Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Michael H Curtis

Patricia K Sturm

Kathryn W Ybarra

In an aircraft having an aircraft tracking system (ATS), the aircraft being a monitoring aircraft, the monitoring aircraft interrogates target aircraft in the vicinity of the monitoring aircraft in order to determine potentially dangerous situations. The target aircraft responds to the interrogations with parameter information which includes identification (ID). A method of interrogating the target aircraft comprises the steps of receiving unsolicited signals from the target aircraft in the vicinity of the monitoring aircraft. The received unsolicited signals are received by the monitoring aircraft at a first power level. Based on the first power level of the received unsolicited signals, the monitoring aircraft interrogates the target aircraft with a first interrogation signal. The first interrogation signal is transmitted at a second power level, the second power level being based on the first power level of the received unsolicited signal, thereby minimizing interference in the environment and optimizing receipt of the first interrogation signal by the target aircraft.

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Michael H Curtis