Method and apparatus to automatically prevent aircraft collisions
First Claim
1. An apparatus to automatically prevent aircraft collisions comprising:
- input means for inputting data to a plurality of processing units;
at least three processing units communicatively connected to the input means for inputting data;
a control communicatively connected to the at least three processing units;
a backup control communicatively connected to the control;
a transmitter communicatively connected to the control; and
a filter communicatively connected to the control.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus to automatically prevent aircraft collisions. An aircraft control system receives internal aircraft data from aircraft sensors and external aircraft data received by radios or transponders. The internal and external aircraft data is provided as input data to at least three microprocessor based central processing units that process the input data and generate recommended control signals. The recommended control signals are received by a control that determines a resultant control signal that is sent to the cockpit and/or a transmitter. If the control is disabled, a backup control determines a resultant control signal that is sent to the cockpit and/or a transmitter. The cockpit outputs the control signal and passes the control signal through a filter. The filter determines if no action is to be taken or if adjustments are to be made to aircraft flight control surfaces and/or the engine.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. An apparatus to automatically prevent aircraft collisions comprising:
-
input means for inputting data to a plurality of processing units;
at least three processing units communicatively connected to the input means for inputting data;
a control communicatively connected to the at least three processing units;
a backup control communicatively connected to the control;
a transmitter communicatively connected to the control; and
a filter communicatively connected to the control. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A computer readable medium for an aircraft, said computer readable medium comprising:
first computer readable program code means that includes first computer instruction means for processing input data and predicting whether an aircraft will have a collision within a predetermined amount of time. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
26. A method to automatically prevent aircraft collisions comprising:
-
inputting internal and external aircraft into a plurality of processing units;
processing the input data in each processing unit and determining a recommended control signal;
evaluating the recommended command signals from each processing unit and determining a recommended command signal that received a majority vote of the processing units;
instructing the processing units to sequentially process the same input data for a predetermined number of times if no majority vote is determined until a majority vote is determined; and
providing a command signal based on the recommended command signals that have been generated to that point for the same input data if no majority vote is determined after the predetermined number of times is reached. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification