Aircraft collision avoidance alarm

• US 8,188,907 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Neil, Gary E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US12/558,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20110063159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 990 Days
• Field of Search: 342/195, 342 29- 33, 342 36- 38, 342/46, 342/49, 342/50, 342/57, 342/58, 340/961
• US Class Current: 342/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• 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

The present invention provides an aircraft collision alarm system and method. The method includes the steps of collecting aircraft position information for aircraft in a given area and digitally encoding this aircraft position information. This aircraft position information is then transmitted on an audio sub-carrier over the voice communications channel of a VOR to the aircraft. The aircraft receives and processes the digitally encoded information and alerts the pilot if a collision alarm situation is present.

Claims

1. An aircraft communications method comprising the steps of:

collecting aircraft position information for a plurality of aircraft from a radar;

digitally encoding the aircraft position information in a first computer;

transmitting the digitally encoded information over a transmitter using a voice communications channel to a one of the plurality of aircraft;

receiving the digitally encoded information at the one aircraft by a receiver on-board the aircraft;

decoding the digital information from the voice communications channel in a second computer on-board the aircraft;

analyzing in the second computer the decoded information to determine if an alarm situation is present; and

providing an alarm from the second computer if an alarm situation is present.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the voice communications channel is a VOR navigation system radio channel and wherein the digitally encoded information is superimposed on the voice communications via digital packets of data on a narrow band phase shift modulated subcarrier.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the alarm is transmitted over the VOR navigation system radio channel from the second computer.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the collecting of aircraft position information includes gathering aircraft position data for aircraft within a radius of a VOR navigation station.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the digitally encoded information includes weather information.

6. An aircraft communications method comprising the steps of:

receiving, on-board an aircraft receiver, digitally encoded aircraft position information indicating locations of other aircraft from a VOR voice communications channel wherein the digitally encoded aircraft position information is superimposed on the voice communications via digital data packets on a narrow band phase shift modulated subcarrier;

decoding the aircraft position information in a computer on-board the aircraft;

determining, in the on-board computer, if any of the other aircraft are in close proximity; and

if so, providing an alarm by the on-board computer.

7. An aircraft communications method according to claim 6 wherein the alarm is transmitted over the VOR voice channel from the on-board computer.

8. An aircraft collision avoidance system comprising;

a transceiver on-board an aircraft;

a first computer on-board the aircraft connected to the transceiver implementing the steps of;

receiving digitally encoded aircraft position information from a VOR voice channel indicating positions of other aircraft;

decoding the aircraft position information;

determining if any of the other aircraft are in close proximity; and

providing an alarm if any of the other aircraft are in close proximity.

9. An aircraft collision avoidance system according to claim 8 wherein said transceiver receives and transmits audio signals and wherein the digitally encoded information is superimposed on the voice communications via digital packets of data on a narrow band phase shift modulated subcarrier.

10. An aircraft collision avoidance system according to claim 8 wherein the alarm is transmitted over the voice channel from the first computer.