Method and apparatus for correlating flight identification data with secondary surveillance radar data

• US 6,448,929 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2001
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SRA International, Inc. (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rannoch Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Alexander E., Evers, Carl, Cohen, Bennett
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US09/953,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20020130814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 342/32, 342/37, 342/387, 342/454, 342/455, 342/456, 701/120, 701/200
• US Class Current: 342/456
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/916 Airport surface monitoring [ASDE]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• 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

A system for correlating secondary surveillance radar (SSR) data and ACARS data which results in a real time correlation of data which are unique to the separate existing systems. More specifically, a method is provided to attach flight identification data from ACARS signals to real time SSR data from Mode S transponders. Aircraft Mode S addresses are decoded and then converted to aircraft registration numbers using an algorithm or lookup table. Registration numbers are then correlated with registration numbers from decoded ACARS signals. The result is a real-time system which may provide an aircraft'"'"'s registration information, including registration number, owner, make, and model, as well as its current flight identification number, and ACARS messages. As part of an aircraft multilateration system, the system provides an independent air traffic control picture complete with aircraft position and identification by flight number without the use of active radar equipment.

Claims

1. A method of correlating flight identification data with secondary surveillance radar data, comprising the steps of:

receiving, in a first receiver/decoder, a transponder signal,

converting, in the first receiver/decoder, the transponder signal to digital data,

extracting, an address from the digital data,

storing, in a first roster, the address,

extracting, from address in the first roster, an aircraft registration number,

performing a database look-up, using the aircraft registration number, to extract aircraft data,

receiving, in a second receiver/decoder, an ACARS transmission,

storing, in a second roster, flight data, including aircraft registration number,

matching flight data to aircraft data using aircraft registration number, and

displaying at least a portion of at least one of flight data and aircraft data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of extracting further comprises:

determining a U.S. aircraft registration number by use of a mathematical algorithm on the digital data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of extracting further comprises:

determining a foreign aircraft registration number by use of a lookup table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft data includes at least one of aircraft make, model, serial number, owner/operator, owner/operator address, engine type, engine noise class, and engine modifications.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said ACARS transmission comprises:

an ACARS transmission over VHF frequencies including at least one of 131.550 MHz, 130.025 MHz, 129.125 MHz, 131.725 MHz, 131.450 MHz, 131.550 MHz, and 131.475 MHz, and HF and SATCOM and VDL Mode 1, 2, 3 or 4.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight information includes at least one of aircraft registration number, flight ID number, Out reports, Off reports, On reports and In reports, cockpit message reports, fuel reports, peripheral message reports and miscellaneous message reports.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transponder signal is a Mode S transponder signal and the address is a Mode S address.

8. A method of learning aircraft data through correlation of flight identification data with secondary surveillance radar data, comprising the steps of:

receiving, in a first receiver/decoder, a transponder signal,

converting, in the first receiver/decoder, the transponder signal to digital data,

extracting, an address from the digital data,

storing, in a first roster, the address,

extracting, from address in the roster, aircraft information data including country or origin,

receiving, in a second receiver/decoder, an ACARS transmission,

storing, in a second roster, flight data, including aircraft registration number,

making a best guess match between aircraft information data to aircraft registration number using flight data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of updating the first roster with aircraft registration number.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving, from a database, aircraft information based upon registration number, and

updating the second roster with aircraft information and registration number.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of displaying at least a portion of at least one of flight data and aircraft data.