Airport surface monitoring and runway incursion warning system

• US 5,629,691 A
• Filed: 05/26/1995
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Jain, Atul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/451,597
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 340/961, 340/933, 340/951, 340/972, 340/941, 340/945, 364/461, 364/439, 342/26, 342/36, 342/29, 342/50, 342/59, 342/30, 342/31, 342/32, 342/455, 342/456
• US Class Current: 340/961
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/913 for landing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 cooperating with reflectors or transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/06 Cathode-ray tube displays or other two dimensional or three-dimensional displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

An airport runway incursion warning system for monitoring air and ground traffic at an airport. The system is optimally used with an aircraft that has an electronic tag or interrogation system that stores identification information regarding the aircraft, and an RF transponder for receiving interrogation signals and for transmitting the identification information in response thereto. A radar system comprises a plurality of radar sensor units disposed at predetermined installation sites adjacent to a runway. Each radar sensor unit typically has an interface processor and telemetry electronics for communication, although hard-wired communication paths may be used. An RF/telemetry interface is provided for communicating with the radar sensor units when the interface processor and telemetry electronics are used. The RF/telemetry interface is also used to transmit the interrogation signals to the aircraft and receive the identification information therefrom. A central processing unit is coupled to the radar sensor units for receiving and integrating radar data produced by each the radar sensor units to produce a map of the runway that identifies authorization objects and aircraft that do not constitute intrusion threats, and intruding objects that do constitute intrusion threats to the runway. The central processing unit is optionally coupled to the RF/telemetry interface for transmitting signals to and from the aircraft, and in this case, the central processing unit processes identification information received from the aircraft to integrate the identification information into to generate a displayed image. An operator display is coupled to the central processing unit for displaying the map and identification information generated thereby for use by an operator.

Claims

1. An airport runway incursion warning system for monitoring air and ground traffic in the vicinity of a runway of an airport, said system comprising:

a radar system comprising of a plurality of radar sensor units disposed at predetermined installation sites adjacent to the runway and wherein the plurality of radar sensor units generate substantially overlapping radar beams that illuminate the runway;

a central processing unit coupled to the plurality of radar sensor units, for receiving radar data produced by the plurality of radar sensor units, and for processing the radar data to produce a map of the runway that identify objects and aircraft in the vicinity thereof, wherein each radar sensor unit is coupled to an interface processor for processing radar data generated by the radar sensor unit, wherein each interface processor is coupled to RF telemetry electronics for transmitting the radar data to the central processing unit and wherein the central processing unit is coupled to an RF/telemetry interface for receiving the radar data transmitted from the radar sensor unit by the RF telemetry electronics;

an operator display coupled to the central processing unit for displaying the map of the runway, objects and aircraft generated by the central processing unit; and

wherein the aircraft comprises an electronic tag that stores identification information regarding the aircraft, and comprises an RF transponder coupled to the electronic tag for receiving interrogation signals generated by the central processing unit and for transmitting the identification information in response to the interrogation signals;

the interrogation signals generated by the central processing unit are transmitted to the aircraft by way of the RF/telemetry interface, and the identification information is received from the RF transponder by way of the RF/telemetry interface and wherein the central processing unit generates signals for display on the operator display that identifies the aircraft;

and wherein the central processing unit produces data for display that includes priority alert information indicating aircraft that are runway incursions, a list of arriving and departing arriving and departing aircraft, and displays that show landing and take-off patterns of arriving and departing aircraft.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the central processing unit is coupled to the plurality of radar sensor units by way of a RF communications link for communicating radar data to the central processing unit by way of the RF/telemetry interface.

3. The system of claim 1 which further comprises an ARTS system coupled to the central processing unit, and wherein the central processing unit processes data and identification reports derived from the ARTS system and integrates them into the map that is displayed on the operator display.

4. The system of claim 1 which further comprises an ASDE-3 radar coupled to the central processing unit and wherein the central processing unit integrates data derived from the ASDE-3 radar into the map that is displayed on the operator display.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the central processing unit generates an image of the runway that identifies objects, aircraft that are landing and taking off from the runway, and identifying information associated with interrogated aircraft derived from the transponder.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the central processing unit generates warning signals in response to intrusion threats that are detected and wherein the warning signals are transmitted to the aircraft by means of the RF/telemetry interface and the RF transponder.

7. An airport runway incursion warning system for monitoring air and ground traffic in the vicinity of a runway of an airport, said system comprising:

a radar system comprising of a plurality of radar sensor units disposed at predetermined installation sites adjacent to the runway and wherein the plurality of radar sensor units generate substantially overlapping radar beams that illuminate the runway, and wherein each radar sensor unit is coupled to an interface processor for processing radar data, generated by the radar sensor unit, wherein each interface processor is coupled to RF telemetry electronics for transmitting the radar data;

a central processing unit coupled to the plurality of radar sensor units, for receiving radar data produced by the plurality of radar sensor units, and for processing the radar data to produce a map of the runway that identify objects and aircraft in the vicinity thereof, and wherein the central processing unit is coupled to an RF/telemetry interface for receiving the radar data transmitted from the radar sensor unit by the RF telemetry electronics, and the aircraft comprises an electronic tag that stores identification information regarding the aircraft, and comprises an RF transponder coupled to the electronic tag for receiving interrogation signals generated by the central processing unit and for transmitting the identification information in response to the interrogation signals, and

an operator display coupled to the central processing unit for displaying the map of the runway, objects and aircraft generated by the central processing unit;

wherein the interrogation signals generated by the central processing unit are transmitted to the aircraft by way of the RF/telemetry interface, and the identification information is received from the RF transponder by way of the RF/telemetry interface and wherein the central processing unit generates signals that identifies the aircraft;

and wherein the central processing unit produces data for display that includes priority alert information indicating aircraft that are runway incursions, a list of arriving and departing aircraft, and displays that show landing and take-off patterns of arriving and departing aircraft.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the central processing unit is coupled to the plurality of radar sensor units by way of a RF communications link for communicating radar data to the central processing unit by way of the RF/telemetry interface.

9. The system of claim 7 which further comprises an ARTS system coupled to the central processing unit, and wherein the central processing unit processes data and identification reports derived from the ARTS system and integrates them into the map that is displayed on the operator display.

10. The system of claim 7 which further comprises an ASDE-3 radar coupled to the central processing unit and wherein the central processing unit integrates data derived from the ASDE-3 radar into the map that is displayed on the operator display.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the central processing unit generates an image of the runway that identifies objects. Aircraft that are landing and taking off from the runway, and identifying information associated with interrogated aircraft derived from the transponder.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the central processing unit generates warning signals in response to intrusion threats that are detected and wherein the warning signals are transmitted to the aircraft by means of the RF/telemetry interface.