Non-intrusive data interface system for air traffic control
First Claim
1. A system for providing data access to air traffic control data comprising a non-intrusive data cable interface permanently connected to receive said air traffic control data, a signal repeater receiving said air traffic control data provided from said non-intrusive data cable interface, said repeater providing said received air traffic control data to an interface board, said interface board being operatively connected to a computer, said computer having an associated software program, a sensor for receiving further data from a source other than said air traffic control data, a communications link from said sensor to said computer, and said computer providing a comparison means for comparing said air traffic control data with said further data, wherein said traffic control data are produced by sensor responses which are non-intrusively tapped for input to said comparison means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an air traffic control system, an in-line, data cable interface is disclosed for air traffic control signals which provides data access for use by an external computer system while preventing the disruption of the existing air traffic control signals. The interface provides non-intrusive data access even when the conductors of the data cable interface are short circuited. An external computer system has an associated software program capable of compiling received signals from the in-line data cable interface together with signals from other data sources and displaying the signals in, upon instructions of the user, hexadecimal form, polar graphical form or table form or recording the data onto computer or floppy disk. The air traffic control data is compared with data from another source such as a noise detector to monitor aircraft noise. The system provides a step-by-step method of testing and eventually integrating software and hardware into the existing air traffic control system without disrupting ongoing operations.
127 Citations
40 Claims
- 1. A system for providing data access to air traffic control data comprising a non-intrusive data cable interface permanently connected to receive said air traffic control data, a signal repeater receiving said air traffic control data provided from said non-intrusive data cable interface, said repeater providing said received air traffic control data to an interface board, said interface board being operatively connected to a computer, said computer having an associated software program, a sensor for receiving further data from a source other than said air traffic control data, a communications link from said sensor to said computer, and said computer providing a comparison means for comparing said air traffic control data with said further data, wherein said traffic control data are produced by sensor responses which are non-intrusively tapped for input to said comparison means.
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12. For use in a process that non-intrusively receives data from an air traffic control system, wherein said process includes receiving further data from a communications link from which said air traffic control data is isolated, and wherein said process provides a comparison of said data from said air traffic control with said further data and said air traffic control data are produced by sensor responses which are non-intrusively tapped for input;
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a non-intrusive connection member to receive said air traffic control data which comprises an enclosure having two ends, an electrical interface on each said end of said enclosure, each said electrical interface connectable and associated with an air traffic control data cable, each of said electrical interfaces being electrically connected by a plurality of conductors which extend through said enclosure, each said electrical interface associated with said air traffic control data cable and connected to each other whereby data carried by said air traffic control data cable passes from one said electrical interface to the other said electrical interface and thence back to said air traffic control data cable without significantly degrading the integrity of said data in said air traffic control data cable, at least one further electrical interface penetrating said enclosure, said further electrical interface being electrically connected to a further plurality of conductors that are interconnected within said enclosure with said first mentioned plurality of conductors, each said conductor of said further plurality of conductors comprising a protective resistor element.
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13. For use in a process of non-intrusively detecting and transferring signals comprising air traffic control data to a computer and comparing said signals with signals from other sources, said first mentioned signals produced by sensor responses which are non-intrusively tapped said processing comprising:
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connecting each of a plurality of electrical conductors via protective resistance means to a further plurality of electrical conductors in an existing multiple conductor cable that carry data of an air traffic control system, said protective resistance means not significantly interfering with the integrity of signals conducted through each conductor of said further plurality of electrical conductors in said existing multiple conductor cable that carry data of said air traffic control system, and said protective resistance means effectively preventing short circuit current flow between said plurality of electrical conductors and said further plurality of electrical conductors in said existing multiple conductor cable that carry data of said air traffic control system that significantly interferes with said air traffic control data conducted through said further plurality of electrical conductors of said existing multiple conductor cable that carry data of an air traffic control system. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A system for supplementing air traffic control and extending the operational scope of air traffic control which comprises:
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a cable comprising a plurality of binary data carriers conducting air traffic data in an air traffic control system, a plurality of non-intrusive interconnections each one of which interconnects with a respective carrier of said plurality of binary data carriers conducting air traffic data for receiving said air traffic data therefrom, a computer system operatively coupled to said binary data carriers via said non-intrusive interconnections for receiving air traffic data therefrom, said computer system receiving air traffic data corresponding to said air traffic data transferred to each said interconnection from its said respective carrier, means for receiving independent data from a source other than said cable conducting air traffic data and providing said independent data to said computer system, means for comparing said air traffic data from said non-intrusive interconnections and said independent data, and means for integrating said air traffic data from said non-intrusive interconnections and said independent data;
from said receiving means for the purpose of displaying the combined data. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for supplementing air traffic control and extending the operational scope of air traffic control which comprises:
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a cable comprising a plurality of binary data carriers conducting air traffic data, a plurality of non-intrusive interconnections each one of which interconnects with a respective carrier of said plurality of binary data carriers conducting air traffic data for receiving said air traffic data therefrom, a computer system operatively coupled to said binary data carriers via said non-intrusive interconnections for receiving air traffic data therefrom, said computer system receiving air traffic data corresponding to said air traffic data transferred to each said interconnection from its said respective carrier, means for independent data from a source other than said cable conducting air data and providing said independent data to said computer system, means for comparing said air traffic data from said non-intrusive interconnections and said independent data, means for integrating said air traffic data from said non-intrusive interconnections and said independent data from said comparing means for the purpose of displaying the combined data, said independent data comprising data associated with noise monitoring systems for environmental protection.
