GPS collision avoidance system

• US 5,872,526 A
• Filed: 05/23/1996
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Tognazzini, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Application Number:
  US08/652,050
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 340/961, 364/461, 364/462, 364/439, 342/29, 342/30, 342/36, 701/301
• US Class Current: 340/961
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A collision avoidance system for a plurality of vehicles equipped with GPS receivers, each broadcasting current location information to other vehicles and receiving and displaying location information from other vehicles, enables a vehicle operator to be aware of the location of the other vehicles. For vehicles not equipped with GPS, and transceivers, information about location is taken from common ground control equipment such as an FAA control station and broadcast to all vehicles. In an aircraft environment, flight plans can be filed and closed out automatically.

Claims

1. A collision avoidance system, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive first vehicle position vehicle;

information signals representing a global position of a first

a transceiver, activated when velocity of said first vehicle exceeds a threshold, configured to receive directly from a second vehicle, second vehicle information signals representing a global position of the second vehicle; and

a processor configured to process signals representing the global position of the first vehicle and the global position of second vehicle, and to generate output signals indicative of relative global positions of the first and the second vehicles.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein responsive to said generated output signals the relative global positions of said first and said second vehicles are displayed.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the transceiver is configured to, receive directly from the second vehicle, second vehicle identification information signals representing at least one of a type, a color and a serial number of the second vehicle;

said generated output signals are indicative of at least one of the type, the color and the serial number of the second vehicle; and

responsive to said generated output signals at least one of the type, the color and the serial number is displayed.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

said vehicles are aircraft;

said global position of the first vehicle is a current global position of the first vehicle;

said second vehicle information signals represent a travel direction and a travel speed of the second vehicle; and

said processor is configured to process signals representing a prior global position and the current global position of the first vehicle to determine a travel direction and a travel speed of the first vehicle, and to process signals representing the current global position, the travel direction and the travel speed of the first vehicle and the global position, the travel speed and the travel speed of the second vehicle to determine if the vehicles are on a collision course.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first vehicle is an aircraft;

said receiver is configured to receive first vehicle changed position signals representing a changed global position of the first vehicle;

said processor is configured to process signals representing the global position and the changed global position of the first vehicle to determine a travel speed of the first vehicle, to process signals representing the travel speed of the first vehicle to determine if a threshold is exceeded, and to generate a signal indicative of said first aircraft performing a landing procedure or a take-off procedure if said threshold is exceeded.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first vehicle is an aircraft;

said processor is configured to process signals representing the first vehicle global position and an airport location and to generate output signals indicative of the first aircraft completing a flight plan if it is determined that the first aircraft is positioned to land at said airport.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said transceiver is configured to transmit a signal representing the global position of the first vehicle directly to the second vehicle.

8. A method for avoiding vehicle collision, comprising the steps of:

receiving first vehicle position information signals representing a global position of a first vehicle;

receiving, directly from a second vehicle, second vehicle information signals representing a global position of a second vehicle when first vehicle velocity exceeds a threshold; and

processing signals representing the global position of the first vehicle and the global position of the second vehicle to determine relative positions of the first and the second vehicles.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said second vehicle information signals represent a travel speed and a travel direction of the second vehicle, and further comprising the steps of:

processing signals representing the global position of a first vehicle to determine a travel speed and a travel direction of the first vehicle; and

processing signals representing the travel speed and the travel direction of the first vehicle and the travel speed and the travel direction of the second vehicle to determine respective travel paths of said first and said second vehicles.

10. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

generating output signals indicative of the relative positions of the first and the second vehicles; and

displaying the relative positions of said first and said second vehicles responsive to said output signals.

11. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, directly from the second vehicle, second vehicle identification information signals representing at least one of a type, a color and a serial number of the second vehicle; and

generating output signals indicative of the relative positions of the first and the second vehicles and at least one of the type, the color and the serial number of the second vehicle.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said vehicles are aircraft and further comprising the steps of:

determining a change in velocity of the first vehicle;

determining if the change in velocity exceeds a threshold value; and

generating an output signal indicative of the first aircraft performing a landing procedure or a take-off procedure if the change in velocity exceeds the threshold value.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

processing signals representing the global position of the first aircraft and a global position of an airport to determine if the first aircraft is positioned to land at said airport; and

generating the output signal indicative of the first aircraft completing the flight plan only if the first aircraft is positioned to land at said airport.

14. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of transmitting a signal representing the global position of the first vehicle from the first vehicle directly to the second vehicle.

15. An article of manufacture for avoiding vehicle collisions, comprising:

computer readable storage medium; and

computer programming stored on said storage medium;

wherein said stored computer programming is configured to be readable from said computer readable storage medium by a computer disposed on-board a first vehicle and thereby cause said on-board computer to operate so as to;

compute a global position of the first vehicle from received first vehicle position information signals;

identify a global position of a second vehicle from second vehicle information signals received directly from the second vehicle when velocity of said first vehicle exceeds a threshold; and

compare the first vehicle global position with the second vehicle global position to determine relative positions of the first and the second vehicles.

16. An article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein said stored computer programming is configured to be readable from said computer readable storage medium by the on-board computer to thereby cause said on-board computer to operate so as to:

determine a travel velocity of the first vehicle;

identify a travel velocity of the second vehicle from the second vehicle information signals;

process signals representing the travel velocity of the first vehicle to determine a travel path of said first vehicle;

process signals representing the travel velocity of the second vehicle to determine a travel path of said second vehicle;

compare the travel paths of said first and said second vehicles to determine if the vehicles are on a collision course; and

generate an output signal if the respective travel paths of the first and the second vehicles intersect to warn an operator of the first vehicle that the vehicles are on a collision course.

17. An article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein said stored computer programming is configured to be readable from said computer readable storage medium by the on-board computer to thereby cause said on-board computer to operate so as to:

generate an output signal indicative of the relative positions of the first and the second vehicles; and

wherein responsive to said output signal the relative positions of said first and said second vehicles are displayed.

18. An article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein said stored computer programming is configured to be readable from said computer readable storage medium by the on-board computer to thereby cause said on-board computer to operate so as to:

identify at least one of a type, a color and a serial number of the second vehicle from said second vehicle identification information signals;

generate an output signal indicative of at least one of the type, the color and the serial number of the second vehicle;

determine a change in velocity of the first vehicle;

determine if the change in velocity exceeds a threshold value; and

generate an output signal indicative of the first aircraft completing a flight plan only if the change in velocity of the first aircraft exceeds the threshold value.

19. A programmed computer for vehicle collision avoidance, comprising:

a processor disposed on-board a first vehicle configured to (i) process first vehicle information signals to identify a global position of the first vehicle, (ii) process second vehicle information signals transmitted directly between the first vehicle and a second vehicle to identify a global position of the second vehicle when the first vehicle velocity exceeds a threshold, and (iii) compare the first vehicle global position with the second vehicle global position to determine relative positions of the first and the second vehicles; and

storage medium configured to store information corresponding to the first vehicle global position.

20. A programmed computer according to claim 19, wherein:

said processor is configured to process the first vehicle information signals to determine a flight path of said first vehicle and the second vehicle information signals to determine a flight path of said first vehicle, and to compare the flight paths of said first and said second vehicles to determine if the vehicles are on a collision course; and

said storage medium is configured to store information corresponding to the second vehicle global position.