Method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver based on state information broadcast by other vehicles participating in the coordinated maneuver

• US 6,718,236 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitre Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitre Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Ganghuai, Hammer, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/424,917
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/4, 701/5, 701/6, 701/7, 701/8, 701/9, 701/10, 701/11, 701/16, 701/18, 701/300, 701/301, 701/302, 340/961, 340/972, 340/979, 340/995.19, 342/29, 342/36, 342/37
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A method for coordinating numerous vehicles within a common maneuver is characterized by receiving, at a moving vehicle, state and projected maneuver information of other vehicles participating in the maneuver via a broadcast link and utilizing the information to control the trajectory of the moving vehicle based on predicted paths of all participating vehicles for future times for which the maneuver is to be conducted. For simple maneuvers, such as flight-deck based self-spacing of aircraft in a runway approach, the method allows each participating vehicle to virtually perform the coordinated maneuver by predictive simulation using current state data to determine if corrective measures need be undertaken, or, if the predicted maneuver shows that it would complete as planned, maintaining its current trajectory. This affords vehicle operators the freedom to perform other duties, as the operators are alerted only when a change in state is necessitated. In the runway approach problem, the state changes are primarily in a change of speed and the choice of a simple, stepped speed profile reduces the amount of speed control that must be attended to by aircraft flight crews, allows for fuel efficient flight profiles within constraints of solving the spacing problem, and allows for higher runway throughput as compared with the prior art.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver being executed by the moving vehicle and at least one other moving vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the moving vehicle and the at least one other moving vehicle with a set of coordinated maneuver control parameters, said set of coordinated maneuver control parameters governing the coordinated maneuver; and

at the moving vehicle;

(a) determining a vehicle state of the moving vehicle from at least one state indicating signal;

(b) calculating a projected maneuver for the moving vehicle from said vehicle state;

(c) receiving an other-vehicle data set from each of the at least one other moving vehicle, said other-vehicle data set including a vehicle state and a projected maneuver of the corresponding other moving vehicle, said other-vehicle data set being broadcast from said each of the at least one other moving vehicle;

(d) calculating a projected coordinated maneuver based upon said projected maneuver of the moving vehicle and said other vehicle data set from each of the at least one other vehicle, said projected coordinated maneuver being constrained by said coordinated maneuver control parameters;

(e) adjusting said projected maneuver of the moving vehicle so that a trajectory prescribed thereby is as prescribed by said projected coordinated maneuver;

(f) adjusting said vehicle state of the moving vehicle so as to conduct the moving vehicle along said trajectory prescribed by said projected maneuver;

(g) broadcasting a vehicle data set of the moving vehicle, said vehicle data set including said vehicle state and said projected maneuver of the moving vehicle;

(h) performing an exit procedure if the moving vehicle is to exit the coordinated maneuver; and

(i) repeating the method at step (a) if the moving vehicle is to continue participation in the coordinated maneuver.

2. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 1, wherein said projected maneuver of the moving vehicle is broadcast in said vehicle data set in step (g) only if said projected maneuver of the moving vehicle was adjusted in step (e).

3. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 2, where the moving vehicle is to exit the coordinated maneuver in step (h) if the moving vehicle is in an exit condition.

4. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 3, where step (e) includes the step of decreasing or increasing a proposed new speed in said projected maneuver by a predetermined amount.

5. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 4, wherein said projected maneuver for the moving vehicle and said projected maneuver for said each of the at least one other vehicle include a plurality of deceleration points corresponding to predetermined ranges to a respective reference point in each of said projected maneuver for the moving vehicle and said projected maneuver for said each of the at least one other vehicle at which the corresponding one of the moving vehicle and said each of the at least one other vehicle is to decrease speed, said plurality of deceleration points separating the coordinated maneuver into regions of constant velocity.

6. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 5, wherein said respective reference point in each of said projected maneuver for the moving vehicle and said projected maneuver for said each of the at least one other vehicle are co-located at a single reference point.

7. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 6, where a planned speed in a first one of said regions of constant velocity in said projected maneuver of said each of the at least one other vehicle and said projected maneuver of the moving vehicle is an initial speed value, a planned speed in a second one of said regions of constant velocity in said projected maneuver of said each of the at least one other vehicle and said projected maneuver of the moving vehicle is an intermediate speed value, a planned speed in a third one of said regions of constant velocity in said projected maneuver of said each of the at least one other vehicle and said projected maneuver of the moving vehicle is a final speed value, wherein said first and second regions of constant velocity are separated by an intermediate deceleration point and said second and third regions of constant velocity are separated by a final deceleration point in said projected maneuver of the corresponding aircraft.

8. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 7, where said projected maneuver of said each of the at least one other vehicle and said projected maneuver of the moving vehicle are calculated by forward integration of Newtonian motion equations over time from a current time to at least one future time for a corresponding one of said each of the at least one other vehicle and the moving vehicle.

9. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 8, where said projected maneuver for said each of the at least one other vehicle is calculated by said forward integration in which said at least one future time is a time at which a respective one of said each of the at least one other vehicle is projected by said forward integration to arrive at said single reference point.

10. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 9, where said projected maneuver for the moving vehicle is calculated by said forward integration in which first ones of said at least one future time is said time each of said respective one of the at least one other vehicle is projected to arrive at said single reference point and a second one of said at least one future time is a time the moving vehicle is projected by said forward integration to arrive at said single reference point.

11. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 10, further comprising the step of adjusting a location of a deceleration point if step (e) fails to indicate that the moving vehicle is projected to arrive at said single reference point in compliance with said coordinated maneuver control parameters.

12. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 11, where said adjusted deceleration point is said final deceleration point.

13. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 12, where the moving vehicle and the at least one other vehicle are aircraft.

14. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 13, where the coordinated maneuver is a final approach maneuver to a runway of an airport, wherein a trajectory of one of the at least one other vehicles is aligned with both said runway and said trajectory of the moving vehicle and said one of the at least one other vehicle is spatially interposed between said runway and the moving vehicle, said one of the at least one other vehicle being designated as a lead vehicle and where said single reference point is a runway threshold terminating one end of said runway.

15. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 14, where said coordinated maneuver control parameters includes a minimum inter-arrival time at said runway threshold between successively arriving aircraft.

16. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 15, where said coordinated maneuver control parameters includes a minimum spacing between adjacent aircraft throughout the final approach maneuver.

17. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 16, where said lead vehicle data set and said moving vehicle data set are broadcast in accordance with Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) standards.

18. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 1, where one of said at least one state indicating signal is received from a global positioning satellite system.

19. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 1, where one of said at least one state indicating signal is received from airport instrumentation.

20. The method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 1, where one of said at least one state indicating signal is received from aircraft instrumentation.

21. A method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver being executed by the aircraft and at least one other aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the aircraft and the at least one other aircraft with a set of coordinated maneuver control parameters, said set of coordinated maneuver control parameters governing the coordinated maneuver; and

at the aircraft;

(j) determining a state of the aircraft from at least one state indicating signal;

(k) calculating a projected maneuver for the aircraft from at least said state of the aircraft;

(l) receiving an other-aircraft data set from each of the at least one other aircraft, said other-aircraft data set including a vehicle state and a projected maneuver of the corresponding other aircraft, said other-aircraft data set being broadcast from said each of the at least one other aircraft;

(m) calculating a projected coordinated maneuver based upon said other-aircraft data set from each of the at least one other aircraft, said projected coordinated maneuver being constrained by said coordinated maneuver control parameters;

(n) adjusting said projected maneuver for the aircraft as necessary so that a trajectory prescribed thereby is as prescribed by said projected coordinated maneuver;

(o) adjusting said state of the aircraft so as to conduct the aircraft along said trajectory prescribed by said projected coordinated maneuver;

(p) broadcasting a data set of the aircraft including at least one of said state and said projected maneuver of the aircraft, said projected maneuver of the aircraft being included in said data set of the aircraft if said projected maneuver was adjusted in step (n);

(q) performing an exit procedure if the aircraft is in an exit condition; and

(r) repeating the method at step (j) if the aircraft is to continue participation in the coordinated maneuver.

22. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 21, where step (n) includes the step of decreasing or increasing a proposed new speed in said projected maneuver by a predetermined amount.

23. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 22, wherein said projected maneuver for the aircraft and said projected maneuver for each of the at least one other aircraft include a plurality of deceleration points corresponding to predetermined ranges to a reference point at which the corresponding one of the aircraft or said each of the at least one other aircraft is to decrease speed, said plurality of deceleration points separating said coordinated maneuver into regions of constant velocity.

24. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 23, where a planned speed in a first one of said regions of constant velocity in said projected maneuver of said each of the at least one other aircraft and said projected maneuver of the aircraft is an initial speed value, a planned speed in a second one of said regions of constant velocity in said projected maneuver of said each of the at least one other aircraft and said projected maneuver of the aircraft is an intermediate speed value, a planned speed in a third one of said regions of constant velocity in said projected maneuver of said each of the at least one other aircraft and said projected maneuver of the aircraft is a final speed value, wherein said first and second regions of constant velocity are separated by an intermediate deceleration point and said second and third regions of constant velocity are separated by a final deceleration point in said projected maneuver of the corresponding aircraft.

25. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 24, where said projected maneuver of said each of the at least one other aircraft and said projected maneuver of the aircraft are calculated by forward integration of Newtonian motion equations over time from a current time to at least one future time for a corresponding one of said each of the at least one other aircraft and the aircraft.

26. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 25, where said projected maneuver for said each of the at least one other aircraft is calculated by said forward integration in which said at least one future time is a time at which a respective one of the at least one other aircraft is projected by said forward integration to arrive at said reference point.

27. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 26, where said projected maneuver for the aircraft is calculated by said forward integration in which first ones of said at least one future time is said time each of said corresponding one of the at least one other aircraft is projected to arrive at said reference point and a second one of said at least one future time is a time the aircraft is projected by said forward integration to arrive at said reference point.

28. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 27, further comprising the step of adjusting a location of a deceleration point if step (n) fails to indicate that the aircraft is projected to arrive at said reference point in compliance with said coordinated maneuver control parameters.

29. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 28, where said adjusted deceleration point is said final deceleration point.

30. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 29, where the coordinated maneuver is a final approach maneuver to a runway of an airport, wherein a trajectory of one of the at least one other aircraft is aligned with both said runway and said trajectory of the aircraft and said one of the at least one other aircraft is spatially interposed between said runway and the aircraft, said one of the at least one other aircraft being designated as a lead aircraft and where said reference point is a runway threshold terminating one end of said runway.

31. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 30, where said coordinated maneuver control parameters includes a minimum inter-arrival time at said runway threshold between successively arriving aircraft.

32. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 30, where said coordinated maneuver control parameters includes a minimum spacing between adjacent aircraft throughout the final approach maneuver.

33. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 21, where said other-aircraft data set and said data set of the aircraft are broadcast in accordance with Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) standards.

34. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 21, where one of said at least one state indicating signal is received from a global positioning satellite system.

35. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 21, where one of said at least one state indicating signal is received from airport instrumentation.

36. The method for conducting an aircraft along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver as recited in claim 21, where one of said at least one state indicating signal is received from aircraft instrumentation.

