Air traffic control

• US 8,255,147 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NATS Limited (NATS Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: NATS Limited (NATS Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Roberts, Alison Laura Udal, Pember, Stephen James
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US12/158,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20090012660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3- 4, 701/120, 701/122, 701300-301, 340/945, 340/990, 342/29, 342 36- 38
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

An air traffic control system includes a trajectory prediction module for calculating a trajectory for each aircraft, for inputting aircraft detected position data, and for recalculating the trajectories based on said position data, and a conflict detector for detecting, based on the trajectories, future circumstances under which pairs of aircraft violate predetermined proximity tests, and for causing a display on the display device indicating said circumstances. The systems uses a first proximity test and a second, more restrictive, proximity test; and displays a symbol representing pairs of aircraft which violate the second test in a first mode, and those which violate the first set but not the second set in a second mode.

Claims

1. An air traffic control system, for use by a controller controlling a plurality of aircraft, comprising:

a processor,

an input device,

a display device,

trajectory prediction means for calculating a predicted altitude trajectory for each of said plurality of aircraft, for inputting aircraft detected position data, and for recalculating said predicted altitude trajectory for each of said plurality of aircraft based on said position data,

means for inputting and storing instruction data corresponding to level clearance instructions issued by said controller to one or more of said plurality of other aircraft, and

means for causing a display on said display, said display comprising a graph indicating the predicted altitude trajectory for a selected aircraft of the plurality of aircraft, and indicating symbols, one for each of a plurality of other aircraft of the plurality of aircraft,

said indicating symbols for each of the plurality of other aircraft indicating both the current level and the one or more levels for which said level clearance instructions have been input.

2. An air traffic control system according to claim 1, further comprising conflict detection means for detecting, based on said predicted trajectories, future circumstances under which said selected aircraft and each of said plurality of other aircraft would violate predetermined proximity tests, and in that said symbols indicate said future circumstances.

3. A system according to claim 2, further comprising input means for permitting input of a tentative trajectory for one or more of said plurality of aircraft, in which said display means is arranged to generate said display based on said tentative trajectory in addition to or instead of said predicted trajectory.

4. An air traffic control system according to claim 1, further comprising input means for permitting input of a tentative trajectory for one or more of said plurality of aircraft, in which said display means is arranged to generate said display based on said tentative trajectory in addition to or instead of said predicted trajectory.

5. A method for operating a computerized air traffic control system, for use by a controller controlling a plurality of aircraft, comprising:

calculating a predicted altitude trajectory for each of said plurality of aircraft;

receiving aircraft position data;

recalculating said predicted altitude trajectory for each of said plurality of aircraft based on said position data;

receiving and storing instruction data corresponding to level clearance instructions issued by said controller to one or more of said plurality of other aircraft; and

displaying on a monitor a graph indicating the predicted altitude trajectory for a selected aircraft of the plurality of aircraft and indicating symbols, one for each of a plurality of other aircraft of the plurality of aircraft;

wherein said indicating symbols for each of the plurality of other aircraft indicate both the current level and the levels for which said level clearance instructions have been input.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising

detecting, based on said predicted trajectories, future circumstances under which said selected aircraft and each of said plurality of other aircraft would violate predetermined proximity tests;

and wherein said symbols indicate said future circumstances.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising

receiving a tentative trajectory for one or more of said plurality of aircraft;

and

displaying on said monitor an indication of said tentative trajectory.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising

receiving a tentative trajectory for one or more of said plurality of aircraft;

and

displaying on said monitor an indication of said tentative trajectory.

9. An air traffic control system comprising:

a display device;

one or more computers in communication with said display device and configured to

calculate a predicted altitude trajectory for each of a plurality of aircraft,

receive aircraft position data,

recalculate said predicted altitude trajectory for each of said plurality of aircraft based on said position data,

receive instruction data corresponding to level clearance instructions issued by said controller to one or more of said plurality of aircraft,

cause a display on said display device, said display comprising

a graphical indication of the predicted altitude trajectory for a selected aircraft of the plurality of aircraft, and

symbols, one for each of a plurality of other aircraft of the plurality of aircraft, said symbols indicating for its associated aircraft, the current level and the one or more levels for which said level clearance instructions have been received.

10. The air traffic control system according to claim 9, wherein said one or more computers is further configured to

determine, based on said predicted trajectories, future violations of predetermined proximity tests by said selected aircraft and each of said plurality of other aircraft, and

causing said symbols to indicate said future violations.

11. The air traffic control system according to claim 10, wherein said one or more computers is further configured to

receive a tentative trajectory for one or more of said plurality of aircraft, and

cause a display on said display device of a graphical indication of said tentative trajectory.

12. The air traffic control system according to claim 9, wherein said one or more computers is further configured to

receive a tentative trajectory for one or more of said plurality of aircraft, and

causing a display on said display device an indication of said tentative trajectory.