METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INFERRING AIRCRAFT PARAMETERS

• US 20130110387A1
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company, Leidos Innovations Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Castillo-Effen, Mauricio, Chan, David So Keung, Tomlinson, Harold Woodruff Jr., Klooster, Joel Kenneth, Torres, Sergio
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0095 Aspects of air-traffic control not provided for in the other subgroups of this main group

Abstract

A method and system suitable for inferring trajectory predictor parameters of aircraft for the purpose of predicting aircraft trajectories. The method and system involve receiving trajectory prediction information regarding an aircraft, and then using this information to infer (extract) trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft that are otherwise unknown to a ground automation system. The trajectory predictor parameters can then be applied to one or more trajectory predictors of the ground automation system to predict a trajectory of the aircraft. In certain embodiments, the method and system can utilize available air-ground communication link capabilities, which may include data link capabilities available as part of trajectory-based operations (TBO).

Claims

1. A method of inferring aircraft performance parameters capable of being used by a trajectory predictor to predict trajectories of an aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving trajectory prediction information regarding an aircraft; and

then

using the trajectory prediction information to infer trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft that are otherwise unknown to a ground automation system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trajectory prediction information regarding the aircraft is transmitted from the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving step comprises the use of a communication link between the aircraft and the ground automation system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the trajectory prediction information comprises a relative location of at least one trajectory change point of the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the aircraft performance parameters comprise takeoff weight of the aircraft inferred from the relative location of the at least one trajectory change point, and the at least one trajectory change comprises at least one of the top of climb or top of descent.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising applying the trajectory predictor parameters to one or more trajectory predictors of the ground automation system to predict a trajectory of the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the using step comprises estimating at least one of the trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft by comparing the trajectory prediction information of the aircraft to a set of trajectory prediction information that was generated with a trajectory predictor by varying the trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft over likely values, and then updating the at least one trajectory predictor parameter based on the comparison.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the using step further comprises using surveillance and measured data of the aircraft to infer the trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the using step further comprises the use of a probability density function and updating process to estimate and refine the trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft.

10. A system for inferring aircraft performance parameters used by a trajectory predictor to predict trajectories of the aircraft, the system comprising:

means for receiving trajectory prediction information regarding an aircraft; and

means for using the trajectory prediction information regarding the aircraft to infer trajectory prediction parameters of the aircraft that are otherwise unknown to a ground automation system.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for transmitting the trajectory prediction information regarding the aircraft from the aircraft.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the receiving means comprises a communication link between the aircraft and the ground automation system.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the trajectory prediction information comprises a relative location of at least one trajectory change point of the aircraft.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft performance parameters comprise takeoff weight of the aircraft inferred from the relative location of the at least one trajectory change point.

15. The system of claim 10, the system further comprising means for applying the aircraft performance parameters to one or more trajectory predictors of the ground automation system to predict a trajectory of the aircraft.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the using means comprises means estimating at least one of the trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft by comparing the trajectory prediction information of the aircraft to a set of trajectory prediction information that was generated with a trajectory predictor by varying the trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft over likely values, and means for updating the at least one trajectory predictor parameter based on the comparison.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the using means further comprises means for receiving and using surveillance and measured data of the aircraft to infer the trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the using means further comprises means for performing a probability density function and updating process to estimate and refine the trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft.