Runway reservation system

• US 6,282,487 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electronic Navigation Research Institute, OKI Electric Industry Company Limited, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Director-General Ship Research Institute Ministry of Transport, OKI Electric Industry Company Limited, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Katsuyama, Yasuhiro, Shiomi, Kakuichi, Nakajima, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/092,642
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120, 701/117, 701/300, 701/13, 701/204, 340/947, 340/951, 340/952, 340/953-955, 342/37, 342/32, 342/36, 342/39
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• 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

Weather information is stored in a weather information storage unit. Information of aircraft flight situation, flight plan, air traffic flow management, and condition status is stored in an aircraft information storage unit. On the basis of information stored in the weather information storage unit and the aircraft information storage unit, arrival time of each arriving aircraft and departing aircraft is predicted by an arrival time prediction unit and a departure time prediction unit. The information of the estimated time thus predicted is stored in an estimated time of takeoff and landing storage unit. On the other hand, on the basis of information stored in information storage units, runway use time is assigned to each arriving aircraft and departing aircraft by a takeoff and landing assignment unit in accordance with Control System Standards. Runway reservation information thus obtained is stored in a reservation information storage unit. The information stored in the reservation information storage unit is displayed on a screen by a reservation display unit. The information stored in the estimated time of takeoff and landing storage unit is suitably displayed on the screen by a flight situation display unit.

Claims

1. A runway reservation system for assigning runway use time to each arriving and departing aircraft and supporting terminal control and aerodrome control service, comprising:

information acquiring means for acquiring aerodrome information and weather information of said arriving and departing aircraft;

arrival time prediction means for predicting arrival time of said arriving aircraft based on information acquired by said information acquiring means;

departure time prediction means for predicting departure time of said departing aircraft based on the information acquired by said information acquiring means;

runway use time assignment means for automatically assigning runway use time to each of said arriving and departing aircraft most efficiently under restrictions on control based on the information acquired by said information acquiring means, wherein the information acquired by said information acquiring means is automatically inputted to said runway use time assignment means;

flight situation display means for displaying estimated time of arrival/departure of each of said arriving and departing aircraft predicted by said arrival time prediction means and said departure time prediction means; and

reservation situation display means for displaying a situation of runway assignment assigned by said runway use time assignment means.

2. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said arrival time prediction means calculates the arrival time of each arriving aircraft from position, velocity and flight characteristics of each of the arriving aircraft and weather information containing wind direction and velocity and temperature in a control area.

3. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said departure time prediction means calculates departure time of each departing aircraft based on pushback time corresponding to a spot position, an actual result time of taxi time, and an actual result value of approach time to the runway.

4. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said departure time prediction means calculates estimated time of departure each of departing aircraft in taxiing based on at least a position, an estimated route of taxi, and actual result values of outer taxi velocity and inner taxi velocity of each of departing aircraft in taxiing.

5. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said runway use time assignment means assigns runway use time to each of the arriving and departing aircraft according to Control System Standards.

6. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said runway use time assignment means assigns runway use time to each of the arriving and departing aircraft so as to minimize a sum total of delays of the arriving aircraft.

7. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein in case where there are a plurality of runway use time assignment patterns minimizing a sum total of delays of the arriving aircraft, said runway use time assignment means assigns runway use time to each of the arriving and departing aircraft so as to minimize a sum total of delays of the arriving and departing aircraft.

8. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said runway use time assignment means assigns runway use time to each arriving aircraft within an allowed delay/advance range of each arriving aircraft.

9. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said runway use time assignment means assigns runway use time to each departing aircraft within an allowed delay range of each departing aircraft.

10. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said runway use time assignment means conducts reassignment of runway use time when runway time assigned to an arriving/departing aircraft has got out of an allowed delay/advance range of each of the arriving and departing aircraft.

11. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein for a departing aircraft having a time restriction such as clearance release time and clearance void time, said runway use time assignment means assigns runway use time within the time restriction.

12. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said runway use time assignment means is capable of conducting, on a screen, cancellation of assignment of aircraft judged to be incapable of an taking off and landing as assigned, and while reflecting this, said runway use time assignment means newly conducts reassignment of runway use time.

13. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said reservation situation display means displays runway use time assigned to each of the arriving aircraft and departing aircraft on a time axis together with a passage time on the runway and restricted matters on the control.

14. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said flight situation display means displays an aircraft identification code (ACID) of each of the arriving and departing aircraft in a position of estimated time of departure/arrival on a time axis together with at least one of spot number, wake turbulence classification, and SID (standard instrument departure).

15. A runway reservation system according to claim 1, further comprising runway associated parameter alteration means capable of giving runway change instructions on a screen, various parameters associated with the runway which have changed in accordance with the runway change instructions being automatically set in said runway associated parameter alteration means.

16. A runway reservation system according to claim 15, wherein said runway associated parameter alteration means gives runway change instructions on the screen together with a situation display before and after the runway change and a display of time when the runway change is possible.

