Automatic aircraft separation assurance
First Claim
1. Automatic Aircraft Separation Assurance apparatus and method disposed aboard a host aircraft requiring minimum separation distance, said apparatus including a sensor suite, processor, separation assurance algorithms and pilot display, said method detecting and tracking all aircraft in the spherical field-of-regard of said host aircraft, said processor predicting said host aircraft separation distance, said pilot display informing pilot of predicted separation distance, said pilot display alerting pilot if flight control is removed from the pilot. Said processor operating said separation assurance algorithms on said sensor suite tracking data predicting said host vehicle tracking separation below specified minimum separation for said host aircraft, said AASA apparatus temporarily suspending pilot flight control, supplies direction/altitude commands to said host aircraft flight control system, indicates via said pilot display suspension of pilot flight control. Said direction/altitude commands enable increased tracking separation of said host aircraft to exceed said minimum separation distance. Said sensor suite track data processor separation assurance algorithms return pilot flight control when said separation distance exceeds said minimum separation distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention replaces the use of a pilot information display method and instead relies upon an automated three dimensional aircraft tracking system using only aircraft tracking data supplied by internal spherical coverage dual mode sensor system. Separation is accurately predicted and minimum flight path separation (from all nearby aircraft) is automatically assured by signals to the aircraft flight control system without action or intervention by the pilot. When predicted separation is less than minimum separation for the host aircraft, flight control is temporarily removed from the pilot until the automated system redirects the flight path to enable the predicted separation to exceed the minimum separation for the host aircraft. When on-board sensor system predicts separation greater than required minimum, then flight control is returned to the pilot.
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Citations
15 Claims
- 1. Automatic Aircraft Separation Assurance apparatus and method disposed aboard a host aircraft requiring minimum separation distance, said apparatus including a sensor suite, processor, separation assurance algorithms and pilot display, said method detecting and tracking all aircraft in the spherical field-of-regard of said host aircraft, said processor predicting said host aircraft separation distance, said pilot display informing pilot of predicted separation distance, said pilot display alerting pilot if flight control is removed from the pilot. Said processor operating said separation assurance algorithms on said sensor suite tracking data predicting said host vehicle tracking separation below specified minimum separation for said host aircraft, said AASA apparatus temporarily suspending pilot flight control, supplies direction/altitude commands to said host aircraft flight control system, indicates via said pilot display suspension of pilot flight control. Said direction/altitude commands enable increased tracking separation of said host aircraft to exceed said minimum separation distance. Said sensor suite track data processor separation assurance algorithms return pilot flight control when said separation distance exceeds said minimum separation distance.
Specification