Process and device for automatically supported guidance of aircraft to a parking position and management system therefor

• US 6,389,334 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADB Airfield Solutions GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Castor, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/538,278
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/10, 701/11, 701/117, 701/120, 701/121, 701/122, 244/76.R, 244/114.R, 244/75.R, 340/958, 340/939, 340/945, 340/948, 340/949, 340/962, 340/947, 180/168, 180/167
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/002 Taxiing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A method and associated device and management system for automatically guiding an aircraft to a parking position in a parking zone. The aircraft is detected by at least one video camera located in the parking zone which outputs video signals. The video signals are then supplied from the video camera to an evaluation unit, in which the current position of the aircraft is determined from the video signals. In addition, correction instructions for direction and speed of the aircraft are determined from the video signals in the evaluation unit. The correction instructions are transmitted to a control of the aircraft. Furthermore, in the evaluation unit, the video signals are processed into video sequences and non-aircraft objects are identified from the video signals. Finally, the correction instructions and the video sequences are displayed on a control monitor together with additional monitoring data.

Claims

1. A method for automatically guiding an aircraft to a parking position in a parking zone, comprising:

(a) detecting the aircraft by at least one video camera located in the parking zone and outputting video signals;

(b) supplying the video signals from the at least one video camera to an evaluation unit;

(c) determining the current position of the aircraft from the video signals in the evaluation unit;

(d) determining correction instructions for direction of the aircraft from the video signals in the evaluation unit;

(e) transmitting the correction instructions to the aircraft;

(f) processing the video signals into video sequences in the evaluation unit;

(g) identifying non-aircraft objects from the video signals in the evaluation unit; and

(h) displaying the correction instructions and the video sequences on a control monitor together with additional monitoring data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining the aircraft type from the video signals in the evaluation unit.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein two video cameras with substantially identical detection areas detect the aircraft in said step (a).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the video sequences are displayed as digital sequences on the control monitor.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein positioning of the display of the video sequences is adjustable on the control monitor.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the display of the video sequences on the control monitor is adjustable with respect to size.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the display of the video sequences is adjustable with respect to a zoom factor.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein different video sequences of different parking zones are displayed on the control monitor.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising storing the video sequences in a storage location.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein video cameras located in different parking zones are linked to the evaluation unit.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the correction instructions are optically transmitted to the aircraft.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising detecting environmental parameters and supplying the parameters as further video signals to the evaluation unit.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in step (d), correction instructions for speed of the aircraft are determined from the video signals in the evaluation unit.

13. A device for automatically guiding an aircraft to a parking position in a parking zone of an airport, comprising:

at least one video camera located in the parking zone to detect the aircraft and to output video signals;

at least one evaluation unit connected with the at least one video camera to determine correction instructions for direction of the aircraft and to provide video sequences from the video signals;

a signal transmission unit to transmit the correction instructions to a control of the aircraft; and

a video sequence transmission unit to make the video sequences available for call-up by control personnel.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the signal transmission unit comprises a signal display panel.

15. The device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a second video camera arranged substantially parallel to said at least one video camera.

16. The device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the at least one evaluation unit comprises a computer.

17. The device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a storage unit to store the video sequences.

18. The device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an operator panel to manually operate the signal transmission unit.

21. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine correction instructions for speed of the aircraft.

19. Management system to operate an automatically supported guidance of aircraft to a parking position, comprising:

at least one video camera to detect the aircraft and to output video signals;

at least one evaluation unit connected with the at least one video camera to determine correction instructions for the aircraft and to provide video sequences from the video signals;

a signal transmission unit to transmit the correction instructions to the aircraft;

a video sequence transmission unit to make the video sequences available for call-up by control personnel; and

a central control unit having a monitor to display the video sequences and monitoring data.