17. A runway reservation system for assigning runway use time to each arriving and departing aircraft and supporting terminal control and aerodrome control service, comprising:

a weather information receiving unit for acquiring weather information from an external system issuing weather information in an approach area, the weather information receiving unit selectively taking out necessary information;

a weather information storage unit for storing weather information acquired by the weather information receiving unit and outputting pertinent weather information according to a first request;

aircraft flight information receiving unit for selectively taking necessary information out of aircraft flight information sent from a radar or an aircraft;

a flight plan information receiving unit for selectively taking out information including arriving aircraft information, estimated time of arrival, estimated time of movement start, restricted control matters, standard instrument departure procedure, aircraft type, wake turbulence classification, and spot number from a flight plan sent from a FDP;

an air traffic flow management (ATFM) information receiving unit for selectively taking out necessary information from a flow control center;

a condition status management unit for determining whether each of the arriving and departing aircraft is a subject of control and judging a state of each of the arriving and departing aircraft based on contents of control instructions sent from an external control apparatus, and acquiring a condition status of each of the arriving and departing aircraft as a part of arriving and departing aircraft information;

an aircraft information storage unit for storing, as a part of the arriving and departing aircraft information, information acquired in said aircraft flight information receiving unit, said flight plan information receiving unit, said ATFM information receiving unit, and said condition status management unit, and outputting pertinent information according to a second request;

an arriving time prediction unit for predicting arrival time of each arriving aircraft based on information stored in said weather information storage unit and said aircraft information storage unit, and outputting information of estimated time of arrival;

a departure time prediction unit for predicting departure time of each departing aircraft based on information stored in said aircraft information storage unit and outputting information of estimated time of departure;

an estimated time of takeoff and landing storage unit for storing information of the estimated time of arrival and estimated time of departure respectively output from said arrival time prediction unit and said departure time prediction unit, and outputting pertinent information according to a third request;

a takeoff and landing assignment unit automatically inputted with aircraft information of arriving aircraft and departing aircraft from said aircraft information storage unit and automatically inputted with information of the estimated time of arrival and estimated time of departure from said estimated time of takeoff and landing storage unit, to automatically assign runway use time to each of the arriving aircraft and departing aircraft in accordance with Control System Standards, and output a result of assignment as runway reservation information;

a reservation information storage unit for storing runway reservation information output from said takeoff and landing assignment unit, and outputting pertinent information according to a fourth request;

a flight situation display unit inputted with the estimated time of arrival and the estimated time of departure from said estimated time of takeoff and landing storage unit and inputted with pertinent aircraft information of arriving aircraft and departing aircraft from said aircraft information storage unit to display the aircraft information on a screen;

a reservation situation display unit inputted with runway reservation information from said reservation information storage unit to display the runway reservation information on the screen;

an runway associated parameter storage unit for storing parameter information set before for each runway, and outputting the parameter information to said arrival time prediction unit, said departure time prediction unit, and said takeoff and landing assignment unit; and

a runway associated parameter alteration unit inputted with runway associated parameter information from said runway associated parameter storage unit, to alter parameters on the screen, output altered parameter information to said runway associated parameter storage unit, and output runway change instruction given on the screen to said runway associated parameter storage unit.

18. A runway reservation system according to claim 17, wherein said arrival time prediction unit has:

a first procedure for calculating estimated time of arrival from the arriving aircraft information and runway associated parameter information of each arriving aircraft subject to terminal control; and

a second procedure for outputting said estimated time of arrival to said estimated time of takeoff and landing storage unit, and

thereafter, said first procedure and said second procedure are repeated until control processing is finished.

19. A runway reservation system according to claim 17, wherein said departure time prediction unit has:

a first procedure for calculating estimated time of departure from the departing aircraft information and runway associated parameter information of each departing aircraft subject to tower control; and

a second procedure for outputting said estimated time of departure to said estimated time of takeoff and landing storage unit, and

thereafter, said first procedure and said second procedure are repeated until control processing is finished.

20. A runway reservation system according to claim 17, wherein said takeoff and landing assignment unit has:

a first procedure for deriving a number of aircraft expected to arrive within a predetermined time and aircraft expected to depart within the predetermined time;

a second procedure for deriving takeoff and landing sequence patterns from the number of arriving aircraft and departing aircraft derived by said first procedure;

a third procedure for assigning runway use time to each of the arriving aircraft and departing aircraft in each of the takeoff and landing sequence patterns derived by said second procedure;

a fourth procedure for deriving a delay time of takeoff and landing from runway use time assigned in each of the takeoff and landing sequence patterns derived by said third procedure, and determining a takeoff and landing sequence pattern; and

a fifth procedure for outputting the runway use time of each of the arriving aircraft and departing aircraft in the takeoff and landing sequence pattern determined by said fourth procedure to said reservation information storage unit as runway reservation information, and

thereafter, said first to fifth procedures are repeated until control processing is finished.