Collision warning indicator

Claim 2

In a collision warning system for moving craft wherein each of said craft has a plurality of transmitting antennas radiating directionAl signal energy forwardly and rearwardly of the craft and a plurality of receiving antennas arranged for reception of directional signal energy from an external source within circumferential sector zones centered at the craft, said external source being the transmitting antennas on another of the craft of the system, transmitter means connected to said transmitting antennas for radiation of said directional signal energy modulated by pulse patterns, a plurality of receivers connected to the receiving antennas for detection of the pulse patterns modulating the signal energy radiated from the external source, directional indicating means for signifying reception of said directional signal energy from the external source within the sector zones, and pulse recognizing means connected between the receivers and the directional indicating means for operation of the indicating means only in response to reception of pulse modulated signal energy from said external source, said transmitting antennas being operative to radiate signal energy modulated by at least two different pulse patterns forwardly and rearwardly of the craft respectively.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 including additional indicator means connected to the pulse recognizing means for distinguishing between said different pulse patterns detected by the receivers.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 2 wherein the pulse recognizing means includes a first logic device connected to each of said receivers for accepting one of the pulse patterns and a second logic device connected to one of the receivers for accepting the other of the pulse patterns.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 wherein the indicating means includes a plurality of visual indicators representing the sector zones, driver means connecting the pulse recognizing means to said visual indicators, and audible alarm, and gate means connecting the driver means to the audible alarm for operation thereof in response to operation of any one of the visual indicators.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 4 wherein the indicating means further includes a visual alerting device, and mode selection means for simultaneously operating the visual alerting device and disabling the audible alarm.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 5 wherein the transmitter means includes a pulse generator producing a repeating train of output pulses, signal generating means providing a carrier signal modulated by said output pulses, and switch means for alternately connecting the signal generating means to the transmitting antennas to separate the train of pulses into two different groups of pulses respectively radiated by said transmitting antennas constituting the two different pulse patterns.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 1 wherein the pulse recognizing means includes a first logic device connected to each of said receivers for accepting one of the pulse patterns and a second logic device connected to one of the receivers for accepting the other of the pulse patterns.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 7 wherein the transmitter means includes a pulse generator producing a repeating train of output pulses, signal generating means providing a carrier signal modulated by said output pulses, and switch means for alternately connecting the signal generating means to the transmitting antennas to separate the train of pulses into two different groups of pulses respectively radiated by said transmitting antennas constituting the two different pulse patterns.

Claim 10

In a collision warning system for moving craft wherein each of said craft has a plurality of transmitting antennas radiating directional signal energy forwardly and rearwardly of the craft and a plurality of receiving antennas arranged for reception of directional signal energy from an external source within circumferential sector zones centered at the craft, said external source being the transmitting antennas on another of the craft of the system, transmitter means connected to said transmitting antennas for radiation of said directional signal energy modulAted by pulse patterns, a plurality of receivers connected to the receiving antennas for detection of the pulse patterns modulating the signal energy radiated from the external source, directional indicating means for signifying reception of said directional signal energy from the external source within the sector zones, and pulse recognizing means connected between the receivers and the directional indicating means for operation of the indicating means only in response to reception of pulse modulated signal energy from said external source, said transmitter means including a pulse generator producing a repeating train of output pulses, signal generating means providing a carrier signal modulated by said output pulses, and switch means for alternately connecting the signal generating means to the transmitting antennas to separate the train of pulses into two different groups of pulses.

Claim 11

In a collision warning system for moving craft wherein each of said craft has a plurality of transmitting antennas radiating directional signal energy forwardly and rearwardly of the craft and a plurality of receiving antennas arranged for reception of directional signal energy from an external source within circumferential sector zones centered at the craft, said external source being the transmitting antennas on another of the craft of the system, transmitter means connected to said transmitting antennas for radiation of said directional signal energy modulAted by pulse patterns, a plurality of receivers connected to the receiving antennas for detection of the pulse patterns modulating the signal energy radiated from the external source, directional indicating means for signifying reception of said directional signal energy from the external source within the sector zones, and pulse recognizing means connected between the receivers and the directional indicating means for operation of the indicating means only in response to reception of pulse modulated signal energy from said external source, said transmitter means including a pulse generator producing a repeating train of output pulses, signal generating means providing a carrier signal modulated by said output pulses, and switch means for alternately connecting the signal generating means to the transmitting antennas to separate the train of pulses into two different groups of pulses.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 9 wherein the indicating means includes a plurality of visual indicators representing the sector zones, driver means connecting the pulse recognizing means to said visual indicators, an audible alarm, and gate means connecting the driver means to the audible alarm for operation thereof in response to operation of any one of the visual indicators.

