Device and method for locating a mobile approaching a surface reflecting electromagnetic waves
Device and a method for locating a mobile object approaching a surface reflecting electromagnetic waves. The location device includes an emission antenna and a reception antenna. The emission antenna has one or more emission positions emitting a detection signal toward the mobile object. The reception antenna has at least one column of one or more reception positions, receiving a signal transmitted by the mobile object. An emission of the detection signal is activated on each emission position. An emission position that produces a detection by the reception antenna, of the signal of maximum energy transmitted by the mobile object, is selected to track the mobile object. One or more signals of maximum energy, received by one or more reception positions, are used to angularly locate the mobile object. The invention can be used to determine the position of an aircraft in the final landing phase for a guidance device.
1. A location device for locating a mobile object approaching a surface that reflects electromagnetic waves, the location device comprising:
an emission antenna comprising one or more emission positions, wherein the emission antenna emits a detection signal toward the mobile object; and
a reception antenna comprising at least one column of one or more reception positions, wherein the reception antenna receives a signal transmitted by the mobile object;
wherein:
the detection signal emitted from an emission position associated with a signal of maximum energy transmitted by the mobile object, is selected to locate the mobile object, and reception positions receiving a signal of maximum energy are used for an angular location of the mobile object in a plane substantially parallel to the surface reflecting the electromagnetic waves.
2. The location device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein all reception positions are used for an angular location of the mobile object in a plane substantially perpendicular to the surface reflecting the electromagnetic waves.
3. The location device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the reception antenna further comprises elements arranged in a predetermined number of reception subarrays, a position of a reception subarray corresponding to a reception position; and
the reception subarrays are activated in succession.
4. The location device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the emission antenna further comprises a predetermined number of emission channels, a position of an emission channel corresponding to an emission position; and
the emission channels are activated in succession.
5. The location device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reception antenna comprises a plurality of elements formed into one or more reception subarrays, wherein the reception subarrays are moved to the reception positions.
6. The location device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the reception subarrays are moved continually.
7. The location device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the emission antenna comprises one or more emission channels being moved to the emission positions.
8. The location device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein one or more emission channels are moved continually.
9. The location device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reception positions are non-uniformly spaced apart.
10. The location device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reception positions are progressively spaced apart.
11. The location device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the emission antenna and the reception antenna are collocated.
12. The location device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mobile object includes an aircraft.
13. A method of locating a mobile object approaching a substantially horizontal surface reflecting electromagnetic waves produced by a location device, the location device comprising:
an emission antenna comprising one or more emission positions, wherein the emission antenna emits a detection signal toward the mobile object; and
a reception antenna comprising at least one column of one or more reception positions, wherein the reception antenna receives a signal transmitted by the mobile object;
wherein the method comprises the steps of:
selecting an emission position that produces a maximum signal level transmitted by the mobile object that is detected by the reception antenna, in order to locate the mobile object;
locating the mobile object by using one or more signals of maximum energy received by one or more reception positions; and
locating an angular position of the mobile object, in a plane substantially parallel to the surface that reflects the electromagnetic waves, by use of one or more signals of maximum energy received by one or more reception positions.
14. The location method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising the step of locating an angular position of the mobile object, in a plane substantially perpendicular to the surface that reflects the electromagnetic waves, by use of the signals received by each reception position.
15. The location method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the mobile object is an aircraft.