Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) network infrastructure, ground station and situation display software deployment and evaluation activity

• US 7,961,136 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARINC Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ARINC Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Cooper, James Gary Jr., Stefani, Rolf R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brainard; Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US12/421,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20100103022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 342/30
• US Class Current: 342/36
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station

Abstract

A method and system that receives and processes ADS-B data from one or more aircraft is disclosed. The system may include one or more ground stations that receives data from one or more aircraft and converts the received aircraft ADS-B data to XML format, determines the lowest cost communication mode available, and transmits the XML data over TCP/IP to an aircraft data server. The aircraft data server receives the aircraft ADS-B data in XML format from the one or more ground stations, processes the received ADS-B data to extract aircraft data and eliminate duplicate aircraft data; determines aircraft data missing from the processed aircraft data, receives supplemental aircraft data from other sources to provide aircraft data missing from the processed aircraft data, and outputs the processed aircraft data and the received supplemental aircraft data to one or more processing devices for processing and display.

Claims

1. A method of receiving data from one or more aircraft at a ground station, comprising:

receiving ADS-B data from one or more aircraft using a communications receiver, the communications receiver receiving communications from at least one of 1090 MHz and 978 MHz frequencies;

converting the received aircraft ADS-B data to XML format;

determining the lowest cost communication mode available, wherein the lowest cost available communication mode is determined from one of the Internet, private network, cellular data network, and satellite network and is determined based on at least one of operability, availability, bandwidth available, and expense; and

transmitting the XML data over TCP/IP to an aircraft data server through a communication interface using the lowest cost communication mode available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ground station is portable.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft data is at least one of date and time, call sign, latitude, longitude, altitude, airspeed, status, registration number, vertical rate, track, ground speed, and transponder mode and code.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a status report indicating that the ground station is operating.

5. A ground station that receives data from one or more aircraft, comprising:

a communication interface that facilitates communications through one or more communications networks;

a communications receiver that receives ADS-B data from one or more aircraft, the communications receiver receiving communications from at least one of 1090 MHz and 978 MHz frequencies; and

an aircraft data processing module that converts the received aircraft ADS-B data to XML format, determines the lowest cost communication mode available, and transmits the XML data over TCP/IP to an aircraft data server through the communication interface using the lowest cost communication mode available,

wherein the aircraft data processing module determines the lowest cost available communication mode from one of the Internet, private network, cellular data network, and satellite network based on at least one of operability, availability, bandwidth available, and expense.

6. The ground station of claim 5, wherein the ground station is portable.

7. The ground station of claim 5, wherein the aircraft data is at least one of date and time, call sign, latitude, longitude, altitude, airspeed, status, registration number, vertical rate, track, ground speed, and transponder mode and code.

8. The ground station of claim 5, wherein aircraft data processing module transmits a status report indicating that the ground station is operating.

9. A method of receiving and processing aircraft ADS-B data from one or more ground stations using an aircraft data server, comprising:

receiving aircraft ADS-B data in XML format from one or more ground stations through a communication interface;

processing the received ADS-B data to extract aircraft data and eliminate duplicate aircraft data;

determining aircraft data missing from the processed aircraft data;

receiving supplemental aircraft data from other sources to provide aircraft data missing from the processed aircraft data through the communication interface; and

outputting the processed aircraft data and the received supplemental aircraft data to one or more processing devices for processing and display through the communication interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the aircraft data is converted into a graphical and tabular format and is transmitted to other terminals for display to users.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving additional supplemental aircraft data from other sources, the additional supplemental aircraft data including at least one of weather information, airport information, NOTAMS, AIRMETS, aircraft type and flight plan; and

outputting the received additional supplemental aircraft data along with the processed aircraft data and received supplemental aircraft data for processing and display.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing the aircraft data in an historical aircraft database.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed by one of a server, a computer, a personal computer, a portable computer, and a personal digital assistant.

14. An aircraft data server that receives and processes aircraft ADS-B data from one or more ground stations, comprising:

a communication interface that facilitates communications through one or more communications networks;

a ground station data processing module that receives aircraft ADS-B data in XML format from one or more ground stations through the communication interface, processes the received ADS-B data to extract aircraft data and eliminate duplicate aircraft data;

determines aircraft data missing from the processed aircraft data, receives supplemental aircraft data from other sources to provide aircraft data missing from the processed aircraft data through the communication interface, and outputs the processed aircraft data and the received supplemental aircraft data to one or more processing devices for processing and display through the communication interface.

15. The aircraft data server of claim 14, further comprising:

an aircraft data display module that converts the aircraft data into a graphical and tabular format and transmits that graphical and tabular formatted data to other terminals for display to users.

16. The aircraft data server of claim 14, wherein the ground station data processing module receives additional supplemental aircraft data from other sources, the additional supplemental aircraft data including at least one of weather information, airport information, NOTAMS, AIRMETS, aircraft type and flight plan, and outputs the received additional supplemental aircraft data along with the processed aircraft data and received supplemental aircraft data for processing and display.

17. The aircraft data server of claim 14, further comprising:

a memory; and

a historical aircraft database located in the memory, wherein the ground station data processing module stores the aircraft data in the historical aircraft database.

18. The aircraft data server of claim 14, wherein the aircraft data server is one of a server, a computer, a personal computer, a portable computer, and a personal digital assistant.

19. A system that receives and processes ADS-B data from one or more aircraft, comprising:

one or more ground stations that receives data from one or more aircraft, comprising;

a ground station communication interface that facilitates communications through one or more communications networks;

a communications receiver that receives ADS-B data from one or more aircraft, the communications receiver receiving communications from at least one of 1090 MHz and 978 MHz frequencies; and

an aircraft data processing module that converts the received aircraft ADS-B data to XML format, determines the lowest cost communication mode available, and transmits the XML data to an aircraft data server through the ground station communication interface using the lowest cost communication mode available,

wherein the aircraft data processing module determines the lowest cost available communication mode from one of the Internet, private network, cellular data network, and satellite network based on at least one of operability, availability, bandwidth available, and expense; and

an aircraft data server that receives and processes aircraft ADS-B data from the one or more ground stations, comprising;

an aircraft data server communication interface that facilitates communications through one or more communications networks;

a ground station data processing module that receives aircraft ADS-B data in XML format from the one or more ground stations through the communication interface, processes the received ADS-B data to extract aircraft data and eliminate duplicate aircraft data;

determines aircraft data missing from the processed aircraft data, receives supplemental aircraft data from other sources to provide aircraft data missing from the processed aircraft data through the aircraft data server communication interface, and outputs the processed aircraft data and the received supplemental aircraft data to one or more processing devices for processing and display through the aircraft data server communication interface.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the aircraft data server is one of a server, a computer, a personal computer, a portable computer, and a personal digital assistant.