Claim 13

In a collision warning system for moving craft wherein each of said craft has a plurality of transmitting antennas radiating directional signal energy forwardly and rearwardly of the craft and a plurality of receiving antennas arranged for reception of directional signal energy from an external source within circumferential sector zones centered at the craft, said external source being the transmitting antennas on another of the craft of the system, means for modulating the signal energy radiated forwardly and rearwardly respectively from the transmitting antennas by different groups of repeating pulses at a predetermined repetition rate, means connected to each of the receiving antennas for detection of the pulse modulated signal energy radiated from the external source, logic means connected to each of the detection means for accepting one of said groups of pulses repeated at least two times at said predetermined repetition rate, and indicating means connected to the logic means for signifying detection of signal energy from said external source within any one of the sector zones in response to acceptance of said one of the groups of pulses by an associated one of the logic means.

Claim 14

In a collision warning system for moving craft wherein each of said craft has a plurality of transmitting antennas radiating directional signal energy forwardly and rearwardly of the craft and a plurality of receiving antennas arranged for reception of directional signal energy from an external source within circumferential sector zones centered at the craft, said external source being the transmitting antennas on another of the craft of the system, means for modulating the signal energy radiated forwardly and rearwardly respectively from the transmitting antennas by different groups of repeating pulses at a predetermined repetition rate, means connected to each of the receiving antennas for detection of the pulse modulated signal energy radiated from the external source, logic means connected to each of the detection means for accepting one of said groups of pulses repeated at least two times at said predetermined repetition rate, and indicating means connected to the logic means for signifying detection of signal energy from said external source within any one of the sector zones in response to acceptance of said one of the groups of pulses by an associated one of the logic means.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 11 including means for indicating reception of signal energy in one of the sector zones when modulated by the other of the groups of pulses at said repetition rate.

Claim 16

In a collision warning system for moving craft wherein each of said craft has at least one directional transmitting antenna radiating directional signal energy and a plurality of receiving antennas arranged for reception of directional signal energy from an external source within circumferential sector zones centered at the craft, said external source being the transmitting antennas on another of the craft of the system, means for pulse modulating the signal energy radiated from the transmitting antenna with a direction identifying code, a receiver connected to each of the receiving antennas, directional indicating means for signifying reception of said directional signal energy from the external source within the sector zones, and pulse recognizing means connected between the receivers and the directional indicating means for operation of the indicating means only in response to reception of pulse modulated signal energy from said external source.

Claim 17

In a collision warning system for moving craft wherein each of said craft has at least one directional transmitting antenna radiating directional signal energy and a plurality of receiving antennas arranged for reception of directional signal energy from an external source within circumferential sector zones centered at the craft, said external source being the transmitting antennas on another of the craft of the system, means for pulse modulating the signal energy radiated from the transmitting antenna with a direction identifying code, a receiver connected to each of the receiving antennas, directional indicating means for signifying reception of said directional signal energy from the external source within the sector zones, and pulse recognizing means connected between the receivers and the directional indicating means for operation of the indicating means only in response to reception of pulse modulated signal energy from said external source.

Claim 18

The combination of claim 13 wherein said transmitting antenna radiates the directional signal energy forwardly of the craft and the external source is on an approaching craft.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 13 wherein said transmitting antenna radiates the directional signal energy rearwardly of the craft and the external source is on another craft being overtaken.

Claim 20

In a colliSion avoidance system for moving craft, a plurality of directional radiating devices mounted on each of said craft, respectively, emitting signals modulated by different directional identifying codes, signal receiving means mounted on one of the craft for detecting signals emitted from the radiating devices on another of the craft nearby, indicating means connected to the receiving means for registering directional proximity of the other of the craft, and logic means connected to the receiving means and responsive to said directional identifying codes modulating the signals detected for distinguishing between different identifying codes.

Claim 21

In a colliSion avoidance system for moving craft, a plurality of directional radiating devices mounted on each of said craft, respectively, emitting signals modulated by different directional identifying codes, signal receiving means mounted on one of the craft for detecting signals emitted from the radiating devices on another of the craft nearby, indicating means connected to the receiving means for registering directional proximity of the other of the craft, and logic means connected to the receiving means and responsive to said directional identifying codes modulating the signals detected for distinguishing between different identifying codes.

Claim 22

The combination of claim 16 wherein said directional identifying codes are pulse patterns, said directional identifying codes corresponding to head-on approach, overtaking approach and departure relationships between the moving craft.