Method and apparatus for generating at least one voted flight trajectory of a vehicle

• US 8,463,464 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saab AB
• Original Assignee: Saab AB
• Inventors: Gustafsson, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): TESTARDI, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US12/251,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20090118896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/13, 701/23, 701/29, 701/120, 701/29.3, 701/32.3, 701/4, 700/47, 700/248
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• 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

A method for generating a voted trajectory of a vehicle in a first vehicle. First trajectory data is received from at least one second vehicle in a receiver in the first vehicle. Trajectory data is calculated in a trajectory calculator in the first vehicle. The calculated trajectory data and the received first trajectory data concern a determined vehicle. The determined vehicle is determined from a group including the first and the second vehicles. The voted trajectory of the determined vehicle by a voting process based on the calculated trajectory data and the received first trajectory data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a first vehicle adapted to generate a voted trajectory of at least one vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive vehicle data from at least one second vehicle, the vehicle data concerning the at least one second vehicle, the vehicle data comprising at least one of track angle, speed, flight path angle, altitude, longitude, and latitude, and to receive trajectory data, the trajectory data comprising calculated trajectories of the first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle, the calculated trajectories being calculated at the at least one second vehicle;

a trajectory calculator configured to calculate the trajectories of the first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle at the first vehicle, based on local vehicle data concerning the first vehicle and based on the received vehicle data concerning the at least one second vehicle;

a voting module configured to perform a voting process on the received trajectory data calculated at the at least one second vehicle and the calculated trajectory for the first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle calculated at the first vehicle to generate voted trajectories of each of the first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the trajectories calculated at the first vehicle to the at least one second vehicle and to transmit the local data concerning the first vehicle to the at least one second vehicle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the trajectory calculator is arranged to receive local data concerning the first vehicle from sensors in the first vehicle, and wherein trajectory calculator uses the local data to calculate the trajectory of the first vehicle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to monitor the at least one second vehicle based on the voted calculated trajectory of the at least one second vehicle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the voting process results in a middle trajectory or average trajectory, weighted or not weighted, of the trajectories calculated at the first vehicle and calculated trajectories received from the at least one second vehicle.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculated trajectories comprise a plurality of points or an equation.

6. A vehicle, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive vehicle data from at least one other vehicle, the vehicle data concerning the at least one other vehicle, the vehicle data comprising at least one of track angle, speed, flight path angle, altitude, longitude, and latitude, and to receive trajectory data, the trajectory data comprising calculated trajectories of the vehicle and the at least one other vehicle, the calculated trajectories being calculated at the at least one other vehicle;

an apparatus comprising a trajectory calculator configured to calculate the trajectories of the vehicle and the at least one other vehicle, based on local vehicle data concerning the vehicle and based on the received vehicle data concerning the at least one other vehicle, the apparatus further comprising a voting module configured to perform a voting process on the received trajectory data calculated at the at least one other vehicle and the calculated trajectory for the vehicle and the at least one other vehicle calculated at the vehicle to generate voted trajectories of each of the vehicle and the at least one other vehicle, and

a transmitter configured to transmit the trajectories calculated at the first vehicle to the at least one other vehicle and to transmit the local data concerning the first vehicle to the at least one other vehicle.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the calculated trajectories comprise a plurality of points or an equation.

8. A method for generating in a first vehicle voted trajectories of the first vehicle and at least one second vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving vehicle data from at least one second vehicle in a receiver of the first vehicle, the vehicle data concerning the at least one second vehicle, the vehicle data comprising at least one of track angle, speed, flight path angle, altitude, longitude, and latitude, and receiving trajectory data, the trajectory data comprising calculated trajectories of the first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle, the calculated trajectories being calculated at the at least one second vehicle

calculating the trajectories of the first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle, based on local vehicle data concerning the first vehicle and based on the received vehicle data concerning the at least one second vehicle, respectively;

generating, via a processor, the voted trajectories of each of the first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle by a voting process based on the received trajectory data calculated at the at least one second vehicle and the calculated trajectory for the first and the at least one second vehicle calculated at the first vehicle; and

transmitting the trajectories calculated at the first vehicle to the at least one second vehicle and transmitting the local data concerning the first vehicle to the at least one second vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving data from sensors arranged at the first vehicle to be used to calculate trajectory data concerning the first vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

transferring the at least one voted trajectory that concerns the at least one second vehicle to a monitoring process, in order to compare predicted and real position value of the at least one second vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

transferring the at least one voted trajectory to a control system of the first vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the calculated trajectories comprise a plurality of points or an equation.

13. A system, comprising:

at least two vehicles, wherein each vehicle comprises

a receiver configured to receive trajectory data related to an own vehicle and at least one other vehicle, and to receive vehicle data concerning the at least one other vehicle comprising at least one of track angle, speed, flight path angle, altitude, longitude, and latitude, the trajectory data comprising trajectories of the own vehicle and the at least one other vehicle calculated at the at least one other vehicle,

a trajectory calculator configured to calculate a trajectory of the own vehicle and at least one other vehicle based on local vehicle data concerning the own vehicle and based on the received vehicle data concerning the at least one other vehicle,

a voting module configured to perform a voting process on the received trajectory data calculated at the at least one other vehicle and the calculated trajectory for the own vehicle and the at least one other vehicle calculated at the own vehicle to generate voted trajectories of each of the own vehicle and the at least one other vehicle

a transmitter configured to transmit the trajectories calculated at the own vehicle to the at least one other vehicle and to transmit the local vehicle data concerning the own vehicle to the at least one other vehicle.