POSITION LOCATION AND INFORMATION COLLECTION SYSTEM

A SMALL PORTABLE-LOCATION AND STATUS SYSTEM SUITABLE FOR A VARIETY OF ARMY TACTICAL OPERATIONS SUCH AS LOCATING DOWNED AVIATORS, FRIENDLY PATROLS, LAND VEHICLES AND AIRCRAFT TO WITHIN TWO DEGREES AZIMUTH AND 200 METERS RANGE OUT TO 20 KM IS PROPOSED. THE SEEKER WOULD USE A CODED SYSTEM TO INTERROGATE DEPLOYED BEACON TRANSPONDERS THAT HAVE A CAPABILITY OF TRANSMITTING RANGE DATA AND ALSO DIGITALLY ENCODED WORD MESSAGES OR DATA FROM SENSORS ATTACHED TO THE TRANSPONDER. AZIMUTH OF THE TRANSPONDER WOULD BE DETERMINED BY DIRECTION FINDING EQUIPMENT INCLUDED IN THE CENTRAL MONITOR SYSTEM. INCOMING INFORMATION FROM THE TRANSPONDERS WILL BE PROCESSED BY A COMPUTER AND THE LOCATIONS AND RELATED DATA WILL BE DISPLAYED ON A LCD SCREEN. THE DEPLOYED TRANSPONDERS WOULD REMAIN COVERT (NON TRANSMITTING) EXCEPT THEN THEY ARE INTERROGATED BY CODED MESSAGE FROM THE CENTRA MONITOR STATION. THIS LATTER FEATURE WILL PROVIDE A CAPABILITY OF TRACKING A NUMBER OF TRANSPONDERS AND WILL ALSO MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE LONG BATTERY LIFE AND LIGHT WEIGHT TRANSPONDERS. THE CENTRAL SEEKER SYSTEM WOULD WEIGH ABOUT 50 LBS AND BE FITTED INTO A SUITCASE SIZE CONTAINER. THE TRANSPONDERS, EXCLUSIVE OF ATTACHED SENSORS, WILL WEIGH ABOUT 1 LB.