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22. An apparatus providing data access to air traffic monitoring systems comprising:
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a non-intrusive data cable interface associated with a primary cable which substantially continually transmits air traffic control data flow and said air traffic control data flow being substantially without error, said non-intrusive data cable interface transmitting said air traffic control data flow to a branch cable, said non-intrusive data cable interface comprising means for substantially preventing disruption of current flow in said primary cable emanating from said branch cable in such amount to effectively block significant corruption of said air traffic control data flow in said primary cable. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 40)
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25. A method of safely improving an air traffic control system comprising:
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tapping into an existing air traffic data carrier cable with a non-intrusive data cable interface wherein said air traffic control data conducted through said existing air traffic data carrier cable are substantially unerring, preventing air traffic data conducted through said existing air traffic data carrier cable from being substantially degraded by undue diversions of said air traffic data to said non-intrusive data cable interface, receiving in a further system said air traffic data tapped from said existing air traffic data carrier cable via said non-intrusive data cable interface, said air traffic data produced by sensor responses which are non-intrusively tapped from said existing air traffic data carrier cable, and testing components of said further system for integration into said air traffic control system.
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26. A method of safely improving an air traffic control system comprising:
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tapping into an existing air traffic data carrier cable with a non-intrusive data cable interface, preventing data conducted through said existing air traffic data carrier cable from being substantially degraded by undue diversions of said data to said non-intrusive data cable interface, receiving in a further system data taped from said existing air traffic data carrier cable via said non-intrusive data cable interface, and testing components of said further system with said tapped data for integration into said air traffic control system, said components of said further system including a computer for said testing for integration into said air traffic control system.
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27. A method of safely improving an air traffic control system comprising:
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tapping into an existing air traffic data carrier cable with a non-intrusive data cable interface, preventing data conducted through said existing air traffic data carrier cable from being substantially degraded by undue diversions of said data to said non-intrusive data cable interface, receiving in a further system data tapped from said existing air traffic data carrier cable via said non-intrusive data cable interface, and testing components of said further system with said tapped data for integration into said air traffic control system, said components of said further system including a computer software program for said testing for integration into said air traffic control system.
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28. A method of safely improving an air traffic control system comprising:
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tapping into an existing air traffic data carrier a with a non-intrusive data cable interface, preventing data conducted through said existing air traffic data carrier cable from being substantially degraded by undue diversions of said data to aid non-intrusive data cable interface, receiving in a further system data taped from said existing air traffic data carrier cable via said non-intrusive cable interface, and testing components of said further system with said tapped data for integration into said traffic control system, said components of said further system including a source of air traffic data, other than that transmitting through said existing air traffic data carrier cable, for said testing for integration into said air traffic control system.
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29. An apparatus for providing access to air traffic data from an air traffic control system for noise pollution monitoring comprising:
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a non-intrusive data cable interface tapping into a cable of said air traffic control system and receiving therefrom said air traffic data, said air traffic data comprising data associated with a track of an aircraft, said non-intrusive data cable interface comprising electric resistance means for performing the function of preventing significant impairment, due to said tapping, of communications of said air traffic data in said cable whereby the operation of said air traffic control system is substantially and detrimentally enervated, said non-intrusive data cable interface providing said tapped data to a computer, said computer displaying said air traffic data, a noise pollution monitoring means concurrently providing information associated with aircraft noise level in an area comprising at least part of the area monitored by said air traffic control system, said apparatus providing means of correlating said aircraft noise level information with said data associated with said track of an aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An apparatus providing data access to air traffic monitoring systems comprising:
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a non-intrusive data cable interface associated with a primary cable which transmits air traffic control data flow and said air traffic control data flow being produced by sensor responses which are non-intrusively tapped, said non-intrusive data cable interface transmitting said air traffic control data flow to a branch cable. said non-intrusive data cable interface comprising means for substantially preventing disruption of current flow in said primary cable emanating from said branch cable in such amount to effectively block significant corruption of said air traffic control data flow in said primary cable, said air traffic control data flow transmitted by said non-intrusive data cable interface to said branch cable being amplified by amplification means.
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Specification