Automatic integrated real-time flight crew information system
First Claim
1. An airborne information dissemination system for a subject aircraft within range of an air traffic control facility (ATC) providing a generalized broadcast of dynamic conditions data in computer readable format, such data including updated position data corresponding to the position of every one of a plurality of aircraft, said information dissemination system comprising:
- a receiver in the subject aircraft to receive the dynamic conditions data including the position data;
a display screen in the subject aircraft;
an on-board computer having means for operating on said dynamic conditions data to generate a graphic display on said display screen from the dynamic condition data updated at subsequent receptions of the dynamic conditions data, including representations of the current positions of the plurality of aircraft derived from said position data, wherein said display is at least initially egocentric with respect to the ATC with the ATC oriented at the focus of said display;
transformation means in said on-board computer for transforming said dynamic conditions data such that said display is made egocentric with respect to the subject aircraft with the subject aircraft at said focus; and
means for selectably switching between said dynamic conditions data as received or said dynamic conditions data after transformation by said transformation means in generating said display.
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Abstract
An integrated real-time information dissemination system for aircraft within a predetermined range of an air traffic control facility (ATC), includes airborne components for receiving ground-disseminated data concerning dynamic conditions, such as air traffic and meteorological conditions, and for storing data concerning static features, such as terrain and moving map features, within the range of the ATC. An airborne computer and display is provided in a subject aircraft for generating a continuously updated integrated graphic display of representations of the dynamic and static conditions. The graphic display is egocentric with respect to the ATC until the subject aircraft has been identified to the ATC, after which the graphic display is egocentric with respect to the subject aircraft. The airborne computer includes a computer program for detecting potential collisions with the dynamic or static features and for issuing a warning based upon the level of collision threat. When a potential collision is detected, the aircraft display isolates the threatening target and provides critical information to facilitate collision avoidance actions. The system provides real-time information to the flight crew of air traffic that has been previously restricted to ground-based air traffic controllers, to provide an added level of security against mid-air collisions and crashes caused by inadequate or erroneous information provided to the ATC or flight crew.
254 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An airborne information dissemination system for a subject aircraft within range of an air traffic control facility (ATC) providing a generalized broadcast of dynamic conditions data in computer readable format, such data including updated position data corresponding to the position of every one of a plurality of aircraft, said information dissemination system comprising:
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a receiver in the subject aircraft to receive the dynamic conditions data including the position data; a display screen in the subject aircraft; an on-board computer having means for operating on said dynamic conditions data to generate a graphic display on said display screen from the dynamic condition data updated at subsequent receptions of the dynamic conditions data, including representations of the current positions of the plurality of aircraft derived from said position data, wherein said display is at least initially egocentric with respect to the ATC with the ATC oriented at the focus of said display; transformation means in said on-board computer for transforming said dynamic conditions data such that said display is made egocentric with respect to the subject aircraft with the subject aircraft at said focus; and means for selectably switching between said dynamic conditions data as received or said dynamic conditions data after transformation by said transformation means in generating said display. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An airborne information dissemination system for subject aircraft within the range of a number of air traffic control facilities (ATCs) each providing a generalized broadcast of dynamic conditions data relative to the respective ATC, such data including updated position data corresponding to the position of every one of a plurality of aircraft relative to the respective ATC, said airborne information dissemination system comprising:
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receiver means in the subject aircraft for substantially concurrently receiving first dynamic conditions data from a first ATC and second dynamic conditions data from a second ATC, said first and second dynamic conditions data including position data relative to the corresponding ATC; means for storing each of said first and second dynamic conditions data therefrom updated at subsequent receptions of the dynamic conditions data; a display screen in the subject aircraft; means for generating a graphic display on said display screen from the stored dynamic conditions data, including representations of the current positions of the plurality of aircraft derived from the position data; means for selectably switching said graphic display on said display screen between a display of representations of the stored first dynamic conditions data and the stored second dynamic conditions data, irrespective of from which of said first ATC or second ATC said receiver means is receiving data.
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14. An airborne information dissemination system for a subject aircraft within range of an air traffic control facility (ATC) providing a generalized broadcast of dynamic conditions data in computer readable format, such data including updated position data corresponding to the position of every one of a plurality of aircraft and meteorlogical data corresponding to meteorological conditions, the information dissemination system comprising:
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a receiver in the subject aircraft to receive the dynamic conditions data including the position data and the meteorological data; a display screen in the subject aircraft; an on-board computer having software means for integrating said position data with said meteorological data to generate integrated data; and means for operating on said integrated data to generate a graphic display on said display screen from the dynamic conditions data updated at subsequent receptions of the dynamic conditions data, including representations of the current positions of the plurality of aircraft derived from the position data integrated with representations of the meteorological conditions derived from the meteorological data.
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15. An airborne air traffic monitoring system for a subject aircraft within range of an air traffic control facility (ATC) providing a generalized broadcast of updated position data corresponding to the position of every one of a plurality of aircraft, said system comprising:
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receiver means in the subject aircraft for receiving the position data at predetermined periodic time intervals; a display screen in the subject aircraft; means for generating a graphic display on said display screen of a representation of the current positions of the plurality of aircraft derived from the position data updated at subsequent receptions of the position data; and conflict warning means, including a computer, for providing a warning of a potential collision between the subject aircraft and a target aircraft of the plurality of aircraft, said conflict warning means including; means for storing the position data for the plurality of aircraft for a most recent number of said time intervals; first program means for using said stored position data to predict a point of closest approach of the target aircraft to the subject aircraft and to calculate a path of potential collision between the subject aircraft and the target aircraft; and second program means for displaying a representation of said target aircraft relative to the subject aircraft at said predicted point of closest approach and a representation of any recently calculated potential collision paths onto said display screen along with the display of the current position of the subject aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An airborne air traffic monitoring system for a subject aircraft within range of an air traffic control facility (ATC) providing a generalized broadcast of updated position data corresponding to the position of every one of a plurality of aircraft, said system comprising:
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receiver means in the subject aircraft for receiving the position data at predetermined periodic time intervals; a display screen in the subject aircraft; a computer including conflict warning means for using the position data to detect a potential collision between the subject aircraft and a target aircraft of the plurality of aircraft and for providing a warning therefor; and means for generating a first graphic display on said display screen when no potential collision is detected of a representation of the current positions of each of the plurality of aircraft derived from the position data, and for automatically substituting a second graphic display when a potential collision is detected of a representation of the positions of the target aircraft and the subject aircraft only, wherein the representation of the position of the target aircraft includes a track representing the consecutive positions of the target aircraft relative to the subject aircraft over a most recent number of said time intervals. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification