Airport ground-control system and method
First Claim
1. An aircraft and ground-support-vehicle ground-control system including an onboard subsystem including computer structure installable in an aircraft or other vehicle, which aircraft or other vehicle also includes a spatial navigational system, a ground-control subsystem designed for selective two-way communication with said onboard subsystem, and including computer structure installable, at least in part, generally at the location of a ground-control facility located at an airport, a pre-established database structure operatively associated with said ground-control subsystem and including audio and visual-data files containing selected ground-control instructions in the forms of (a) spoken directions, and (b) visually presentable directions including (1) representational ground map and signal-light data, (2) waypoints, and (3) routes between waypoints defined, inter alia, by spatial coordinates, boundaries, and speed and direction of travel information regarding waypoints and routes, and assembly tools operatively associated with said ground-control subsystem and said database structure, employable by a ground controller to create a transmittable, full package of ground-travel instructions to an aircraft or other vehicle as a precursor to the beginning of controlled travel for that aircraft or other vehicle on the grounds of the associated airport, with such full package possessing the capability of furnishing to the crew on board such an aircraft, and/or the operator of another kind of vehicle, the only necessary ground-control discussion between a ground-controller and crew or vehicle operator.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A ground traffic control system for use in controlling the movement of an aircraft and various other vehicles on the grounds of an airport. The system and methodology involve, with regard to aircraft, the precursor transmission of a full packet of travel-route information (routes and waypoints) that is sent, according to operation of the system, as a singularity just prior to controlled travel of an aircraft. Portions of assigned travel routes that are based upon an assembly of waypoint-to-waypoint data are clearly communicated to an aircraft crew, including communication via specific visual mapping data and are armed with the capability of informing a crew visually exactly where it is in relation to assigned travel instructions. Similar methodology, enabled similar system structure, is used for the control of other airport-related vehicles.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. An aircraft and ground-support-vehicle ground-control system including
an onboard subsystem including computer structure installable in an aircraft or other vehicle, which aircraft or other vehicle also includes a spatial navigational system, a ground-control subsystem designed for selective two-way communication with said onboard subsystem, and including computer structure installable, at least in part, generally at the location of a ground-control facility located at an airport, a pre-established database structure operatively associated with said ground-control subsystem and including audio and visual-data files containing selected ground-control instructions in the forms of (a) spoken directions, and (b) visually presentable directions including (1) representational ground map and signal-light data, (2) waypoints, and (3) routes between waypoints defined, inter alia, by spatial coordinates, boundaries, and speed and direction of travel information regarding waypoints and routes, and assembly tools operatively associated with said ground-control subsystem and said database structure, employable by a ground controller to create a transmittable, full package of ground-travel instructions to an aircraft or other vehicle as a precursor to the beginning of controlled travel for that aircraft or other vehicle on the grounds of the associated airport, with such full package possessing the capability of furnishing to the crew on board such an aircraft, and/or the operator of another kind of vehicle, the only necessary ground-control discussion between a ground-controller and crew or vehicle operator.
-
5. A communication system for managing the movement of aircraft and other vehicles on the grounds of an airport comprising
non-voice, data-transmission/-reception apparatus including computer-based data-transmission/-reception subapparatus operatively present in an airport'"'"'s ground-control facility, and in each aircraft or other vehicle intending to use the system on the airport'"'"'s grounds, each said subapparatus including (a) grounds-map and signal-light display structure operable selectively to display both an airport grounds map containing pictorial, grounds-travel route information relevant to an aircraft or other vehicle positioned on the related airport'"'"'s grounds, and (b), an animatable, positionally-shiftable marker which visually indicates on such a map each specific aircraft'"'"'s or other vehicle'"'"'s actual and/or recommended position.
-
6. An airport ground-control method for controlling the travel of aircraft on the grounds of an airport comprising
establishing a database of ground-travel visual and aural instructional materials for delivery to an aircraft whose travel on airport grounds is to be controlled, such data including route and mapping information, as well as information regarding locations, such as waypoints, that relate to travel of an aircraft under control, and prior to a control-craft'"'"'s controlled travel on such grounds, assembling for delivery to such an aircraft, and from such database, an appropriate, specific package of travel-control instructions which can be delivered, selectively, as a unit and precursor to aircraft travel, which package, after delivery to, and reception by, the related aircraft, includes portions that, without further remote transmission and delivery to the aircraft, can be reviewed recurrently and repeatedly at the selection of personnel on board the aircraft, and delivering that package to the associated aircraft.
-
10. An airport aircraft ground-control method for effecting aircraft and other vehicle ground control at a selected airport, and with respect to such an airport and an aircraft or other vehicle equipped to practice the method, said method comprising
creating, in operative association with an airport ground-control facility, a control instruction database relating to waypoints and routes of travel between waypoints that are combinable to define a control movement path for an aircraft or another vehicle on the grounds of the airport, with respect to a specific aircraft or other vehicle which is to be controlled on such grounds, assembling a packet of instructional information from such database, organized in the form of groups of data which are specific to routes of travel existing between pairs of selected waypoints, delivering such data groups within a unitary, singular package of information (instructional package) that is transmitted to an aircraft or other vehicle awaiting ground control, within the environment of that aircraft or other vehicle, selectively presenting, for control purposes, instructions contained in the delivered package, with such presenting taking place on a waypoint-by-waypoint, data-group basis, including presenting one or more constructional components in the form of aural instruction and/or text instruction, and/or map-display visual instruction, and from onboard the aircraft or other vehicle, and with respect to a transmitted and received instructional package, and without the necessity for further instructional information being transmitted from the database, tracking the aircraft'"'"'s or other vehicle'"'"'s response to the delivered instructions in a manner which furnishes advisories and warnings at least within the environment of the aircraft or other vehicle regarding any movement deviation from received ground-control instructions.
-
15. An airport aircraft ground-control method for effecting aircraft ground control at a selected airport with respect to an aircraft equipped to practice the method comprising
creating, relative to a subject airport, a control-instruction database including components (instructional components) regarding waypoints and routes of travel therebetween, which components are combinable to define a controlled movement path for an aircraft on the grounds of the airport, with respect to control over a specific aircraft, assembling from such database a selectable and defined packet of instructional components relating to a specific route of travel on the grounds of the airport, delivering the assembled packet as a unitary singularity precursor package of information to an aircraft awaiting ground control, within the environment of that aircraft, selectively presenting to on board crew travel instructions derived from the delivered package, with such presenting including delivery one or more instructional components in the form of aural instruction, textual instruction and map-display visual instruction, and from on board the aircraft, and with respect to the received instructional package, and about the necessity for further instructional information being transmitted from the database, tracking the aircraft'"'"'s response to the delivered instructions in a manner which furnishes advisories and warnings at least within the environment of the aircraft respecting any aircraft movement deviation from received ground-control instructions.
Specification