Incursion collision avoidance system for vehicle traffic control

• US 7,414,545 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George Vickas
• Original Assignee: George Vickas
• Inventors: Vickas, George
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US10/990,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/902, 340/903, 340/904, 340/905, 340/932.2, 340/933, 340/945, 340/948, 340/960, 340/988, 340/995.13, 340/953, 340/907, 340/947, 701/35
• US Class Current: 340/953
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A system to identify junctions of restricted areas to approaching vehicles, including at least one warning signal generator, at least one antenna coupled to the generator transmitting the warning signal into areas traversed by the vehicles approaching the restricted areas, a receiver in each of the vehicles receiving the transmitted warning signals when the vehicle approaches one of the restricted areas, and an alarm responsive to the warning signal, which produces an alarm signal detectable by a vehicle operator.

Claims

1. An airport incursion collision avoidance system to avoid collisions in a restricted movement area that includes an airport runway, said restricted movement area being traversed by both airplanes and ground traffic vehicles that require clearance from an air traffic control tower before entering such restricted movement areas, comprising;

a transmitter that generates a low-frequency warning signal,

a controller coupled to said transmitter for switching said transmitter between an on-state and an off-state based on an operational state of said airport runway,

an antenna in communication with said transmitter to transmit said warning signal into areas traversed by said vehicles approaching said restricted movement area when said transmitter is in said on-state, said antenna including an inductive cable buried in the ground, said inductive cable being at a known distance outside of said restricted movement area, said low-frequency warning signal being continuously radiated from said inductive cable during said on-state, and

a receiver in each of said vehicles to receive said transmitted warning signals when said vehicle approaches one of said restricted movement areas, said receiver further including an advance warning alarm that is responsive to said warning signal to alert the vehicle operator of said restricted movement area before said vehicle enters said restricted movement area.

2. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said restricted movement area includes a junction and said antenna is located adjacent to said junction.

3. The warning system of claim 1 further including a warning signal generator that is battery powered to provide power to said transmitter.

4. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said warning signal receiver is powered by an electrical system of said vehicle.

5. The warning system of claim 4 wherein said warning signal receiver is connected to said electrical system by an electrical lighter socket in the vehicle.

6. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said receiver generates a digitized auditory warning message.

7. The warning system of claim 6 wherein said receiver comprises a mute button adapted to suppress said auditory warning message for a period of time.

8. The warning system of claim 7 wherein the period of time is predetermined.

9. The warning system of claim 7 wherein the period of time is as long as the warning signal is detected.

30. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said controller is located remotely from said transmitter.

31. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter is powered by a combination of solar power and battery power.

32. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said receiver initially receives said warning signal when said vehicle is within 60 feet to 90 feet of said inductive cable.

33. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said receiver initially receives said warning signal when said vehicle is within 2 feet to 5 feet of said inductive cable.

10. A method of avoiding collisions in a restricted movement areas area traversed by both airplanes and ground traffic vehicles that require clearance from an air traffic control tower before entering such restricted movement area, said restricted movement area containing an airport runway, said method comprising:

in response to said airport runway being in an operational state, continuously generating a warning signal from a cable buried within the ground,

radiating said warning signal upwardly from said ground and into a selected area traversed by said vehicles approaching said restricted movement area, said selected area being outside of said restricted movement area,

receiving said radiated warning signal in each of said vehicles before said vehicle enters said restricted movement area, and

alerting the vehicle operator of said restricted movement area in response to said warning signal being received and before said vehicle enters said restricted movement area, said alerting including activating an advance warning alarm.

11. The method of claim 10 including transmitting said warning signal at a junction in said restricted movement area.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said generating includes powering a generator of said warning signal by a battery.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the receiving includes powering the receiving of said warning signal by the electrical system of said vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said advance warning alarm is an auditory alarm in said vehicle and further including generating said auditory warning when said warning signal is received in said vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said advance warning alarm includes a digitized auditory warning in said vehicle and further including generating said digitized auditory warning when said warning signal is received.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein said advance warning alarm includes a visual warning in said vehicle and further including generating said visual warning of patterned, flashing lights when said warning signal is received.

17. The method of claim 15 including suppressing the production of said auditory warning signal when said warning signal is detected.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the production of said auditory warning is suppressed for a predetermined time period.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the production of said auditory warning is suppressed as long as the warning signal is detected.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein said vehicle includes a receiver with a receiving sensor and an alarm module, said receiver receiving said radiated warning signal.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said alarm module includes flashing lights.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said alarm module includes an LED in said rear-view mirror.

23. The method of claim 10 wherein said buried cable is an inductive cable that extends around the entire restricted movement area.

24. The method of claim 10 wherein said buried cable is an inductive cable that extends around an entire junction in said restricted movement area.

25. The method of claim 10 wherein said buried cable comprises a plurality of buried inductive cable loops around each side of a junction in said restricted movement area.

26. The method of claim 10, wherein said generating includes controlling an on/off state of said warning signal from a remote location in said airport.

27. The method of claim 26, further including turning off said warning signal in response to said airport runway being in a non-operational state.

28. The method of claim 10, wherein said receiving initially occurs when said vehicle is within 60 feet to 90 feet of said buried cable.

29. The method of claim 10, wherein said receiving initially occurs when said vehicle is within 2 feet to 5 feet of said buried cable.