Merging and spacing speed target calculation

• US 7,912,593 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ridenour, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/732,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20080243314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/4, 701/5, 701/7, 701/10, 701/16, 701/18, 701/300, 701/120, 701/122, 244/183, 244/191, 340/947, 340/951, 340/952, 340/979, 348/117, 348/143, 342/29, 342/30, 342/37
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, computer programs, and apparatus for adjusting a speed target of an aircraft. In particular, the adjustment of the speed target of the aircraft may allow that aircraft to maintain merging and spacing constraints with respect to a leading aircraft. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the speed target of an aircraft may be adjusted by obtaining a speed target, obtaining own ship track data for the aircraft, obtaining lead ship track data for a leading aircraft, and calculating a speed target adjustment based on the speed target, the own ship track data, the lead ship track data and merging and spacing constraints.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a speed target of an aircraft, the method comprising:

obtaining a speed target;

obtaining own ship track data for the aircraft;

obtaining lead ship track data for a leading aircraft; and

calculating a speed target adjustment based on the speed target, the own ship track data, the lead ship track data and merging and spacing constraints.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of the speed target adjustment is limited based on at least one of the speed target, own ship distance to destination, own ship speed, own ship altitude, lead ship distance to destination, lead ship speed, and lead ship altitude.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding the speed target adjustment to the speed target to form a merging and spacing speed target.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising reporting the merging and spacing speed target to a pilot of the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding the speed target adjustment to the speed target to form a merging and spacing speed target if it is determined that the speed target adjustment is greater than a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the flight characteristics of the aircraft to achieve the speed target adjustment.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the speed target is obtained from a flight management system resident on the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the lead ship track data is received from the leading aircraft via ADS-B squitters.

9. A computer-executable program stored on a computer-readable medium, the program for adjusting a speed target of an aircraft, the program comprising:

code for obtaining a speed target;

code for obtaining own ship track data for the aircraft;

code for obtaining lead ship track data for a leading aircraft; and

calculating code for calculating a speed target adjustment based on the speed target, the own ship track data, the lead ship track data, and merging and spacing constraints.

10. The program of claim 9 wherein the value of the speed target adjustment is limited based on at least one of the speed target, own ship distance to destination, own ship speed, own ship altitude, lead ship distance to destination, lead ship speed, and lead ship altitude.

11. The program of claim 9 further comprising code for adding the speed target adjustment to the speed target to form a merging and spacing speed target.

12. The program of claim 11 further comprising code for reporting the merging and spacing speed target to a pilot of the aircraft.

13. The program of claim 9 further comprising code for adding the speed target adjustment to the speed target to form a merging and spacing speed target if it is determined that the speed target adjustment is greater than a predetermined threshold.

14. The program of claim 9 further comprising code for adjusting the flight characteristics of the aircraft to achieve the speed target adjustment.

15. The program of claim 9 wherein the speed target is obtained from a flight management system resident on the aircraft.

16. The program of claim 9 wherein the lead ship track data is received from the leading aircraft via ADS-B squitters.

17. An apparatus for adjusting a speed target of an aircraft, the apparatus comprising:

a microprocessor and computer-readable memory containing a computer program for;

obtaining a speed target;

obtaining own ship track data for the aircraft;

obtaining lead ship track data for a leading aircraft; and

calculating a speed target adjustment based on the speed target, the own ship track data, the lead ship track data, and merging and spacing constraints.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the value of the speed target adjustment is limited based on at least one of the speed target, own ship distance to destination, own ship speed, own ship altitude, lead ship distance to destination, lead ship speed, and lead ship altitude.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the computer program further performs adding the speed target adjustment to the speed target to form a merging and spacing speed target.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the computer program further performs reporting the merging and spacing speed target to a pilot of the aircraft.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the computer program further performs adding the speed target adjustment to the speed target to form a merging and spacing speed target if it is determined that the speed target adjustment is greater than a predetermined threshold.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the computer program further performs adjusting the flight characteristics of the aircraft to achieve the speed target adjustment.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the speed target is obtained from a flight management system resident on the aircraft.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the lead ship track data is received from the leading aircraft via ADS-B squitters.