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Airport control/management system using GNSS-based methods and equipment for the control of surface and airborne traffic

  • US 5,574,648 A
  • Filed: 01/05/1995
  • Issued: 11/12/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An improved airport control/management system for controlling and managing surface and airborne movements of vehicles and aircraft operating within a selected airport space envelope, the airport control/management system comprising:

  • (a) means for establishing a precise 3-dimensional digital map of the selected airport space envelope, the map containing GNSS reference points,(b) a computer with a monitor screen for receiving and displaying the 3-dimensional map,(c) means located on at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts in the airport space envelope to generate and transmit continuous GNSS-based location reports,(d) a radio receiver interfaced to the computer to receive said reports from said at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts,(e) means for processing within the computer to use said reports to superimpose a 3-dimensional image corresponding to a path of said at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts on the 3-dimensional map,(f) means for using the 3-dimensional map display for generating airport control and management signals as a function of said path to control the traffic in an airport, and(g) means for manipulation of the 3-dimensional map and the 3-dimensional image of said at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts and said path to a desired apparent line of observation, to control the traffic in the airport,(h) means for layering the 3-dimensional map in at least one digital map graphical layer,(i) means for selecting for display on the monitor screen, at least one of the digital map graphical layers,(j) means for controlling the display of the 3-dimensional map and the image of said at least one of the vehicles and aircrafts based upon the digital map graphical layers, and(k) means for utilizing the graphical layers to sort and track at least one of the vehicles and aircrafts, each of the layers determined by function selected from a group of layers consisting of air traffic control responsibility, phase of flight, GNSS position, NOTAMS, zone identification, airline and airport operations.

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