Information display method and apparatus for air traffic control
First Claim
1. In an air traffic control system including programmable computer means which registers the identity and position of aircraft within a predetermined control area and which is programmed according to a preselected conflict prediction algorithm effective to detect potential collision situations involving aircraft within said control area, the improvement comprising:
- a program subroutine means within said computer means and having entered therein data identifying each detected potential collision situation involving aircraft within said control area for establishing a control sequence according to which each aircraft involved in said potential collision situation is to have communicated to it information regarding(a) the relative position of the other aircraft or object involved in said potential collision situation, and(b) what action should be taken to avoid said potential collision,communication means responsive to the control sequence established by said subroutine means for communicating said information to each aircraft involved in said potential collision situation, anddisplay terminal means in each of said aircraft operably connected to said communication means for displaying the information communicated by said communication means.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing pilots of aircraft or the like with: information about the presence, identification and relative location of, and time to potential collision with, other aircraft, objects, and obstructions, i.e. pilot warning indicator (PWI); instructions enabling pilots to avoid collisions, i.e. a collision avoidance system (CAS); and, advisory messages such as altitude and heading changes. The information, instructions and messages are organized, in accordance with the invention, through the use of a novel program subroutine in a general-purpose digital computer serving as a central communications computer or a specially programmed computer dedicated to controlling the encoding and transmission of digital air traffic control messages to pilot and/or controller information display terminals. At such terminals, the received digital messages are converted into a format suitable for decoding; are decoded by digital logic switching circuitry; and, the information contained therein is displayed to the pilot or controller by a novel and versatile display apparatus incorporating color-coding and lighted characters and providing a very effective display of all critical information regarding potential collisions and how to avoid them, as well as other advisory messages.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. In an air traffic control system including programmable computer means which registers the identity and position of aircraft within a predetermined control area and which is programmed according to a preselected conflict prediction algorithm effective to detect potential collision situations involving aircraft within said control area, the improvement comprising:
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a program subroutine means within said computer means and having entered therein data identifying each detected potential collision situation involving aircraft within said control area for establishing a control sequence according to which each aircraft involved in said potential collision situation is to have communicated to it information regarding (a) the relative position of the other aircraft or object involved in said potential collision situation, and (b) what action should be taken to avoid said potential collision, communication means responsive to the control sequence established by said subroutine means for communicating said information to each aircraft involved in said potential collision situation, and display terminal means in each of said aircraft operably connected to said communication means for displaying the information communicated by said communication means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification