Automated air-traffic advisory system and method

• US 6,380,869 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Potomac Aviation Technology Corp.
• Original Assignee: Potomac Aviation Technology Corp.
• Inventors: Wartofsky, David, Simon, Gary B.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/314,363
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/961, 340/970, 701/14, 701/301, 701/3, 342/29
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically providing advisories to pilots in a monitored airspace comprises monitoring weather conditions and air traffic in an airspace and then generating and broadcasting advisories over a radio channel in response to relevant air traffic conditions. Advisory lengths are sized based on the volume of communications on the common traffic advisory frequency. An airspace model, made up of a multitude of constantly updated records, is used to keep track of important flight information and weather conditions. A monitoring CPU, accessing the airspace model, creates the advisory messages based upon hazard criteria, guidelines, airport procedures and other relevant air traffic data.

Claims

1. A system for broadcasting advisories, the system comprising:

an aircraft monitoring subsystem that generates aircraft location information;

a central processing unit that (i) tracks aircraft using the location information and (ii) automatically generates advisories for multiple remotely located transceivers using the aircraft location information; and

a transmitter coupled to the central processing unit that broadcasts the advisories to the transceivers over a voice-based, shared radio frequency also used for two-way radio communications among the transceivers.

2. A system as described in claim 1, further comprising:

a weather monitoring subsystem that monitors local weather conditions and generates local weather information, wherein the central processing unit generates advisories based on the weather information.

3. A system as described in claim 1, further comprising:

a data storage device, coupled to and accessible by the central processing unit, that stores the location information of aircraft near the airport.

4. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the central processing unit generates advisories based on aircraft flight trajectories.

5. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the central processing unit generates advisories which are broadcasted by the transmitter and targeted to specific pilots based on aircraft location information.

6. A system as described in claim 1, further comprising:

a voice synthesizer, coupled to the central processing unit, that translates an advisory into an audible communication which is broadcasted to pilots by the transmitter.

7. A system as described in claim 1, further comprising:

a communication link for transmitting messages to ground-based parties.

8. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the aircraft monitoring subsystem is capable of interrogating aircraft surveillance equipment and converting received signals to aircraft locations.

9. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the aircraft monitoring subsystem includes a mode S receiver capable of converting retrieved data into the aircraft location information.

10. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the aircraft monitoring subsystem includes a mode C receiver capable of converting retrieved data into the aircraft location information.

11. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the aircraft monitoring subsystem includes a mode A receiver capable of converting retrieved data into the aircraft location information.

12. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the central processing unit selects words from a library and strings them together to generate an advisory message.

13. A system as described in claim 1, further comprising:

a radio frequency receiver, coupled to the central processing unit, that detects a pilot request for an advisory, wherein the central processing unit generates advisories in response to the pilot request.

14. A system as described in claim 1, further comprising:

an operator interface, coupled to the central processing unit, that enables an operator to create advisories, broadcasted by the transmitter, based on airport incidents, conditions and/or procedures.

15. A system as described in claim 1, further comprising:

a radio frequency receiver, coupled to the central processing unit, that detects transmissions on the shared radio frequency, wherein a length of the advisory is changed depending on the detected transmissions.

16. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the central processing unit generates an advisory message directed to new pilots entering a monitored airspace about air traffic conditions and/or originating source of the advisory messages.

17. A system as described in claim 2, wherein the central processing unit generates a weather advisory message based on monitored weather conditions.

18. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the central processing unit generates a traffic advisory message based on monitored air traffic information.

19. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the central processing unit generates an advisory message about ground services and/or procedures.

20. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the central processing unit generates an advisory message about departure services and/or procedures.

21. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the central processing unit generates an advisory message about arrival services and/or procedures.

22. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the central processing unit monitors the aircraft location information to learn common flight patterns.

64. A system as in claim 1, wherein the advisories are voice-based advisories automatically generated based on an airspace model of an airport.

23. A method for broadcasting advisories comprising the steps of:

detecting positions of aircraft and generating aircraft location information;

at a central location, tracking aircraft using the aircraft location information and automatically generating advisories for multiple remotely located transceivers in response to the aircraft location information; and

transmitting the advisories to the transceivers over a voice-based, shared radio frequency communication link also used for two-way radio communications among the transceivers.

24. A method as described in claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

detecting ambient weather conditions using a weather monitoring subsystem that generates weather information; and

generating advisories in response to the weather information.

25. A method as described in claim 23, further comprising the step of:

storing the aircraft location information in a data storage device.

26. A method as described in claim 23, further comprising the step of:

generating advisories based on aircraft flight trajectories.

27. A method as described in claim 23, further comprising the step of:

generating advisories and transmitting the advisories to specific pilots based on aircraft location information.

28. A method as described in claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

converting generated advisories into audible communications using a voice synthesizer; and

transmitting the audible communications to aircraft over a shared radio frequency.

29. A method as described in claim 23, further comprising the step of:

transmitting messages to ground based parties.

30. A method as described in claim 23, wherein the step of detecting positions of aircraft and generating aircraft location information comprises:

detecting positions of aircraft and generating aircraft location information using a mode S receiver.

31. A method as described in claim 23, wherein the step of detecting positions of aircraft and generating aircraft location information comprises:

detecting positions of aircraft and generating aircraft location information using a mode C receiver.

32. A method as described in claim 23, wherein the step of detecting positions of aircraft and generating aircraft location information comprises:

detecting positions of aircraft and generating aircraft location information using a mode A receiver.

33. A method as described in claim 23, wherein the step of generating advisories includes:

selecting words from a library to create an intelligible message.

34. A method as described in claim 23, wherein the step of determining aircraft location information comprises:

interrogating an aircraft and converting received signals to corresponding aircraft location information.

35. A method as described in claim 23, further comprising the step of:

detecting a pilot advisory request on a radio channel; and

generating an advisory based on the pilot advisory request.

36. A method as described in claim 23, further comprising the step of:

enabling an operator to create advisories based on airport incidents, conditions and/or procedures.

37. A method as described in claim 23, further comprising the step of:

determining a level of traffic on the shared radio frequency; and

adaptively changing a length of the advisory in response to the traffic.

38. A method as described in claim 23 further comprising the step of:

learning common flight patterns based on monitored aircraft location information.

39. A method as described in claim 23 further comprising the step of:

detecting new pilots entering a monitored airspace; and

generating and broadcasting an advisory message to the new pilots about air traffic conditions and/or originating source of the advisory messages.

40. A method as described in claim 24 further comprising the step of:

generating and broadcasting a weather advisory message based on monitored weather conditions.

41. A method as described in claim 23 further comprising the step of:

generating and broadcasting a traffic advisory message based on monitored air traffic information.

42. A method as described in claim 23 further comprising the step of:

generating and broadcasting a traffic advisory message based on ground services and/or procedures.

43. A method as described in claim 23 further comprising the step of:

generating and broadcasting a traffic advisory message based on departure services and/or procedures.

44. A method as described in claim 23 further comprising the step of:

generating and broadcasting a traffic advisory message based on arrival services and/or procedures.

65. A system as in claim 23, wherein the advisories are voice-based advisories automatically generated based on an airspace model of an airport.

45. A system for broadcasting advisories at airports, comprising:

an aircraft monitoring subsystem that interrogates aircraft and generates location information of aircraft based on received signals;

a weather monitoring subsystem that monitors weather conditions at an airport;

a central processing unit coupled to the aircraft monitoring subsystem and weather monitoring subsystem that automatically generates advisories for multiple remotely located transceivers, the advisories being broadcast to pilots in response to the aircraft flight trajectories and weather conditions; and

a transmitter coupled to the central processing unit that broadcasts the advisories to the transceivers over a voice-based, shared radio channel also used for two-way radio communications.

46. A system for broadcasting advisory messages, the system comprising:

a monitoring subsystem that generates location information of moving objects;

a central processing unit that (i) tracks trajectories of the moving objects using the location information and (ii) generates advisories for multiple remotely located receivers based on the location information; and

a transmitter coupled to the central processing unit that broadcasts the advisories to the receivers over a voice-based, shared radio frequency channel also used for two-way radio communications.

47. A system as in claim 46, wherein at least one of the moving objects is a ground-based object.

48. A system as in claim 46, wherein at least one of the moving objects is a taxiing aircraft.

49. A system as in claim 46, wherein the advisories are transmitted over the shared radio frequency channel to prevent ground-based collisions.

50. A system as in claim 46, further comprising:

a data storage device, coupled to and accessible by the central processing unit, that stores static attributes of a monitored region which are used at least in part to generate advisories.

51. A system as in claim 46, wherein the central processing unit generates advisories based on aircraft flight trajectories.

52. A system as in claim 46, further comprising:

an alternate communication link other than the shared traffic channel for transmitting messages to ground-based parties.

53. A system as in claim 46, further comprising:

an operator interface, coupled to the central processing unit, that enables an operator to create advisories which are broadcasted by the transmitter, wherein the advisories are based on airport incidents, conditions and/or procedures.

54. A system as in claim 46, wherein the central processing unit generates advisories about ground services and/or procedures.

66. A system as in claim 46, wherein the advisories are voice-based advisories automatically generated based on an airspace model of an airport.

55. A method for broadcasting advisories comprising the steps of:

monitoring moving objects and generating corresponding location information about their position;

at a central location, tracking the moving objects using the location information and generating advisories for multiple remotely located receivers based on the location information; and

transmitting the advisories to the receivers over a voice-based, shared radio frequency channel also used for two-way radio communications.

56. A method as in claim 55, wherein at least one of the moving objects is a ground-based object.

57. A method as in claim 55, wherein at least one of the moving objects is a taxiing aircraft.

58. A method as in claim 55, wherein the advisories are transmitted over the shared radio frequency channel to prevent ground-based collisions.

59. A method as in claim 55, further comprising the steps of:

storing static attributes of a monitored region in a data storage device; and

generating advisories based on the moving objects and static attributes of the monitored region.

60. A method as in claim 55, wherein advisories are based at least in part on aircraft flight trajectories.

61. A method as in claim 55, further comprising:

transmitting messages to ground-based parties on an alternate communication link other than the shared radio frequency channel.

62. A method as in claim 55, further comprising:

enabling an operator to create advisories, wherein the advisories are based on airport incidents, conditions and/or procedures.

63. A method as in claim 55, wherein the central processing unit generates an advisory message about ground services and/or procedures.

67. A system as in claim 55, wherein the advisories are voice-based advisories automatically generated based on an airspace model of an airport.