Patent ID: 7355513
Filing Date: 2008-04-08
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. A survivor locator system, comprising: a radio transponder is activated by a survivor; a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, an altimeter, a heading and airspeed indicator and a phased matched antenna set are deployed in a mobile search platform with a navigational system; said phased matched antenna set interrogates said transponder and receives a plurality of survivor bearing data from said transponder; said GPS receiver receives a plurality of mobile base station location inputs from a GPS satellite; said plurality of survivor bearing data and said plurality of location inputs are provided to a means for data processing, said data processing means having a means for prediction and a means for correction; said prediction means provides a prediction output to said correction means, said correction means provides a corrected output to said prediction means for further updating as said mobile base station moves toward said survivor; said prediction means sends a measurement error input to an error reduction filter having a recursive data processing algorithm; said error reduction filter estimates a state of system from a plurality of measurements containing a plurality of random errors and sends a plurality of survivor coordinate estimates and a plurality of filtered distance estimations to said correction means; and said correction means provides a plurality of best total survivor location estimates to recursively reduce a distance-to-survivor error factor, said plurality of best total survivor location estimates being continually updated, said correction means, said prediction means and said error reduction filter cooperating to produce a plurality of vectors to generate a plurality of reducible concentric circles locating said transponder to permit rescue of said survivor.