SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMICALLY DETERMINING RUNWAY STOPPING DISTANCE

• US 20130261855A1
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Derek Campbell, Louis Degagne
• Original Assignee: Derek Campbell, Louis Degagne
• Inventors: DeGagne, Louis, Campbell, Derek
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/16
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A system for providing a visual indication of a predicted stopping point to an aircraft crew during landing or an aborted take-off attempt includes a ground based transceiver to determine aircraft position along a runway, a processor to determine deceleration of aircraft, and a ground based visual display. The transceiver is located adjacent to the runway to capture the location of an aircraft along the runway and to convey that information to the processor. The processor continually compares the location of the aircraft on the runway to project a stopping point for the aircraft based on current conditions. The stopping point is conveyed to the crew by the ground based visual display.

Claims

1. A ground based system for determining a stopping point of an aircraft on a runway, the system comprising:

a sensing means for gathering landing data regarding incremental positions of the aircraft upon the runway;

a calculating means for computing the projected stopping point of the aircraft based on the landing data gathered by the sensing means; and

a display means for presenting the projected stopping point of the aircraft to a flight crew.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing means includes a plurality of transceivers located along the runway for gathering data regarding the incremental position of the aircraft on the runway.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data storage means for storing runway data regarding the configuration of the runway.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a calibration means for inputting runway data regarding the configuration of the runway into the data storage means.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculating means includes an integrated circuit for determining incremental position of the aircraft.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing means includes a 24 GHz K-Band radar transceiver for gathering landing data regarding incremental positions of the aircraft.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing means and the display means are integrated into a single structure.

8. The system of claim 3, further comprising a beacon receiving means for receiving a broadcast signal from the aircraft.

9. The system of claim 3, further comprising a communication means for alerting emergency personal of a runway excursion.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit includes a computer processor to calculate the instantaneous location, velocity, and deceleration of the aircraft utilizing information received from the transceiver.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is a 24 GHz K-Band radar transceiver.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver and the ground based display are integrated into a single structure.

17. The system of claim 3, further comprising a beacon receiver to receive a signal emitted from the aircraft.

18. The system of claim 3, wherein the integrated circuit is connected with a communication connection to alert emergency personal of a runway excursion.

10. A system for determining a stopping point of an aircraft on a runway, the system comprising:

a transceiver located along the runway;

an integrated circuit connected with the transceiver and configured to calculate a projected stopping point for the aircraft; and

a ground based display connected with the integrated circuit to present the projected stopping point of the aircraft to a flight crew.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit includes a data base to store runway data regarding the configuration of the runway.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an input device to program runway data regarding the configuration of the runway into the data base.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to store runway data regarding the aircraft'"'"'s landing performance within a data base.

19. A method for indicating the braking performance of an aircraft on a runway, the method comprising the steps of:

gathering multiple data sets regarding an instantaneous position of the aircraft position along the runway;

determining a location, velocity, and deceleration for the aircraft using the multiple data sets;

calculating a projected stopping point for the aircraft based on the determined location, velocity, and deceleration for the aircraft; and

communicating the projected stopping point to a flight crew of the aircraft by a ground based display.

20. A method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

determining whether the projected stopping point is on the runway.