Incursion collision avoidance system for vehicle traffic control

• US 7,450,029 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• 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): Crosland; Donnie L
• Application Number:
  US11/107,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20060103550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/905
• US Class Current: 340/901
• 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 adapted to transmit 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 assist with avoiding collisions in a restricted movement area traversed by both airplanes and ground traffic vehicles that require clearance from an air traffic control tower before entering said restricted movement area, comprising:

a transmitter that generates a low-frequency warning signal having a frequency in the range from about 3 kHz to about 30 kHz,

a cable that is coupled to said transmitter and buried at a distance outside of a perimeter said restricted movement area traversed by both airplanes and ground traffic vehicles that include vehicles that require clearance from an air traffic control tower before entering said restricted movement area, said cable radiating said warning signal

a receiver in each of said vehicles, each of said receivers receiving said radiated warning signal in response to said respective vehicle passing over said buried cable and before said respective vehicle passes into said restricted movement area,

an alarm in each of said vehicles producing an advance warning in response to receipt of said warning signal by said receiver to alert a vehicle operator of said restricted movement area.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said receivers in said vehicles are single band-width receivers that are automatically tuned to the frequency of said low-frequency warning signal radiating from said buried cable.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said receiver includes a data voice recorder for recording events occurring in said receiver.

4. The system of claim 1, further including a controller to turn said transmitter on and off remotely.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter is battery powered.

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

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said warning signal receiver is connected to said electrical system by an electrical lighter socket in said vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said alarm generates an advance auditory warning when said warning signal is received by said receiver.

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

generating a low-frequency warning signal,

radiating said warning signal into a selected area traversed by said vehicles approaching one of said restricted movement area traversed by both airplanes and ground traffic vehicles that include vehicles that require clearance from an air traffic control tower before entering such restricted movement area, said warning signal being radiated from a cable buried around the perimeter of said selected area,

in response to one of said vehicles being proximate to said buried cable and before said one of said vehicles enters said restricted movement area, receiving said radiated warning signal with a receiver in said one of said vehicles, and

in response to receiving said radiated warning signal, alerting a vehicle operator of said restricted movement area with an advance warning alarm so that said vehicle operator can avoid said restricted movement area.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said receiver in said one of said vehicles is a single band-width receiver that is automatically tuned to the frequency of said low-frequency warning radiating from said buried cable.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the generation of said warning signal is powered by a battery.

12. The method of claim 9 including powering said warning signal receiver by an electrical system of said vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said alerting includes generating a visual advance warning alarm when said warning signal is received.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said visual advance warning alarm is presented on a rear-view mirror of the vehicle.

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

generating a low-frequency warning signal having a frequency in the range from about 3 kHz to about 30 kHz,

transmitting said warning signal through a buried inductive cable extending around at least a portion of a selected area traversed by said vehicles approaching one of said restricted movement areas, said warning signal radiating upwardly from the ground into said selected area so as to alert said vehicles of said one of said restricted movement areas,

in response to one of said vehicles being proximate to said buried inductive cable and before entering said one of said restricted movement areas, receiving said radiated warning signal in said one of said vehicles, and

activating an advance warning alarm in response to receiving said warning signal so as to alert the vehicle operator before said one of said vehicles enters said one of said restricted movement area.

16. The method of claim 15 further including recording said warning signal in a data voice recorder in said one of said vehicles.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said recording is stored in said data voice recorder for a predetermined period of time.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said advance warning alarm includes an auditory warning when said warning signal is received.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said advance warning alarm includes a visual warning when said warning signal is received.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said receiving occurs when said one of said vehicles passes directly over said buried inductive cable.