Platform position location and control

• US 7,136,016 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Swensen, Marvin D., Himes, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/130,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 342/450, 342/453, 342/455, 701/117, 701/120
• US Class Current: 342/455
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining and tracking the geodetic position of a mobile platform (i.e., aircraft). The apparatus comprises a ground controller assigned to a geographic space (i.e., an airspace) and at least one mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) communicating with the ground controller on a bi-directional communications link, wherein each mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) transmits a mobile platform (i.e., an aircraft) signal comprising at least a time of transmission of the mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) signal; the ground controller transmits a ground signal comprising at least a time of transmission of the ground signal and a location of the ground controller; each mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) performs time-of-arrival (TOA) measurements on the mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) signals received by that mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) and also performs TOA measurements on the ground signal received by that mobile platform (i.e., aircraft); the ground controller performs TOA measurements on each of the mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) signals received by the ground controller; each mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) determines a range (i.e., an air range) between that mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) and other mobile platforms (i.e., aircraft) and a ground range between that mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) and the ground controller; each mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) determines its geodetic position based on at least the ranges (i.e., air ranges) and ground range for that mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) and the position of the ground controller.

Claims

1. A mobile platform tracking and collision avoidance system, comprising:

a ground controller assigned to a geographic space; and

at least one mobile platform communicating with the ground controller on a bi-directional communications link, wherein

each mobile platform transmits a mobile platform signal comprising at least a time of transmission of the mobile platform signal;

the ground controller transmits a ground signal comprising at least a time of transmission of the ground signal and a location of the ground controller;

each mobile platform performs time-of-arrival (TOA) measurements on the mobile platform signals received by that mobile platform and also performs TOA measurements on the ground signal received by that mobile platform;

the ground controller performs TOA measurements on each of the mobile platform signals received by the ground controller;

each mobile platform determines an air range between a first mobile platform and another mobile platform and a ground range between the first mobile platform and the ground controller;

each mobile platform determines a geodetic position based on at least the air ranges and ground range for the first mobile platform and the position of the ground controller; and

the ground controller monitors each of the mobile platforms within the geographic space to warn each of the mobile platforms about possible collisions between mobile platforms.

2. The mobile platform tracking and collision avoidance system of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional ground controller, each additional ground controller assigned to a separate geographic space.

3. The mobile platform tracking and collision avoidance system of claim 2, further comprising at least one transition zone, wherein the transition zone comprises the overlap of at least two of the geographic spaces.

4. The mobile platform tracking and collision avoidance system of claim 3, wherein when the mobile platform is in the transition zone, the mobile platform sends and receives signals from more than one ground controller.

5. The mobile platform tracking and collision avoidance system of claim 4, wherein the more than one ground controller sends additional signals between the more than one ground controllers.

6. The mobile platform tracking and collision avoidance system of claim 5, wherein each ground controller transmits on a different frequency.

7. The mobile platform tracking and collision avoidance system of claim 6, wherein each ground controller assigns transmission slots to each mobile platform operating in that ground controller'"'"'s respective geographic space in a Time Domain Multiple Access (TDMA) communications system.

8. The mobile platform tracking and collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform signals further comprise identification data for identifying the transmitting mobile platform.

9. The mobile platform tracking and collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein each mobile platform transmits, as part of each mobile platform'"'"'s signals, air range calculations performed by each respective mobile platform.

10. A method for determining geodetic position of a mobile platform, comprising:

sending a first ground signal from a first ground controller to at least one mobile platform operating in a geographic space, the ground signal comprising a time of transmission of the first ground signal and a location of the first ground controller;

sending an air signal from each mobile platform operating in the geographic space, each air signal comprising a time of transmission of the respective signal;

wherein

each mobile platform determining an air range between a first mobile platform and another mobile platform using at least one Time-Of-Arrival (TOA) measurement, and a ground range between the first mobile platform and the first ground controller using at least one TOA measurement; and

each mobile platform determining a geodetic position based on at least the air ranges and ground range for the first mobile platform and the position of the first ground controller.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending a second ground signal from a second ground controller to mobile platforms operating in a transition zone between the ground controller and the second another ground controller.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending additional signals between the ground controllers and the second ground controller.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the ground controller transmits on a first frequency and the second ground controller transmits on a second frequency.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each ground controller assigns transmission slots to each mobile platform operating in that ground controller'"'"'s respective geographic space in a Time Domain Multiple Access (TDMA) communications system.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile platform signals further comprise identification data for identifying the transmitting mobile platform.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein each mobile platform transmits, as part of each mobile platform signals, at least one air range calculation performed by each respective mobile platform.