SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SHORT BASELINE, LOW COST DETERMINATION OF AIRBORNE AIRCRAFT LOCATION

摘要

Systems and methods are operable to locate an airborne aircraft (108). The method communicates an interrogation signal to an Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) or mode S transponder equipped airborne aircraft (108) and to a plurality of slave ground receivers (104a-104i) from a master ground station (102). Each of the slave ground receivers (104a-104i) receives the interrogation signal from the master ground station (102) and synchronizes its system time with the master ground station (102), respectively. The master ground station (102) and the plurality of slave ground receivers (104a-104i) receive interrogation reply signals (106,110a-110i) from the airborne aircraft (108). The master ground station (102) determines a time of arrival (TOA) of the reply signal at master ground station (102) and respective ones of the TOA of the reply signal received at the slave ground receivers (104a-104i). A location (116) of the airborne aircraft (108) is determined based on at least one of a multilateration calculation and an elliptical calculation using at least the three TOAs.