Runway incursion detection and warning system

• US 6,486,825 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omaha Airport Authority
• Original Assignee: Omaha Airport Authority
• Inventors: Smithey, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US09/848,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20020163461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 342/27-32, 342/36-40, 342/42-49, 342/59, 342/61, 342/63, 342/175, 342/195, 342/26, 340/933, 340/945, 340/961, 340/947-957
• US Class Current: 342/29
• 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

An airport runway incursion detection and warning system for monitoring ground traffic in he vicinity of a runway or taxiway of an airport. The system utilizes a microwave radar transceiver, commonly referred to as a motion detector, connected to a voice annunciator to provide a verbal warning of aircraft or ground vehicle runway incursion. In one embodiment, the microwave transceiver is integrated into a runway lamp and includes a transformer to all w the transceiver to operate from an existing runway lamp power system.

Claims

1. An air port runway incursion detection and warning system for monitoring ground traffic in the vicinity of a runway of an airport, the system comprising:

a plurality of microwave radar transceivers, the transceivers set to selectively detect incoming or outgoing traffic, wherein each transceiver transmits a signal upon detecting the incoming or outgoing traffic;

an annunciator, wherein the annunciator plays a prerecorded voice warning message in response to each of the signals transmitted by the microwave radar transceivers.

2. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 1, wherein the annunciator plays a voice warning message which is unique to each particular transceiver.

3. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 1, wherein each transceiver includes a power adapter to allow the transceiver to be connected to existing runway or taxiway power sources.

4. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 3, wherein the power adapter is a step-down transformer.

5. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 1, wherein each transceiver includes a time delay relay, wherein once a particular transceiver is triggered, the relay maintains the particular transceiver'"'"'s signal for a predetermined period of time.

6. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 1, wherein each transceiver includes filtering circuitry such that only strong transceiver signals indicative of an aircraft or ground vehicle are transmitted to the annunciator.

7. An air port runway incursion detection and warning system for monitoring ground traffic in the vicinity of a runway of an airport, the system comprising:

a microwave radar transceiver, the transceiver set to selectively detect incoming or outgoing traffic, wherein the transceiver transmits a signal upon detecting the incoming or outgoing traffic;

an annunciator, wherein the annunciator plays a prerecorded voice warning in response to the signal transmitted by the microwave radar transceiver.

8. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 7, wherein the system includes a power adapter to allow the system to be connected to existing runway power sources.

9. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 8, wherein the power adapter is a step-down transformer.

10. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 8, wherein the power adapter is connected to a power source independent of the runway or taxiway lights.

11. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 7, wherein the transceiver includes a time delay relay, wherein once the transceiver is triggered, the relay maintains the transceiver'"'"'s signal for a predetermined period of time.

12. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 7, wherein the system includes filtering circuitry such that only strong transceiver signals indicative of an aircraft or ground vehicle are transmitted to the annunciator.

13. An airport runway incursion detection and warning system for monitoring ground traffic in the vicinity of a runway of an airport, the system comprising:

a plurality of microwave radar transceivers, the transceivers set to selectively detect incoming or outgoing traffic, and to transmit a signal upon detecting the incoming or outgoing traffic, wherein each transceiver is integrated with a runway or taxiway lamp;

an annunciator, wherein the annunciator plays a prerecorded voice warning message in response to each of the signals transmitted by the microwave radar transceivers.

14. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 13, wherein the runway lamp is breakaway lamp.

15. The runway incursion Detection and warning system of claim 13, wherein the annunciator plays a voice warning message which is unique to each particular transceiver.

16. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 13, wherein each transceiver includes a power adapter to allow the transceiver to be run from the same power source as used by the runway or taxiway lamp, and wherein the power adapter is integrated with the lamp.

17. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 16, wherein the power adapter is a step-down transformer.

18. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 16, wherein the power adapter is connected to a power source independent of the runway or taxiway lights.

19. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 13, wherein each transceiver includes a time delay relay, wherein once a particular transceiver is triggered, the relay maintains the particular transceiver'"'"'s signal for a predetermined period of time, and wherein the time delay relay is integrated with the lamp.

20. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 19, wherein each transceiver includes filtering circuitry such that only strong transceiver signals indicative of an aircraft or ground vehicle are transmitted to the annunciator.

21. The runway incursion detection and warning system of claim 13, wherein each transceiver includes filtering circuitry such that only strong transceiver signals indicative of an aircraft or ground vehicle are transmitted to the annunciator, and wherein the filtering circuitry is integrated with the lamp.

22. An airport runway incursion detection and warning system for monitoring ground traffic in the vicinity of a runway of an airport, the system comprising:

a plurality of microwave radar transceivers, the transceivers set to selectively detect incoming or outgoing traffic, and to transmit a signal upon detecting the incoming or outgoing traffic;

each transceiver being integrated with a breakaway or runway or taxiway lamp, and each transceiver including a step-down transformer, wherein the transformer allows the transceiver to operate from the same power source as the lamp;

each transceiver fur her including a time delay relay, wherein once the transceiver is triggered, the relay maintains the transceiver'"'"'s signal for a predetermined period of time; and

an annunciator, wherein the annunciator plays a prerecorded voice warning message in response to each of the signals transmitted by the microwave radar transceivers, and wherein the voice warning message is unique to each particular transceiver.