Hybrid air collision avoidance system

• US 7,257,487 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Tran, My
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US11/337,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/961, 340/963, 701/14, 701/120, 701/301
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

A hybrid air collision avoidance system (HACAS) is an air collision avoidance system with extended existing air avoidance capabilities and incorporated with new hybrid capabilities to perform hybrid air collision prediction and hybrid air collision avoidance. This system works in collaboration with two other systems, hybrid ground collision avoidance system, and obstacle avoidance dispatcher and resolver module to form a bi-directional feedback network for processing and exchanging of verification and validation collision avoiding data. With the embedded hybrid prediction and avoidance processing capabilities, the system not only can refine air collision avoidance solution to eliminate any induced ground collision situation, but also provide verification for ground collision avoidance resolution in the air domain; and subsequent validate the final avoidance solution.

Claims

1. A method for providing a hybridized air collision avoidance solution for an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:

a) determining whether an air collision condition exists;

b) generating an air avoidance solution based on the air collision condition;

c) providing the generated air avoidance solution to a ground collision avoidance system;

d) validating the generated air avoidance solution and generating an induced ground collision condition by the ground collision avoidance system;

e) feeding back the induced ground collision condition to the air collision avoidance system from the ground collision avoidance system with; and

f) providing the hybridized air collision avoidance solution.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of continuously monitoring air collision conditions and ground collision conditions.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of repeating steps a) through f) for variations in the air collision conditions and the ground collision conditions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining comprises determining whether a predicted air collision condition and an induced air collision condition exists.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of re-planning the air avoidance solution if an induced ground collision condition exists.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of sending the re-planned air collision condition to provide a suggested modification to the ground collision avoidance system.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of validating the suggested modification by the ground collision avoidance system.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of modifying the generated air collision avoidance solution based on the suggested modification from the ground collision avoidance system.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the generated air avoidance solution comprises solution supportive data.

10. An apparatus for providing a hybridized air collision avoidance solution for an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:

a hybrid air collision predictor for determining whether an air collision condition exists and for generating an air avoidance solution based on the air collision condition;

a hybrid ground collision avoidance system for validating the generated air avoidance solution and generating an induced ground collision condition by the hybrid ground collision avoidance system;

a feedback loop for providing feedback from the ground collision avoidance system with the induced ground collision condition to the hybrid air collision avoidance system; and

an output for providing the hybridized air collision avoidance solution.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a monitor for continuously monitoring air collision conditions and ground collision conditions.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising an updated output for variations in the air collision conditions and the ground collision conditions.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the air collision condition comprises a predicted air collision condition and an induced air collision condition.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a re-planner for re-planning the air avoidance solution if an induced ground collision condition exists.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a transmitter for sending the re-planned air collision condition to the air collision avoidance system for providing a suggested modification to the ground collision avoidance system.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a validator for validating the suggested modification by the ground collision avoidance system.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said hybrid air collision avoidance system comprises a generator for generating suggestive modification to the ground collision avoidance solution to remove an induced air collision condition.