Seamless air traffic control (ATC) datalink transfers

• US 7,647,139 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Sandell, Gordon R., Lee, Stephen Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diacou; Ari M
• Application Number:
  US11/552,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20070126621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/120
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically transferring control from one air traffic control (ATC) center that uses one ATC data link standard to another ATC center that uses a different ATC data link standard are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a receiver component configured to receive at least a new air traffic control center designation message from an original air traffic control center through an active connection, an identifier component configured to determine a data link standard of a new air traffic control center from the message, a logon component to log the aircraft into the new center. The system further includes a connection component to establish an inactive connection with the new air traffic control center, a confirmation component to confirm the inactive connection, and a switch component to terminate the active connection and activate the inactive connection.

Claims

1. A system for transferring control over an aircraft, comprising:

a receiver component configured to receive at least a new air traffic control center designation message from an original air traffic control center through an active connection, wherein the active connection is based on a first data link standard;

an identifier component configured to determine a second data link standard of the new air traffic control center from at least the new air traffic control center designation message;

a logon component configured to log the aircraft into the new air traffic control center;

a connection component configured to establish an inactive connection between the new air traffic control center and the aircraft upon a connection request, wherein the inactive connection is based on a second data link standard;

a confirmation component configured to provide a confirmation of an inactive connection to the new air traffic control center; and

a switch component configured to terminate the active connection between the original air traffic control center and the aircraft upon a request from the original air traffic control center,

wherein the first data link standard is one of a Future Air Navigation System (FANS) standard and an Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) standard, and wherein the second data link standard is one of a FANS standard and an ATN standard.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch component is further configured to activate the inactive connection between the aircraft and the new air traffic control center upon termination of the active connection between the original air traffic control center and the aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver component is further configured to receive an Airway Facilities Notification (AFN) Contact Advisory message and a Context Management (CM) Contact Request message, and wherein the identifier component is further configured to determine a second data link standard from one of the AFN Contact Advisory message and the CM Contact Request message.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the logon component is further configured to log the aircraft on to the new air traffic control center by one of performing an Airway Facilities Notification (AFN) logon when prompted by a Context Management (CM) contact process and performing a CM logon when prompted by an AFN contact advisory process.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein in the logon component is further configured to log the aircraft into the new air traffic control center by using one of a Context Management (CM) contact process and an Airway Facilities Notification (AFN) contact advisory process.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second data link standard is the Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) standard, and wherein the switch component is configured is further to send a message confirming an active ATN connection from the aircraft to the new air traffic control center upon the activation of the inactive connection between the aircraft and the new air traffic control center.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the logon component is further configured to determine an address for the new air traffic control center from a database if the second data link standard is an Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) standard.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the new air traffic control center is configured to connect to the original traffic control center by one of an Airway Facilities Notification (AFN) contact advisory process to receive an indication that control transfer may proceed, and a Context Management (CM) contact process to receive an indication that control transfer may proceed.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the new air traffic control center is configured to initiate a connection request for establishing an inactive connection to the aircraft based one of the Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) data link standard and the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) data link standard.

10. An aircraft, comprising:

a system for transferring control over the aircraft, comprising;

a receiver component configured to receive at least a new air traffic control center designation message from an original air traffic control center through an active connection, wherein the active connection is based on a first data link standard;

an identifier component configured to determine a second data link standard of the new air traffic control center from at least the new air traffic control center designation message;

a logon component configured to log the aircraft into the new air traffic control center;

a connection component configured to establish an inactive connection between the new air traffic control center and the aircraft upon a connection request, wherein the inactive connection is based on a second data link standard;

a confirmation component configured to provide a confirmation of an inactive connection to the new air traffic control center; and

a switch component configured to terminate the active connection between the original air traffic control center and the aircraft upon a request from the original air traffic control center;

wherein the first data link standard is one of a Future Air Navigation System (FANS) standard and an Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) standard, and wherein the second data link standard is one of the FANS standard and the ATN standard.

11. The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the switch component is further configured to activate the inactive connection between the aircraft and the new air traffic control center upon termination of the active connection between the original air traffic control center and the aircraft.

12. The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the receiver component is further configured to receive an Airway Facilities Notification (AFN) Contact Advisory message and a Context Management (CM) Contact Request message, and wherein the identifier component is further configured to determine a second data link standard from one of the AFN Contact Advisory message and the CM Contact Request message.

13. The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the logon component is further configured to log the aircraft on to the new air traffic control center by one of performing an Airway Facilities Notification (AFN) logon when prompted by a Context Management (CM) contact process and performing a CM logon when prompted by an AFN contact advisory process.