37. A method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport, the aircraft being designated an own-ship and trailing in runway approach order another aircraft designated as a lead-ship, the own-ship and the lead-ship being aligned with the runway so as to land at a region beyond a terminating runway threshold, the method comprising the steps of:

(s) initializing an own-ship planned speed profile based upon an own-ship state;

(t) evaluating either of an exit condition or an emergency condition and performing an exit procedure or an emergency exit procedure, respectively, in response thereto;

(u) receiving a lead-ship information set including a lead-ship state and a projected lead-ship range-to-threshold function operating on units of time as an independent variable;

(v) calculating a projected own-ship range-to-threshold function operating on units of time as an independent variable;

(w) adjusting said own-ship state so that a revised own-ship speed profile based thereon indicates that the own-ship is projected to cross the runway threshold within constraints set by at least one control parameter;

(x) setting said own-ship planned speed profile to said revised own-ship speed profile;

(y) broadcasting an own-ship information set, said own-ship information set including said own-ship state and said projected own-ship range-to-threshold function, said projected own-ship range-to-threshold function being broadcast only if said revised own-ship speed profile differed from said own-ship planned speed profile prior to setting said own-ship planned speed profile to said revised own-ship speed profile in step (x); and

(z) repeating the method at step (t).

38. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 37, where said lead-ship state and said own-ship state include current latitude, current longitude, current aircraft heading, current indicated airspeed and current altitude of the corresponding aircraft.

39. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 38, where said projected lead-ship range-to-threshold function is determined from at least a lead-ship planned speed profile and said projected own-ship range-to-threshold function is determined from at least said own-ship planned speed profile.

40. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 39, where said own-ship planned speed profile and said lead-ship planned speed profile include a plurality of deceleration points corresponding to predetermined ranges to the runway threshold at which the corresponding one of the own-ship or the lead-ship is to decrease speed, said plurality of deceleration points separating the final approach maneuver into regions of constant velocity.

41. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 40, where a planned speed in a first one of said regions of constant velocity in said lead-ship planned speed profile and said own-ship planned speed profile is an initial speed value, a planned speed in a second one of said regions of constant velocity in said lead-ship planned speed profile and said own-ship planned speed profile is an intermediate speed value, a planned speed in a third one of said regions of constant velocity in said lead-ship planned speed profile and said own-ship planned speed profile is a final speed value, wherein said first and second regions of constant velocity are separated by an intermediate deceleration point and said second and third regions of constant velocity are separated a final deceleration point in the planned speed profile of the corresponding aircraft.

42. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 41, where said lead-ship range-to-threshold function and said own-ship range-to-threshold function are calculated by forward integration of Newtonian motion equations over time from a current time to at least one future time for a corresponding one of the lead-ship and the own-ship.

43. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 42, where said lead-ship range-to-threshold function is calculated by said forward integration, wherein said at least one future time is a time at which the lead-ship is projected by said forward integration to cross the runway threshold.

44. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 43, where said own-ship range-to-threshold function is calculated by said forward integration, wherein a first one of said at least one future time is said time the lead-ship is projected to cross the runway threshold and a second one of said at least one future time is a time the own-ship is projected by said forward integration to cross the runway threshold.

45. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 37, where step (w) includes the step of decreasing or increasing a proposed new speed in said revised own-ship speed profile by a predetermined amount.

46. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 45, further comprising the step of adjusting a location of a deceleration point if step (w) fails to indicate that the own-ship is projected to cross the runway threshold in accordance with said at least one control parameter.

47. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 46, where said adjusted deceleration point is said final deceleration point.

48. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 47, where said control parameter is a minimum inter-arrival time at the runway threshold between successively arriving aircraft.

49. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 47, where said control parameter is a minimum spacing between adjacent aircraft throughout the final approach maneuver.

50. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 37, where said lead-ship information set and said own-ship information set are broadcast in accordance with Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) standards.

51. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 37, where said lead-ship state and said own-ship state are determined from information received from a global positioning satellite system.

52. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 37, where said lead-ship state and said own-ship state are determined from information received from airport instrumentation.

53. The method for conducting an aircraft through a final approach maneuver at a runway of an airport as recited in claim 37, where said lead-ship state and said own-ship state are determined from information received from aircraft instrumentation.