Airfield surface target detection and tracking using distributed multilateration sensors and W-band radar sensors

• US 20050140540A1
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coluzzi, Michael, Rivera, Duveen, Rees, Bernard, Colgin, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 7,495,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/872 Combinations of primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/916 Airport surface monitoring [ASDE]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/006 using shared front-end circuitry, e.g. antennas G01S13/765, G01S13/825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

An airport surface target detection, classification and tracking system using a network of multilateration (SSR) sensors and W-band radar sensors is used to provide automatic location and tracking information about ground moving aircraft or targets. The information from the distributed sensors are coordinated to provide accurate location and tracking information for coordination of surface traffic and navigation within an airport.

Claims

1. An airport surface target surveillance and tracking system, comprising:

a plurality of miniaturized W-band radar scanning sensors distributed within an airport, the W-band sensors illuminating targets within the airport;

a multilateration sensor positioned within the airport, the multilateration sensor obtaining a target aircraft tail number for an aircraft target;

a data fusion center; and

a communication link between the W-band sensors and the data fusion center, and between the multilateration sensor and the central fusion center,

wherein target data from the plurality of W-band sensors and the multilateration sensor is communicated to the data fusion center and is evaluated to identify and track the target.

2. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication connection between the plurality of W-band sensors and the multilateration sensor.

3. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the communication link further comprises, communication between neighboring W-band sensors of the plurality of W-band sensors using a W-band transmission.

4. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication link is an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

5. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the plurality of W-band sensors and multilateration sensor is assigned a communication link identifier address.

6. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 5, wherein

the communication link identifier address is an IP address.

7. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the plurality of W-band sensors has 2-D Doppler capability.

8. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the plurality of W-band sensors has a range of approximately 250 meters.

9. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the plurality of W-band sensors has a target resolution of approximately 1 meter.

10. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of W-band sensors uses a Gilfillan edge detection technique to determine an edge of a detected target.

11. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of W-band sensors scan a limited sector.

12. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein at least the scan angle of the W-band sensors is controllable by the data fusion center.

13. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 12, wherein at least two controlled W-band sensors are controlled to provide overlapping scans of a single target within their range.

14. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

there are a plurality of multilateration sensors distributed within the airport.

15. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

the multilateration sensor utilizes a Secondary Surveillance Radar (S SR) protocol.

16. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

the multilateration sensor utilizes L-band energy.

17. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

the multilateration sensor operates in a low range mode.

18. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

the multilateration sensor utilizes time-difference-of-arrival measurements to determine a range of the responding tail number aircraft.

19. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein

the multilateration sensors operate within Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) idle windows of other SSR equipment on the airport.

20. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the data fusion center further determines a geometry of the target and respective orientation on the airport.

21. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the data fusion center further determines an imminent incursion.

22. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 21, wherein the data fusion center signals control a tower crew as to the imminent incursion.

23. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 21, wherein the data fusion center signals a crew of the target as to the imminent incursion.

24. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 23, wherein the data fusion center activates airport indicators to signal the crew of the target as to the imminent incursion.

25. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the data fusion center is a distributed system of networked computers.

26. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the data fusion center determines positions of structures of the target on the airport.

27. An airport surface target surveillance and tracking system, comprising:

a plurality of miniaturized W-band energy emitting means for detecting targets within an airport, the W-band emitting means being distributed within the airport;

an aircraft tail number interrogating means for interrogating target aircraft within its vicinity;

a data fusion means for evaluating data from the plurality of W-band energy emitting means and data from the aircraft tail number interrogating means; and

a communications networking means for communicating data from the plurality of W-band energy emitting means and the aircraft tail number means to the data fusion means,

wherein the communicated data is correlated to determine target type, target location, target speed and target orientation.

28. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, further comprising:

a data exchange means for exchanging data between neighboring W-band energy emitting means of the plurality of W-band energy emitting means, the exchanging means using a W-band transmission.

29. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the plurality of W-band energy emitting means has 2-D Doppler capability.

30. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the plurality of W-band energy emitting means has a range of approximately 250 meters.

31. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the plurality of W-band energy emitting means has a target resolution of approximately 1 meter.

32. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the plurality of W-band energy emitting means uses a Gilfillan edge detection technique to determine an edge of a detected target.

33. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the plurality of W-band energy emitting means scan a limited sector.

34. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein at least the scan angle of the W-band energy emitting means is controllable by the data fusion means.

35. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein at least two of the controlled W-band energy emitting means are controlled to provide overlapping scans of a single target within their range.

36. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein there are a plurality of interrogating means distributed within the airport.

37. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein the interrogating means utilizes a Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) protocol.

38. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein the interrogating means utilizes L-band energy.

39. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein the interrogating means operates in a low range mode.

40. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein the interrogating means utilizes time-difference-of-arrival measurements to determine a range of the responding tail number aircraft.

41. The surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein the interrogating means operate within Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) idle time windows of other SSR equipment on the airport.

42. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein the data fusion means further determines a geometry of the target and respective orientation on the airport.

43. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein the data fusion means further determines an imminent incursion.

44. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 43, wherein the data fusion means signals a control tower crew as to the imminent incursion.

45. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 43, wherein the data fusion center means signals a crew of the target as to the imminent incursion.

46. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 45, wherein the data fusion means activates airport indicators to signal the crew of the target as to the imminent incursion.

47. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein the data fusion means utilizes is a distributed system of networked computers.

48. The airport surface target surveillance and tracking system according to claim 27, wherein the data fusion means determines positions of structures of the target on the airport.

49. A method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking, comprising the steps of:

detecting a surface target utilizing a plurality of miniaturized W-band radar scanning sensors distributing within an airport;

acquiring a tail ID of the surface target that is an aircraft in the airport;

determining information of the detected surface target from at least one of the W-band sensors;

conveying the information and available tail ID to a data processing center;

evaluating the conveyed information and available tail ID;

quantifying the target based on the conveyed information and available tail ID; and

tracking the target.

50. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 49, wherein the step of conveying the information is accomplished with a wireless network.

51. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 50, wherein the wireless network utilizes an Internet Protocol (IP).

52. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 49, wherein the step of determining information utilizes 2-D Doppler capabilities.

53. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 49, wherein the step of determining information utilizes a Gilfillan edge detection technique.

54. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 49, further comprising the step of:

controlling the scans of at least one of the plurality of W-band sensors.

55. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 49, wherein the controlling is performed by the data processing center.

56. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 54, wherein the at least two of the W-band sensors are controlled to provide overlapping scans of a single target within their range.

57. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 49, wherein the step of acquiring the tail ID is accomplished using a low power Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) protocol signal.

58. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 49, further comprising the step of:

determining a range of the tail ID responding target aircraft using time-difference-of-arrival techniques.

59. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 57, wherein low power SSR signal is operated within idle time windows of other SSR equipment on the airport.

60. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 49, wherein the step of quantifying the target involves determining a geometry of the target.

61. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 49, further comprising the step of:

determining an imminent incursion.

62. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 61, further comprising the step of:

signaling a control tower as to the imminent incursion.

63. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 61, further comprising the step of:

signaling a crew of the target as to the imminent incursion.

64. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 63, further comprising the step of:

activating airport indicators to signal the crew of the target as to the imminent incursion.

65. The method for airport surface target surveillance and tracking according to claim 60, wherein the step of quantifying the target involves determining positions of structures of the target on the airport.