Surveillance and collision avoidance system with compound symbols

• US 6,744,396 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, Cyro A., Eich, Tom V., Ybarra, Kathryn W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US10/261,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20030137444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/961, 701/117-124, 701/300, 701/301, 342/36-51, 342/175-186, 342/195, 342/29-32
• US Class Current: 342/36
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A surveillance and collision avoidance system provides a presentation of situational awareness information for display that includes a compound symbol for each target spaced at a distance and bearing relative to a host symbol. The target compound symbol includes indicia of (a) whether the target is airborne or on the ground; (b) whether the target is a civil aircraft, a military aircraft identified as a formation member with the host aircraft, or a military aircraft not identified as a formation member with the host aircraft; (c) whether a ground track for the target is unknown, known by passive surveillance, or known by active surveillance; (d) for civil aircraft, whether the target is the subject of no advisory, a traffic advisory, or a resolution advisory; and (e) for a military aircraft, whether the target is the subject of no encroachment advisory, an unintended encroachment advisory, or an intended encroachment advisory. Subsystems selectively use an active or a passive mode of surveillance. In a passive mode, surveillance may rely on information received via a network among formation members and/or unsolicited received signals.

Claims

1. A method for forming a presentation for a host pilot'"'"'s situational awareness of a target, the method performed by a collision avoidance subsystem, the method comprising:

a step for tracking the target to provide tracking information;

a step for determining whether the target is a member of a formation; and

a step for determining a symbol for the target comprising first indicia of how the target is being tracked and second indicia of whether the target is a formation member, the symbol for presentation in accordance with the tracking information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second indicia is at least partially interior to the first indicia.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second indicia comprises a circle.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the circle appears opaque and filled.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first indicia comprises at least one of a square cross and a chevron.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step for tracking comprises a step for deriving an item of tracking information from a received ADS-B squitter.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step for tracking comprises a step for validating tracking information received in a passive mode with tracking information received in response to interrogation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step for determining whether the target is a member of a formation comprises a step for comparing an item of tracking information from a received ADS-B squitter with stored indicia of formation membership.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step for determining an encroachment advisory regarding the target from the tracking information, the encroachment advisory comprising a compound symbol, for presentation in place of the symbol, the compound symbol comprising the symbol and indicia of the encroachment advisory.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the indicia of encroachment advisory comprises a ring surrounding the symbol.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the indicia of encroachment advisory comprises a first color if the encroachment is deemed intentional and otherwise a second color.

12. A memory device comprising indicia of instructions for use by a processor to perform the method of claim 1.

13. An apparatus for collision avoidance comprising:

means for tracking a target to provide tracking information;

means for determining whether the target is a member of a formation; and

means for determining a symbol for the target comprising first indicia of how the target is being tracked and second indicia of whether the target is a formation member, the symbol for presentation in accordance with the tracking information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the second indicia is at least partially interior to the first indicia.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the second indicia comprises a circle.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the circle appears opaque and filled.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first indicia comprises at least one of a square cross and a chevron.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the means for tracking comprises a means for deriving an item of tracking information from a received ADS-B squitter.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the means for tracking comprises a means for validating tracking information received in a passive mode with tracking information received in response to interrogation.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising means for determining an encroachment advisory regarding the target from the tracking information, the encroachment advisory comprising a compound symbol, for presentation in place of the symbol, the compound symbol comprising the symbol and indicia of the encroachment advisory.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the indicia of encroachment advisory comprises a ring surrounding the symbol.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the indicia of encroachment advisory comprises a first color if the encroachment is deemed intentional and otherwise a second color.

23. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the means for determining whether the target is a member of a formation comprises means for comparing an item of tracking information from a received ADS-B squitter with stored indicia of formation membership.

24. A method for forming a presentation for a host pilot'"'"'s situational awareness of a target, the method performed by a collision avoidance subsystem, the method comprising:

tracking the target to provide tracking information;

determining whether the target is a member of a formation; and

determining a symbol for the target comprising first indicia of how the target is being tracked and second indicia of whether the target is a formation member, the symbol for presentation in accordance with the tracking information.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the second indicia is at least partially interior to the first indicia.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the second indicia comprises a circle.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the circle appears opaque and filled.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the first indicia comprises at least one of a square cross and a chevron.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein tracking comprises deriving an item of tracking information from a received ADS-B squitter.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein tracking comprises validating tracking information received in a passive mode with tracking information received in response to interrogation.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein determining whether the target is a member of a formation comprises comparing an item of tracking information from a received ADS-B squitter with stored indicia of formation membership.

32. The method of claim 24 further comprising determining an encroachment advisory regarding the target from the tracking information, the encroachment advisory comprising a compound symbol, for presentation in place of the symbol, the compound symbol comprising the symbol and indicia of the encroachment advisory.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the indicia of encroachment advisory comprises a ring surrounding the symbol.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the indicia of encroachment advisory comprises a first color if the encroachment is deemed intentional and otherwise a second color.

35. A memory device comprising indicia of instructions for use by a processor to perform the method of claim 24.

36. An apparatus for collision avoidance comprising:

a receiver; and

a processor coupled to the receiver to track a target and to determine tracking information in accordance with received signals, wherein the processor determines whether the target is a member of a formation, and determines a symbol for the target comprising first indicia of how the target is being tracked and second indicia of whether the target is a formation member, the symbol for presentation in accordance with the tracking information.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the second indicia is at least partially interior to the first indicia.

38. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the second indicia comprises a circle.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the circle appears opaque and filled.

40. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the first indicia comprises at least one of a square cross and a chevron.

41. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the processor determines tracking information in accordance with a received ADS-B squitter.

42. The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising an interrogator, wherein the processor validates tracking information received in a passive mode with tracking information received in response to interrogation.

43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein the processor determines an encroachment advisory regarding the target from the tracking information, the encroachment advisory comprising a compound symbol, for presentation in place of the symbol, the compound symbol comprising the symbol and indicia of the encroachment advisory.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the indicia of encroachment advisory comprises a ring surrounding the symbol.

45. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the indicia of encroachment advisory comprises a first color if the encroachment is deemed intentional and otherwise a second color.

46. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the processor compares an item of tracking information from a received ADS-B squitter with stored indicia of formation membership.