Antenna failure detection
View Patent ↗The present invention provides an apparatus, method, and computer-executable program for detecting antenna failures in directional antennas. In particular, the present invention compares a bearing calculated from received positional data concerning a target to the bearing of the target determined using the directional antenna. If the calculated bearing and the determined bearing differ by greater than a predetermined amount, it is determined that there is an antenna failure. In this way, bearing information determined by the directional antenna is compared against a piece of known data in order to determine if the antenna is functioning properly.
1. A method of detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving positional data concerning a target;
calculating a bearing to a target with the received positional data;
determining a bearing of the target utilizing directional reception;
generating a bearing offset, the bearing offset being the difference between the calculated bearing and the determined bearing; and
informing of an antenna failure in the case that the bearing offset is greater than a predetermined error threshold.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positional data is received from the target.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positional data is received from a source other than the target.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received positional data is in ADS-B format.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein directional reception is achieved using a TCAS directional antenna.
6. A method of detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;
calculating a plurality of bearings to the target with the plurality of positional data points;
determining a plurality of bearings of the target utilizing directional reception;
generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and
informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current bearing offset differs from a previously generated bearing offset by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the positional data points are received from the target.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the positional data points are received from a source other than the target.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the received positional data points are in ADS-B format.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein directional reception is achieved using a TCAS directional antenna.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the current bearing offset and the previously generated bearing offset are consecutively generated bearing offsets.
12. The method of claim 6 , wherein bearing offsets are divided into different groups based on a region of the directional antenna from which the determined bearings were received, and wherein the informing step compares bearing offsets within their respective groups.
13. A method of detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;
calculating a plurality of bearings to the target with the plurality of positional data points;
determining a plurality of bearings of the target utilizing directional reception;
generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and
informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current running average of bearing offsets differs from a previously generated running average of bearing offsets by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.
14. A computer-executable program stored on a computer-readable medium, the program for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the program comprising:
a receiving code for receiving positional data concerning a target;
a calculating code for calculating a bearing to the target with the received positional data;
a determining code for determining a bearing of the target utilizing directional reception;
a generating code for generating a bearing offset, the bearing offset being the difference between the calculated bearing and the determined bearing; and
an informing code for informing of an antenna failure in the case that the bearing offset is greater than a predetermined error threshold.
15. The program of claim 14 , wherein the positional data is received from the target.
16. The program of claim 14 , wherein the positional data is received from a source other than the target.
17. The program of claim 14 , wherein the received positional data is in ADS-B format.
18. The program of claim 14 , wherein directional reception is achieved using a TCAS directional antenna.
19. A computer-executable program stored on a computer-readable medium, the program for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the program comprising:
a receiving code for receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;
a calculating code for calculating a plurality of bearings to the target with the plurality of positional data points;
a determining code for determining a plurality of bearings of the target utilizing directional reception;
a generating code for generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and
an informing code for informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current bearing offset differs from a previously generated bearing offset by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.
20. The program of claim 19 , wherein the positional data points are received from the target.
21. The program of claim 19 , wherein the positional data points are received from a source other than the target.
22. The program of claim 19 , wherein the received positional data points are in ADS-B format.
23. The program of claim 19 , wherein directional reception is achieved using a TCAS directional antenna.
24. The program of claim 19 , wherein the current bearing offset and the previously generated bearing offset are consecutively generated bearing offsets.
25. The program of claim 19 , wherein bearing offsets are divided into different groups based on a region of the directional antenna from which the determined bearings were received, and wherein the informing code compares bearing offsets within their respective groups.
26. A computer-executable program stored on a computer-readable medium, the program for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the program comprising:
a receiving code for receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;
a calculating code for calculating a plurality of bearings to the target with the plurality of positional data points;
a determining code for determining a plurality of bearings of the target utilizing directional reception;
a generating code for generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and
an informing code for informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current running average of bearing offsets differs from a previously generated running average of bearing offsets by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.
27. An apparatus for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the apparatus comprising:
a receiver for receiving positional data concerning a target;
a calculating unit for calculating a bearing to the target with the received positional data;
a directional antenna for determining a bearing of the target;
a generating unit connected to the calculating unit and the directional antenna, the generating unit for generating a bearing offset, the bearing offset being the difference between the calculated bearing and the determined bearing; and
an informing unit connected to the comparing unit, the informing unit for informing of an antenna failure in the case that the bearing offset is greater than a predetermined error threshold.
28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the receiver receives the positional data from the target.
29. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the receiver receives the positional data from a source other than the target.
30. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the received positional data is in ADS-B format.
31. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the directional antenna is a TCAS directional antenna.
32. An apparatus for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the apparatus comprising:
a receiver for receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;
a calculating unit for calculating a plurality of bearings of the target with the plurality of positional data points;
a directional antenna for determining a plurality of bearings of the target;
a generating unit connected to the receiver and the directional antenna, the generating unit for generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and
an informing unit connected to the generating unit, the informing unit for informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current bearing offset differs from a previously generated bearing offset by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.
33. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the receiver receives positional data points from the target.
34. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the receiver receives positional data from a source other than the target.
35. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the received positional data points are in ADS-B format.
36. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the directional antenna is a TCAS directional antenna.
37. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the current bearing offset and the previously generated bearing offset are consecutively generated bearing offsets.
38. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein bearing offsets are divided into different groups based on a region of the directional antenna from which the determined bearings were received, and wherein the informing unit compares bearing offsets within their respective groups.
39. An apparatus for detecting a failure of a directional antenna, the apparatus comprising:
a receiver for receiving a plurality of positional data points concerning a target;
a calculating unit for calculating a plurality of bearings of the target with the plurality of positional data points;
a directional antenna for determining a plurality of bearings of the target;
a generating unit connected to the receiver and the directional antenna, the generating unit for generating a plurality of bearing offsets, the bearing offsets being the difference between the calculated bearings and the determined bearings; and
an informing unit connected to the generating unit, the informing unit for informing of an antenna failure in the case that a current running average of bearing offsets differs from a previously generated running average of bearing offsets by an amount greater than a predetermined error threshold.