Formation surveillance and collision avoidance

• US 6,911,936 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stayton, Greg T., Troxel, James R., Ybarra, Kathryn W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US10/722,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20040174295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 342 29- 51, 342175-186, 342/195, 34235701-35717, 340/945, 340/961, 340971-980, 701/200, 701/300, 701/301, 701/302, 701/117
• US Class Current: 342/182
• 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 display system is disclosed for displaying air traffic symbology from a plurality of different types of air traffic surveillance systems on a single monitor. A display device includes a processor for generating display symbology from TCAS, SKE and ADS-B information, and a monitor for displaying the generated symbology in a uniform format.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying air traffic symbology, the apparatus comprising:

an interface that receives a first signal;

a memory that includes indicia of symbology for display;

a processor that provides a second signal in accordance with the indicia of symbology selected in accordance with the first signal; and

a monitor, responsive to the processor, that displays a presentation in accordance with the second signal, the presentation comprising;

(1) a first symbol for a proximate formation aircraft; and

(2) a second symbol for a proximate non-formation aircraft, wherein the first symbol differs in appearance from the second symbol.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 adapted for receiving the first signal from a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).

3. The apparatus of claim 1 adapted for receiving the first signal from a Station Keeping Equipment.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 adapted for receiving the first signal from time to time from each of a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and a Station Keeping Equipment.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the presentation associates at least one of the first symbol and the second symbol with a respective type of surveillance equipment operating on board the respective aircraft.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the type corresponds to at least one of:

station keeping equipment only, station keeping equipment with transponder, and transponder only.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the presentation further comprises for each symbol indicia of identification of the corresponding aircraft.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the presentation associates at least one of the first symbol and the second symbol with a respective type of surveillance equipment operating on board the respective aircraft;

the presentation further comprises for each symbol indicia of identification of the corresponding aircraft; and

the indicia of identification is presented in a same format for each type.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the presentation further associates with at least one of the first symbol and the second symbol at least one of a velocity vector, a cross track error, and an acceleration.