Methods and apparatus to contact aircraft

• US 7,619,555 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Rolfe, Eric G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bythrow; Peter M
• Application Number:
  US11/940,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 342 29- 51, 340945-947, 701/14
• US Class Current: 342/29
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to alert a pilot in an aircraft of certain conditions, such as airspace violations. In one embodiments a system uniquely identifies aircraft and send a message to alert the pilot to contact air traffic control on a selected frequency.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving identifying information in an ADS-B message for an aircraft;

assigning a unique identity to an aircraft based upon the received ADS-B identifying information;

broadcasting a message containing the unique identify of the aircraft and an alert signal to alert a pilot of the aircraft to contact a designated entity over a selected frequency after detection of a temporary flight restriction (TFR) airspace violation by the aircraft.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including receiving contact from the aircraft in response to the step of broadcasting the message.

3. The method according to claim 2, further including providing directions to the aircraft to terminate the airspace violation.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the broadcast message includes a CF code from a TIS-B message format.

5. The method according to claim 1, further including performing a threat assessment of the aircraft.

6. The method according to claim 5, further including evaluating broadcast information from the aircraft in view of radar surveillance information for the aircraft.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected frequency is the emergency radio frequency.

8. A method, comprising:

broadcasting identifying information for an aircraft by the aircraft to enable a ground station to assign a unique identity to an aircraft based upon the received identifying information;

receiving message broadcast by the ground station containing the unique identify of the aircraft to alert a pilot of the aircraft to contact a designated entity over a selected frequency after a temporary flight restriction (TFR) violation by the aircraft.

9. The method according to claim 8, further including sending a message in response to receiving the message from the ground station.

10. The method according to claim 9, further including receiving directions for terminating the airspace violation.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the selected frequency is the emergency radio frequency.

12. A system, comprising:

an ID module to store unique identifying information received from aircraft;

an interface module to communicate with the aircraft; and

a threat assessment module to generate a message for broadcast containing a unique identify of a first one of the aircraft in airspace violation to alert a pilot of the aircraft to contact a designated entity over a selected frequency.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the airspace violation is a flight restriction.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the message includes directions to the aircraft to terminate the airspace violation.