Predictive relevant traffic determination using vehicle states descriptions

• US 8,285,473 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Ravenscroft, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US12/499,927
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A method and apparatus for predicting traffic for analyzing runway incursions. A state for each of a plurality of aircraft is identified to form a plurality of identified states. A set of aircraft is identified from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form a set of identified aircraft. A number of potential runway incursions is predicted using the set of identified aircraft.

Claims

1. A method for predicting relevant traffic for analyzing runway incursions, the method comprising:

identifying a state for each of a plurality of aircraft using a state definition to form a plurality of identified states;

identifying a set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form a set of identified aircraft; and

predicting a number of potential runway incursions using the set of identified aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form the set of identified aircraft comprises:

identifying the set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form the set of identified aircraft using a state machine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the state definition comprises a table comprising a plurality of states and conditions for the plurality of states.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form the set of identified aircraft comprises:

selecting an aircraft from the plurality of aircraft to form a selected aircraft;

comparing a first state of the selected aircraft with a second state for a second aircraft in the plurality of aircraft to form a comparison; and

determining whether to identify the second aircraft as being part of the set of identified aircraft from the comparison.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the comparing step is performed using a dynamic relevant traffic state table.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form the set of identified aircraft comprises:

comparing a state of each aircraft from the plurality of aircraft with a state of all other aircraft in the plurality of aircraft to form a number of comparisons; and

identifying the set of aircraft using the number of comparisons to form the set of identified aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the state for each of the plurality of aircraft to form the plurality of identified states comprises:

identifying the state for each of the plurality of aircraft using at least one of position information and speed to form the plurality of identified states.

8. The method claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the state for each of the plurality of aircraft to form the plurality of identified states comprises:

predicting a next state for each of the plurality of aircraft from a current state for each of the plurality of aircraft, wherein the next state is the state for each of the plurality of aircraft.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predicting step is performed using a vehicle state table.

10. A method for identifying sets of vehicles, the method comprising:

identifying a state for each of a plurality of vehicles to form a plurality of identified states, wherein identifying includes predicting a next state for each of the plurality of vehicles from a current state for each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the next state is the state for each of the plurality of vehicles; and

identifying a set of vehicles from the plurality of vehicles based on the plurality of identified states, wherein the set of vehicles forms a set of relevant vehicles.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

identifying a number of undesired situations from the set of relevant vehicles.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of identifying the number of undesired situations from the set of relevant vehicles comprises:

predicting a number of runway incursions.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

identifying potential undesired situations for each vehicle in the set of relevant vehicles.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of identifying the set of vehicles from the plurality of vehicles based on the plurality of identified states comprises:

comparing a state of each vehicle from the plurality of vehicles with a state of all other vehicles in the plurality of vehicles to form a number of comparisons; and

identifying the set of vehicles using the number of comparisons to form the set of relevant vehicles.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the steps of comparing the state of each vehicle from the plurality of vehicles with the state of all other vehicles in the plurality of vehicles to form the number of comparisons and identifying the set of vehicles using the number of comparisons to form the set of relevant vehicles are performed using a dynamic relevant traffic state table.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of vehicles is selected from at least one of aircraft, ground vehicles, spacecraft, surface ships, and submarines.

17. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes program code; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the program code to identify a state for each of a plurality of aircraft to form a plurality of identified states;

identify a set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states using a state definition to form a set of identified aircraft; and

predict a number of potential runway incursions using the set of identified aircraft.

18. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein in executing the program code to identify the set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form the set of identified aircraft, the processor unit executes the program code to identify the set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form the set of identified aircraft using a state machine.

19. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the state definition comprises a table comprising a plurality of states and conditions for the plurality of states.

20. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein in executing the program code to identify the set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form the set of identified aircraft, the processor unit executes the program code to select an aircraft from the plurality of aircraft to form a selected aircraft;

compare a first state of the selected aircraft with a second state for a second aircraft in the plurality of aircraft to form a comparison; and

determine whether to identify the second aircraft as being part of the set of identified aircraft from the comparison.

21. A computer program product for predicting runway incursions, the computer program product comprising:

a computer recordable storage medium;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a state for each of a plurality of aircraft using a state definition to form a plurality of identified states;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form a set of identified aircraft; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for predicting a number of potential runway incursions using the set of identified aircraft.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying the set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form the set of identified aircraft comprises:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying the set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form the set of identified aircraft using a state machine.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the state definition comprises a table comprising a plurality of states and conditions for the plurality of states.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying the set of aircraft from the plurality of aircraft based on the plurality of identified states to form the set of identified aircraft comprises:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for selecting an aircraft from the plurality of aircraft to form a selected aircraft;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for comparing a first state of the selected aircraft with a second state for a second aircraft in the plurality of aircraft to form a comparison; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for determining whether to identify the second aircraft as being part of the set of identified aircraft from the comparison.