Simplified flight track display system

• US 6,992,596 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PASSUR Aerospace, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Megadata
• Inventors: Cole, James, Dunsky, Ron, Marcella, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/408,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/947, 340/951, 340/953, 340/954, 340/961, 340/964, 340/967, 340/971, 340/963, 340/973, 342/26.R, 342/29, 342/180, 701/3
• US Class Current: 340/971
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• 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

A system, comprising a data receiving arrangement to receive target data points from a data feed arrangement, each target data point including data corresponding to a location of a target aircraft and additional information on the target aircraft, a data analyzing arrangement to analyze the target data points and store each target data point in a target flight record, the target flight record corresponding to the target aircraft a data generation arrangement to generate a flight track for the target aircraft using the data stored in the target flight record and a data distribution arrangement to organize the flight track and the additional information into a displayable file and distribute the file to users of the system, wherein the displayable file is displayed on a single graphical user interface including the flight track and the additional information.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a data receiving arrangement to receive target data points from a data feed arrangement, each target data point including data corresponding to a location of a target aircraft and additional information on the target aircraft;

a data analyzing arrangement to analyze the target data points and store each target data point in a target flight record, the target flight record corresponding to the target aircraft;

a data generation arrangement to generate a flight track for the target aircraft using the data stored in the target flight record;

a data distribution arrangement to organize the flight track and the additional information into a displayable file and distribute the file to users of the system, wherein the displayable file is displayed on a single graphical user interface including the flight track and the additional information;

wherein the data generation arrangement updates the flight track when a new target data point is stored for the target aircraft during a flight of the target aircraft; and

wherein the data distribution arrangement updates the displayable file each time the data generation arrangement updates the flight track during the flight of the target aircraft.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the displayable file further includes a map portion, the flight tracks being overlayed on the map portion.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein a zoom level of the map is adjustable by a user.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the center location of the map is adjustable by a user.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the additional information includes one of a track identification, a time, an altitude, an x-velocity component, a y-velocity component, a z-velocity component, an airspeed, a flight number, an airline, and an aircraft type.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data distribution arrangement includes a web server to distribute the displayable file.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data generation arrangement includes a smoothing element to smooth the flight track to avoid an abrupt position change within the flight track.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the displayed flight track includes an aircraft icon and a tail.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the aircraft icon is color coded to indicate a status of the target aircraft.

10. A method, comprising the steps of:

collecting target data points corresponding to data for target aircrafts;

storing each of the target data points in a target flight record, wherein each target flight record corresponds to one target aircraft and each target data point includes data corresponding to a location of the one target aircraft and additional information on the one target aircraft;

creating flight tracks from each of the target flight records;

creating a displayable file including the flight tracks and the additional information, wherein the displayable file is displayable on a single graphical user interface;

updating the flight track of the one target aircraft as new target data points are stored in the target flight record corresponding to the one target aircraft; and

creating a new displayable file including the undated flight track of the one target aircraft.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

distributing the displayable file to users.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the displayable file is distributed via a web server.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

creating a new target flight record when a collected target data point corresponds to a previously undetected target aircraft.

14. A system, comprising:

a system server collecting target data points corresponding to data for target aircrafts, storing each of the target data points in a target flight record, wherein each target flight record corresponds to one target aircraft and each target data point includes data corresponding to a location of the one target aircraft and additional information on the one target aircraft, creating flight tracks from each of the target flight records and creating a displayable file including the flight track and the additional information, wherein the displayable file is displayable on a single graphical user interface,wherein the system server updates the flight record of the one target aircraft during the flight of the one target aircraft; and

a web server to distribute the displayable file to users of the system.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the displayable file is distributed via a communication network.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the communication network is the Internet.

17. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a data feed arrangement sending the target data points to the system server.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the target data points are collected by receiving a serial stream via a one way socket connection.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein the system server updates the displayable file upon collection of each new target data point and the web server automatically distributes the updated displayable file to the users.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein the web server distributes the displayable file to the users with a ten minute delay from the receipt of the target data points.

21. The system according to claim 14, wherein a user selects a previously saved time frame for which the displayable file is replayed.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the displayable file is fast forward updated when a user selects a saved time frame.