Pilot warning indicator system

Claim 2

Apparatus for evaluating heading indicative signals received by a first craft from a second craft which is traveling in the general vicinity of the first craft, and for determining if a predetermined degree of collision thereat is presented by said second craft to said first craft, said apparatus comprising: omni-directionally receptive signal reception means receiving heading indicative signals from a second craft and creating an electrical signal representative of the heading of the second craft, selective signal reception means dividing the space around said first craft into a plurality of sectors, said selective signal reception means generating a plurality of electrical output signals which are related to the presence of a second craft within said sectors, means generating a heading signal related to the heading of the first craft, reference signal generation circuitry electrically coupled with said heading sensing means and generating from the heading signal of the first craft an electrical reference signal which is representative of a heading upon which a second craft may travel in one of said regions without constituting collision threat, electrical connection circuitry connecting said selective signal reception means to said reference signal generation circuitry, electrical comparator circuitry connected to said reference signal generation circuitry and to said omnidirectionally receptive signal reception means, said electrical comparator circuitry generating an alarm signal when a selected electrical reference signal and said heading electrical signal have a predetermined relationship.

Claim 3

Airborne apparatus for electronically evaluating the collision threat potential posed by a nearby intruder aircraft to a protected aircraft which contains said airborne apparatus and which receives signals indicative of the heading of said intruder aircraft, said apparatus comprising: optical signal reception means dividing the space surrounding the protected aircraft into sectors radiating from the signal reception means, the optical signal reception means having a first electrical signal output which is representative of optical signals received from an intruder aircraft, the signal reception means including means indicating the sector in which the intruder aircraft is located, compass means sensing the heading of the protected aircraft and generating a heading signal representative of the heading of the protected aircraft, an elEctronic reference signal generation circuit electrically coupled with said signal reception means and with said compass device and comparing a signal received from said signal reception means and a signal received from said compass means, said electronic reference signal generation circuit including predetermined criteria means establishing boundary values between families of heading vectors which are free of collision potential if traveled upon by said intruder aircraft and families of heading vectors within which collision potential exists if traveled upon by said intruder aircraft, indicator means coupled to the electronic reference signal generation circuit and energized thereby when a signal is generated which represents a vector within said family of vectors within which collision potential exists.

Claim 4

Airborne apparatus for electronically evaluating the collision threat potential posed by a nearby intruder aircraft to a protected aircraft which contains said airborne apparatus and which receives signals indicative of the heading of said intruder aircraft, said apparatus comprising: optical signal reception means dividing the space surrounding the protected aircraft into sectors radiating from the signal reception means, the optical signal reception means having a first electrical signal output which is representative of optical signals received from an intruder aircraft, the signal reception means including means indicating the sector in which the intruder aircraft is located, compass means sensing the heading of the protected aircraft and generating a heading signal representative of the heading of the protected aircraft, an elEctronic reference signal generation circuit electrically coupled with said signal reception means and with said compass device and comparing a signal received from said signal reception means and a signal received from said compass means, said electronic reference signal generation circuit including predetermined criteria means establishing boundary values between families of heading vectors which are free of collision potential if traveled upon by said intruder aircraft and families of heading vectors within which collision potential exists if traveled upon by said intruder aircraft, indicator means coupled to the electronic reference signal generation circuit and energized thereby when a signal is generated which represents a vector within said family of vectors within which collision potential exists.

Claim 5

Airborne apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the space surrounding the first aircraft is considered as being divided into four sectors, said electronic reference signal generation circuitry including means generating an electrical signal related to each sector, the electronic reference signal generation circuitry including means generating boundary value reference signals representing: the heading of said first aircraft, the heading of said first aircraft plus 180*, the heading of said first aircraft plus 270*, the heading of said first aircraft plus 90*.

Claim 6

Airborne apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said optical signal reception means comprises: four electrically distinct optical to electrical transducer devices, each receptive of optical signals emanating from within one of said sectors, a plurality of signal processing circuits, there being one signal processing circuit for each of the optical to electrical transducer devices, means joining the four distinct optical to electrical transducer devices to the electrical signal processing circuitry.

Claim 7

Airborne apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said optical signal reception means is comprised of: a plurality of electrically distinct optical to electrical transducer devices, each receptive of optical signals emanating from within a selected sector, a plurality of electrical signal processing circuits, each of which culminates in a logical OR circuit, there being one signal processing circuit for each of the optical to electrical transducer devices, each logical OR circuit having signal input means joined to one of the optical to electrical transducer devices.

Claim 8

Airborne apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said electronic reference signal generation circuit is comprised of an operational amplifier circuit including electrical switch elements responsive to signals from individual sectors.

Claim 9

Apparatus of the type described for use by a reference aircraft with regard to an intruder aircraft, comprising: electronic sector means carried by the reference aircraft, electronically simulating a plurality of sectors which radiate from the reference aircraft, reference aircraft flight information means joined to the sector means, the sector means establishing a set of flight condition parameters within which an intruder aircraft in each sector presents a threat to the reference aircraft, flight condition information dissemination means carried by the intruder aircraft, disseminating information into the region surrounding the intruder aircraft regarding the flight condition of the intruder aircraft, information sensing means carried by the reference aircraft coupled to the sector means, the information sensing means providing data as to the flight condition of the intruder aircraft, comparator means coupled to the information sensing means and to the reference aircraft flight information means, the comparator means comparing the flight condition of the intruder aircraft with the flight condition of the reference aircraft to determine whether the intruder aircraft is within the set of flight condition pArameters within which the intruder aircraft presents a threat to the reference aircraft, indicator means energized by said comparator means for indicating that an intruder aircraft presents a threat condition.

Claim 10

Apparatus of the type described for use by a reference aircraft with regard to an intruder aircraft, comprising: electronic sector means carried by the reference aircraft, electronically simulating a plurality of sectors which radiate from the reference aircraft, reference aircraft flight information means joined to the sector means, the sector means establishing a set of flight condition parameters within which an intruder aircraft in each sector presents a threat to the reference aircraft, flight condition information dissemination means carried by the intruder aircraft, disseminating information into the region surrounding the intruder aircraft regarding the flight condition of the intruder aircraft, information sensing means carried by the reference aircraft coupled to the sector means, the information sensing means providing data as to the flight condition of the intruder aircraft, comparator means coupled to the information sensing means and to the reference aircraft flight information means, the comparator means comparing the flight condition of the intruder aircraft with the flight condition of the reference aircraft to determine whether the intruder aircraft is within the set of flight condition pArameters within which the intruder aircraft presents a threat to the reference aircraft, indicator means energized by said comparator means for indicating that an intruder aircraft presents a threat condition.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 7 in which the information sensing means includes ramp generator means, multivibrator means and comparator means joined to the ramp generator means.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 7 in which the sector means includes a plurality of logic OR gates and a plurality of flip-flop multivibrators, there being a flip-flop multivibrator joined to each logic OR gate, logic gate means and amplifier means joined to the flip-flop multivibrators and establishing a current signal value related to the intruder aircraft, amplifier means and switch means connected to the logic gate means, establishing sector current signals with regard to the sector of the intruder aircraft by the subtraction from or addition to a current signal established by the logic OR gate means and the flip-flop multivibrators, photodetector means, a ramp generator for heading, a ramp generator for altitude, a pulse interval limit detector joined to the ramp generator for heading, a pulse interval limit detector joined to the ramp generator for altitude, a maximum-minimum relative altitude limit detector and a reference altitude comparator connected to the ramp generator for altitude, logic gate device means joined to the ramp generator for heading and to the maximum-minimum relative altitude limit detector and to the reference altitude comparator and to the indicator means and to the photodetector means, the photodetector means sensing information disseminated by the intruder aircraft, the indicator means including alarm means.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 7 which includes visual display means for a reference aircraft to indicate the position of an intruder aircraft in which the visual display means comprises: a plurality of sets of lamps arranged in annular formation, each set of lamps representing a bearing position of an intruder aircraft, each set of lamps having an upper lamp and a lower lamp, the upper lamp when lighted indicating the presence of an intruder aircraft at a given bearing position and slightly above the altitude of the reference aircraft, the lower lamp when lighted indicating the presence of an intruder aircraft at a given bearing position and slightly below the altitude of the reference aircraft, both lamps when lighted indicating the presence of an intruder aircraft at a given bearing position and at substantially the same altitude as the reference aircraft, means for lighting one of the lamps of a set thereof, and means for lighting both of the lamps in a set thereof.

Claim 14

Pilot warning circuitry regarding an intruder aircraft and a protected aircraft comprising: first terminal means, the first terminal means having a signal applied thereto which corresponds to altitude data of an intruder aircraft. second terminal means, the second terminal means having a signal applied thereto which corresponds to altitude data of a protected aircraft, altitude signal comparator means, means coupling the first terminal means and the second terminal means to the altitude signal comparator means, relative altitude limit detector means, second connecting means, said second connecting means connecting the relative altitude limit detector means to the altitude signal comparator means and to the first terminal means and to the second terminal means, alarm means, means responsive to said comparator means to energize said alarm means.

Claim 15

Pilot warning circuitry regarding an intruder aircraft and a protected aircraft comprising: first terminal means, the first terminal means having a signal applied thereto which corresponds to altitude data of an intruder aircraft. second terminal means, the second terminal means having a signal applied thereto which corresponds to altitude data of a protected aircraft, altitude signal comparator means, means coupling the first terminal means and the second terminal means to the altitude signal comparator means, relative altitude limit detector means, second connecting means, said second connecting means connecting the relative altitude limit detector means to the altitude signal comparator means and to the first terminal means and to the second terminal means, alarm means, means responsive to said comparator means to energize said alarm means.

Claim 16

The circuitry of claim 11 in which the responsive means includes logic circuitry.

Claim 17

The circuitry of claim 11 in which the second terminal means includes light pulse detector means.

Claim 18

The circuitry of claim 11 in which the coupling means includes ramp generator means and logic circuit means.

Claim 19

The circuitry of claim 11 in which the responSive means includes pulse interval limit detector means, and means connecting the pulse interval limit detector means to the second terminal means and to the alarm means.

Claim 20

The circuitry of claim 11 in which the second circuit means includes sector sensing means.

Claim 21

The circuitry of claim 11 in which the alarm means includes lamp means to indicate the presence of a second aircraft above the altitude of the first aircraft and lamp means to indicate the presence of a second aircraft below the altitude of the first aircraft, the lamp means being connected to the altitude comparator means.

Claim 22

The circuitry of claim 17 in which the lamp means are arranged in a generally annular relationship to represent and to indicate bearing positions of a second aircraft.

Claim 23

The circuitry of claim 11 in which the first terminal means includes flashlamp means and means connected thereto for creating groups of light pulses which are related to the altitude of the first aircraft.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 7 in which the information sensing means provides data as to the altitude of the intruder aircraft.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 7 in which the information sensing means provides data as to the heading of the intruder aircraft.