Correlation of flight track data with other data sources

• US 6,885,340 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SRA International, Inc. (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rannoch Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Alexander E., Cohen, Bennett
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US10/457,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 342/455, 342/456, 342/465, 701/1, 701/14, 701/15
• US Class Current: 342/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/781 Secondary Surveillance Radar [SSR] in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• 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

The surveillance system provides a means to augment Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) with “look alike ADS-B” or “pseudo ADS-B” surveillance transmissions for aircraft which may not be ADS-B equipped. The system uses ground based surveillance to determine the position of aircraft not equipped with ADS-B, then broadcasts the identification/positional information over the ADS-B data link. ADS-B equipped aircraft broadcast their own position over the ADS-B data link. The system enables aircraft equipped with ADS-B and Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) to obtain surveillance information on all aircraft whether or not the proximate aircraft are equipped with ADS-B.

Claims

1. A method of determining aircraft noise, comprising the steps of:

receiving an ACARS signal from an aircraft, the ACARS signal including aircraft weight data;

calculating aircraft thrust from the aircraft weight data; and

calculating the amount of noise generated by the aircraft from the calculated aircraft thrust.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining aircraft flight track,

wherein said step of calculating aircraft thrust comprises the step of calculating aircraft thrust from aircraft weight and aircraft flight track.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ACARS signal includes aircraft identification information, said method further including the steps of:

determining aircraft type from the aircraft identification information, and

determining aircraft engine type from the aircraft identification information,

wherein said step of calculating aircraft thrust further comprises the step of calculating aircraft thrust from aircraft weight, aircraft type, aircraft engine type, and flight track.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of determining aircraft flight track includes at least one of multilateration and radar.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the aircraft weight data includes at least one of actual takeoff weight, fuel weight, and number of passengers.

6. A system of determining aircraft noise, comprising:

means for receiving an ACARS signal from an aircraft, the ACARS signal comprising aircraft weight data;

means for calculating aircraft thrust from the aircraft weight data; and

means for calculating the amount of noise generated by the aircraft from the calculated aircraft thrust.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for determining aircraft flight track,

wherein said means for calculating aircraft thrust comprises means for calculating aircraft thrust from aircraft weight and aircraft flight track.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the ACARS signal includes aircraft identification information, said system further comprising:

means for determining aircraft type from the aircraft identification information; and

means for determining aircraft engine type from the aircraft identification information,

wherein said means for calculating aircraft thrust further comprises the means for calculating aircraft thrust from aircraft weight, aircraft type, aircraft engine type, and flight track.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said means for determining aircraft flight track includes at least one of multilateration and radar.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the aircraft weight data includes at least one of actual takeoff weight, fuel weight, and number of passengers.