x and y position in real space corresponding to the coordinates defined by the energized lamps in said Cartesian coordinate system, and means for sequentially flashing the adjacent energized lamps in said rows and in said columns so that the coordinate position of an intruder aircraft is suggested by the intersection of the two lines formed by the energized lamps.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
285 words
An indicating system for warning a pilot of an aircraft of the presence of an intruder aircraft in the area comprising a radiant energy detector means mounted on an aircraft for receiving radiant energy signals from intruder aircraft and for producing, responsive thereto, discrete output signals indicative of the direction of an intruder aircraft from the aircraft, a plurality of horizontal rows of spaced apart lamps and a plurality of vertical columns of spaced apart lamps, each of said rows being mounted side by side and each of said columns of lamps being mounted side by side and the side by side lamps of the rows and columns forming a Cartesian coordinate system, said rows and said columns being located in the periphery of the field of view observed by an average pilot of the aircraft when facing forward and looking through the windshield of the aircraft in normal flying position so that said lamps may be observed without a shift in visual fixation from the normal flight path and that signals from the lamps are picked up by a visual channel different from that for foveal signals, control means for receiving said discrete output signals and for maintaining in an energized condition, corresponding lamps in said rows and in said columns so that the position of an intruder aircraft is indicated as having an x and y position in real space corresponding to the coordinates defined by the energized lamps in said Cartesian coordinate system, and means for sequentially flashing the adjacent energized lamps in said rows and in said columns so that the coordinate position of an intruder aircraft is suggested by the intersection of the two lines formed by the energized lamps.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-02 | 1976-07-03 | 1977-01-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-02 | 1980-07-03 | 1981-01-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-02 | 1984-07-03 | 1985-01-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |