John T Kefaliotis

US Patent:

54594693, Oct 17, 1995

Filed:

Feb 4, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/192327

Inventors:

Leonard Schuchman - Potomac MD
Ronald C. Bruno - Arlington VA
John Kefaliotis - McLean VA
Steve Greenberg - Reston VA
Edward J. Zakrzewski - Reston VA

Assignee:

Stanford Telecommunications, Inc. - Reston VA

International Classification:

G01S 1393
G01S 1374

US Classification:

342 37

Abstract:

An air traffic surveillance and communication system for air traffic controllers, includes a plurality of ground based first radio transceivers located in specific geographic sectors, respectively, and having a first frequency channel for supporting party-line digital voice and a second frequency channel dedicated to supporting a digital data channel for down-linking dependent surveillance data and for both up-link and down-link data communications. The first and second frequency channels are paired such that each time a frequency change is commanded by the ground both the first and second frequency channels will be automatically tuned to a new air-ground frequency paid. The system also includes a plurality of aircraft based second digital radio transceivers, one located in each aircraft. Each second radio transceiver has corresponding first and second frequency channels and a navigational data source on each aircraft. The navigational data source incorporates triply redundant GPS receivers for producing highly accurate aircraft navigation data selected from aircraft latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, heading and glide data which is coupled to the respective aircraft transceiver for transmission on said second channel to at least one of the plurality of ground based first radio transceivers.

US Patent:

57987262, Aug 25, 1998

Filed:

Jan 24, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/682546

Inventors:

Leonard Schuchman - Potomac MD
Ronald Bruno - Arlington VA
John Kefaliotis - McLean VA
Steve Greenberg - Reston VA
Edward J. Zakrzewski - Reston VA

Assignee:

Stanford Telecommunications, Inc. - Reston VA

International Classification:

G01S 1393
G01S 1374

US Classification:

342 37

Abstract:

Air traffic surveillance and communication system for air traffic controllers includes a plurality of ground based first digital radio transceivers, each first digital radio transceiver being located in specific geographic sectors, respectively, and having a first frequency channel for supporting party-line digital voice, and a second frequency channel dedicated to supporting a digital data channel for down-linking dependent surveillance data and for both up-link and down-link data communications. The first and second frequency channels are paired such that each time a frequency change is commanded by the ground both the first and second frequency channels will be automatically tuned to a new air-ground frequency pair. A plurality of aircraft based second digital radio transceivers are provided, one located in each aircraft, each second radio transceiver having corresponding first and second frequency channels, a navigational data source on each aircraft, said navigational data source including a GPS receiver system for producing aircraft navigation data selected from aircraft latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, heading and glide. The navigational data source is coupled to the respective aircraft transceiver for transmission on the second channel to at least one of the plurality of ground based first radio transceivers.