Patent ID: 8599066

Claim:
A system for obtaining information about a visually acquired airborne aircraft dynamically moving, the system comprising: a communication device, the communication device having means for determining an estimated location of the visually acquired aircraft, the aircraft being airborne and dynamically changing location; wherein the means for determining an estimated location includes: an optical aiming mechanism configured to visually acquire the aircraft; a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver configured to determine a location of the communication device and current time: an accelerometer configured to determine an elevation angle, α, from a horizon between the communication device and the aircraft; a compass configured to determine a bearing, β, between the communication device and the aircraft; and a processor configured to compile information determined by the GPS receiver, accelerometer, and compass, and to use said information and an assumed altitude between 30,000 and 40,000 feet to derive an estimated location of the aircraft; a flight database configured to determine information about a specified dynamically moving aircraft based on a location, the flight database having continually updated location information on a plurality of moving aircraft in a specific area; and a network allowing communication between the communication device and the flight database; the communication device having means for communicating with the flight database through the network; wherein the communication device is configured to provide the estimated location of the aircraft to the flight database and the flight database is configured to provide information on the aircraft.