Terminal based traffic management and security surveillance system for aircraft and other commercial vehicles

• US 6,253,064 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: e-Watch, Inc. (Cision Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: David A Monroe
• Inventors: Monroe, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/257,802
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66, 455/414, 455/430, 455/431, 455/456, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/66.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A traffic management, security and surveillance system for commercial vehicles while in port incorporates a plurality of strategically located sensors for identifying the location of both commercial vehicles and support assets, as well as personnel, for monitoring traffic flow and supporting traffic management of the commercial vehicles, assets and personnel while in the area. The location signals are transmitted to a ground based monitoring and control center and may be archived for later playback. The system also is adapted for utilizing on board location signal generators such as GPS sensors to provide traffic flow information and traffic management of all commercial vehicles, assets and personnel on the system.

Claims

1. A traffic management, security and surveillance system for ground or in port monitoring and tracking of a commercial transport and related assets, the system comprising:

a. a plurality of ground based sensors, each adapted for monitoring the presence of a commercial transport and/or an asset within the range of each of said sensors and for generating a unique and identifiable data signal representing the specific type of transport and/or asset and the location thereof;

b. a ground based monitoring station having automatic processing capability adapted for generating decisions based on commercial transport and asset location data; and

c. a communication system for transmitting all of the unique location data signals from the ground based sensors to the ground based monitoring station for monitoring the location of the assets and the commercial transport.

2. The system of claim 1, further including at least one commercial transport based sensor adapted for identifying the commercial transport and for transmitting a transport identification signal to the ground based monitoring station.

3. The system of claim 2, further including a commercial based location sensor adapted for monitoring the location of the commercial transport and generating a transport location signal in response thereto and transmitting the transport location signal to the ground based monitoring station.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each asset includes an asset based sensor adapted for identifying the asset and for transmitting an asset identification signal to the ground based monitoring station.

5. The system of claim 4, further including an asset based location sensor adapted for monitoring the location of the asset and generating an asset location signal in response thereto and transmitting the asset location signal to the ground based monitoring station.

6. The system of claim 1, further including means for transmitting location data for all assets and transports from the ground based monitoring station to the commercial transport.

7. The system of claim 1, further including means for transmitting location data for all assets and transports from the ground based monitoring station to each of the assets.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the ground based monitoring station further includes a map generator for generating a map defining the presence and location of all transports and assets within the system.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein said location sensor is an on-board GPS signal generator.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said location sensor is an on-board GPS signal generator.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each ground based sensor further includes an integral power supply.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each ground based sensor includes a wireless transmitter for transmitting the signal generated thereby to the ground based monitoring station.

13. The system of claim 12, further including a wireless transmission network for transmitting signals between the sensors and between the sensors and the ground based monitoring station.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the ground based sensors is hardwired to the ground based monitoring station.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein there is further including a wireless transmission module associated with a plurality of ground based sensors and wherein said plurality of ground based sensors are hardwired to the wireless transmission module.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system further comprises:

a. a transmitter associated with the sensor; and

b. a receiver associated with the monitoring station for wireless transmission of the data signals to the ground based monitoring station.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system further comprises a wireless network for transmitting the data signals to/from the sensor and the ground based monitoring station.

18. The system of claim 1, further including:

a. a collector adapted for collecting the plurality of data signals from the plurality of sensors and generating therefrom a combined signal incorporating each of the plurality of signals into a combined output signal; and

b. a processing system for receiving and processing the combined output signal.

19. The system of claim 18, said collector and said processing system further including a self-contained power supply.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein said GPS sensor includes two component sensors, with on component sensor mounted at each end of the transport, whereby size and heading of the transport may be detected and monitored.

21. The system of claim 1, further including an archiving system for storing the data received by the ground based monitoring station.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said archiving system is a recorder.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein each sensor further includes a transmitter adapted for wireless transmission of the data signal to a remote location, and wherein said aground based monitoring station includes a receiver, whereby the sensor signal may be transmitted to the ground based monitoring station.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said wireless transmission system is a radio frequency transmitter/receiver.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein said commercial transport includes a unique identifier which is adapted to be sensed by the ground based sensor, whereby the ground based sensor can generate an identification signal for specifically identifying the commercial transport within the range of the ground based sensor.

26. The system of claim 1, further including an alarm generator for generating an alarm whenever an asset or a transport is in an unauthorized zone.

27. The system of claim 1, further including an alarm generator for generating an alarm whenever an unauthorized asset is in a zone.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said alarm is transmitted directly to the commercial transport.

29. The system of claim 1, further including a portable personnel based unit including a location signal generator for identifying the location of the personnel and a communication system capable of transmitting and receiving information to/from the ground based monitoring station.