Patents by Inventor George F. Ridpath

George F. Ridpath has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5838276
    Abstract: A microwave radio frequency landing system includes an aircraft borne transmitter/receiver (transceiver) and a ground unit. The ground unit comprises a dielectric material lens and a transponder module array. The transceiver transmits pulsed interrogation signals to the ground unit. The dielectric material lens focuses the pulsed signals onto the transponder module array. The transponder modules illuminated by the pulsed signals transmit continuous wave return signals to the aircraft. Each continuous wave return signal comprises four tones, which are used by the aircraft to determine azimuth and glide slope of the aircraft, carried on a microwave carrier. In each transponder module which receives the pulsed signals from the aircraft transceiver, the microwave carrier is phase inverted for the duration of each pulse of the pulsed signals. The phase inversions on the microwave carrier are used by the aircraft to determine the range, velocity and acceleration of the aircraft with respect to the ground unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Inventors: Aubrey I. Chapman, George F. Ridpath