Air Traffic Control

• US 20090012660A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NATS Limited (NATS Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: NATS Limited (NATS Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Roberts, Alison Laura Udal, Pember, Stephen James
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• 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 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

An air traffic control system, for use by a controller controlling multiple aircraft, comprising a processor, an input device and a display device, further comprising: trajectory prediction means for calculating a trajectory for each aircraft, for inputting aircraft detected position data, and for recalculating the trajectories based on said position data, and conflict detection means for detecting, based on the trajectories, future circumstances under which pairs of aircraft violate predetermined proximity tests, and for causing a display on the display device indicating said circumstances, further comprising means for inputting instruction data corresponding to instructions issued by the controller to an aircraft, and in which the proximity indication means is arranged to use a first proximity test and a second, more restrictive, proximity test; and in which the system is arranged to display a symbol representing pairs of aircraft which violate the second test in a first display mode, and those which violate the first set but not the second set in a second display mode, and in which the system is arranged, on input of a said instruction by a controller in relation to a pair of aircraft, to change the display mode of the symbol for said pair from the second mode to a third mode indicating that no further action is necessary.

Claims

1. An air traffic control system, for use by a controller controlling a plurality of aircraft, comprising a processor, an input device and a display device, further comprising:

trajectory prediction means for calculating a trajectory for each said aircraft, for inputting aircraft detected position data, and for recalculating said trajectories based on said position data, and

means for causing a display on said display device indicating said circumstances, said display comprising a graph indicating, for a selected aircraft, its calculated future aircraft altitude trajectory, and indicating a symbol for each of a plurality of other aircraft,

characterised in that

it further comprises means for inputting and storing instruction data corresponding to level clearance instructions issued by said controller to a said other aircraft, and

in that said symbol for each other aircraft indicates both its current level and its levels for which level clearance instructions have been input.

2. An air traffic control system according to claim 1, further comprising conflict detection means for detecting, based on said trajectories, future circumstances under which said aircraft and each said other aircraft would violate predetermined proximity tests, and in that said symbol indicates said circumstances.

3. An air traffic control system according to claim 1, further comprising input means for permitting the input of a tentative trajectory for said aircraft, in which said display means is arranged to generate said display based on said tentative trajectory in addition to or instead of said predicted trajectory.

12. A system according to claim 2, further comprising input means for permitting the input of a tentative trajectory for said aircraft, in which said display means is arranged to generate said display based on said tentative trajectory in addition to or instead of said predicted trajectory.

4. An air traffic control system, for use by a controller controlling a plurality of aircraft, comprising a processor, an input device and a display device, further comprising:

trajectory prediction means for calculating a trajectory for each said aircraft, for inputting aircraft detected position data, and for recalculating said trajectories based on said position data, and

conflict detection means for detecting, based on said trajectories, future circumstances under which pairs of said aircraft violate predetermined proximity tests, and for causing a display on said display device indicating said circumstances,

characterised in that

the system is arranged to display each said set of circumstances as a graphic symbol selected from a set of predetermined said symbols, each corresponding to a directional relationship between the headings of the aircraft of the pair.

5. A system according to claim 4, in which the set comprises:

a first symbol indicating that each aircraft is approaching the other, a second symbol indicating that one aircraft is approaching the other from a side thereof, and a third symbol indicating that one aircraft is overhauling the other.

6. An air traffic control system, for use by a controller controlling a plurality of aircraft, comprising a processor, an input device and a display device, further comprising:

trajectory prediction means for calculating a trajectory for each said aircraft, for inputting aircraft detected position data, and for recalculating said trajectories based on said position data, and

conflict detection means for detecting, based on said trajectories, future circumstances under which pairs of said aircraft violate predetermined proximity tests, and for causing a display on said display device indicating said circumstances,

characterised in that

it further comprises means for inputting instruction data corresponding to instructions issued by said controller to a said aircraft, and

in that said proximity indication means is arranged to use a first proximity test and a second, more restrictive, proximity test; and

in that the system is arranged to display a symbol representing pairs of aircraft which violate the second test in a first display mode, and those which violate the first set but not the second set in a second display mode, and

in that the system is arranged, on input of a said instruction by a controller in relation to a pair of aircraft, to change the display mode of the symbol for said pair from the second mode to a third mode indicating that no further action is necessary.

7. A system according to claim 6, in which each display mode corresponds to a different symbol colour.

8. A system according to claim 7, further comprising calculating a uncertainty region associated with the future position of each aircraft.

9. A system according to claim 8, in which the first test comprises testing whether the uncertainty regions of a pair of aircraft approach more closely than a predetermined separation threshold.

10. A system according to claim 8, in which the second test comprises testing whether the predicted future nominal positions of a pair of aircraft approach more closely than a predetermined separation threshold.

11. A system according to claim 9, in which the second test comprises testing whether the predicted future nominal positions of a pair of aircraft approach more closely than a predetermined separation threshold.