Procedure to minimize the risk of air collision for personal mid-air vehicles

• US 7,389,163 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Colich, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Shelley
• Application Number:
  US11/061,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 342 29- 32, 342 36- 40, 701 3- 9, 701/14, 340/961, 340/963, 340/967, 340969-970, 244180-182
• US Class Current: 701/8
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 for taking-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A method of and a system for controlling personal air vehicle (PAV) traffic provides a take-off-and-landing zone, and a forward flight zone. The take-off-and-landing zone may be from the ground up to a first altitude. The forward flight zone may be from the first altitude up to a second altitude. A maximum airspeed is provided in the take-off-and-landing zone. Minimum and maximum airspeeds are provided in the forward flight zone. In the forward flight zone there is a single heading for each altitude. Any change in heading must be accompanied by a change in altitude.

Claims

1. A flight control system for a personal air vehicle to be flown by a person at altitudes below general aviation traffic without the assistance of air traffic controllers, which comprises:

an altitude sensor;

a heading sensor;

a processor coupled to said altitude sensor and said heading sensor, said processor being programmed with personal air vehicle flight control rules to fly said personal air vehicle at altitudes below general aviation traffic without the assistance of air traffic controllers, said flight control rules including a minimum forward flight altitude selected to substantially avoid ground objects and a maximum forward flight altitude selected to substantially be below general aviation traffic, said flight control rules further requiring, in order to avoid a collision with other personal air vehicles, a change in altitude of the personal vehicle if there is a heading change of the personal vehicle and a reduction in airspeed of the personal vehicle if a heading change of the personal vehicle is greater than a pre-determined heading change; and

,

a display coupled to said processor.

2. The flight control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flight control rules include:

a mandatory heading for each altitude between said minimum forward flight altitude and said maximum forward flight altitude.

3. The flight control system as claimed in claim 1, including:

an airspeed sensor coupled to said processor; and

,

said flight control rules include a minimum airspeed and a maximum airspeed between said minimum forward flight altitude and said maximum forward flight altitude.

4. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said processor includes:

means for computing an assigned altitude for a current heading.

5. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said processor includes:

means for computing an assigned altitude for a proposed heading.

6. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, including an alarm.

7. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said processor includes means for actuating an alarm when airspeed measured by an airspeed sensor is less than a minimum airspeed.

8. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said processor includes means for actuating an alarm when airspeed measured by an airspeed sensor is greater than a maximum airspeed.

9. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said processor includes means for actuating an alarm when altitude measured by said altitude sensor is less than an assigned altitude for a heading measured by said heading sensor.

10. The flight control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said processor includes means for actuating an alarm when altitude measured by said altitude sensor is greater than an assigned altitude for a heading measured by said heading sensor.

11. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, including:

a transmitter coupled to said processor; and

,

wherein said processor includes means for actuating said transmitter in response to a heading change.

12. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said minimum forward flight altitude is substantially 200 feet above a ground surface.

13. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said maximum forward flight altitude is substantially 1000 feet above a ground surface.

14. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said minimum forward flight altitude is substantially 200 feet above a ground surface and said maximum forward flight altitude is substantially 1000 feet above a ground surface.

15. The flight control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ground objects comprise buildings, trees, and towers.