Method and apparatus for enhancing a geographic information system database with operational data

• US 8,533,180 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Pschierer, Christian, Haskell, Lisa, Lugsch, Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): Btit, Jacob F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Bao G
• Application Number:
  US11/762,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/100, 707/3, 707/101, 707/714, 707/737, 707/999.102, 707/717, 707/749, 342/357.06, 348/169, 701/123, 701/200, 701/208, 701/212, 701/120, 701/209, 701/300, 701/451, 701/532, 701/533, 715/810, 715/808, 715/766, 705/5
• US Class Current: 707/717
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3867 Geometry of map features, e.g. shape points, polygons or for simplified maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for providing data about an airport from an airport mapping database. A first set of elements are stored in the airport mapping database, wherein the first set of elements are visible objects and are identified using a set of geometric features. A second set of elements are stored in the airport mapping database, wherein the second set of elements are non-visible objects and are identified using the set of geometric features. A first element from the first set of elements is associated with a second element in the second set of elements based on an operational relationship between the first element and the second element. A responsive set of elements containing one element from the first set of elements and another element from the second set of elements based on associations between elements in the first set of elements and the second set of elements are returned in response to a query.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing data provided about a visible element in a geographic information system airport mapping database, the method comprising:

storing a record in the geographic information system airport mapping database as documented in industry standards requirements regarding international aerodrome mapping methodologies, wherein the record comprises;

a stored container, a stored element, and a stored attribute, wherein the stored element comprises the stored attribute, and further wherein a stored container comprises a linked stored element, and further wherein the geographic information system airport mapping database is in a tangible computer readable medium;

assigning, using a database management system, a first set of stored attributes to the stored element, wherein the first set of stored attributes comprises;

an element name;

an unique identification number;

a location name;

a beginning time;

an ending time;

a type of object;

a runway slope;

a directional movement command;

an operating restriction;

an element feature type, wherein the feature type is an object comprising;

a runway feature, a taxiway feature, or a parking stand feature;

a geocode, wherein the geocode comprises data representing a first geometric object, wherein the first geometric object comprises;

a line, a point, a polygon; and

, if the stored element is visual, the stored attribute is a non-visible element;

linking, using the database management system, to create the stored container, a set comprising;

related stored elements, related stored containers, wherein elements or containers are related when they share a logical relationship comprising;

parts of a taxiway, parts of a runway, parts of a parking area, taxi routes, communication frequencies, and operating cautions;

receiving a data input request set to the database management system, wherein the data input request set comprises;

a request element, the request element comprising;

a request element geocode attribute, a visual element, a non-visual element, an update to the stored element, and an new element, and further wherein the visual element comprises data captured by photogrammertry from imagery;

identifying, using the database management system, all stored elements in the geographic information system airport mapping database comprising a geocode attribute in geospatial relationship with the request element geocode attribute, wherein the geospatial relationship comprises;

intersection, overlap, touching, or encompassment of coordinates defining the geometric object of the request element geocode attribute;

associating, using the database management system, a first update request non-visual element to a set of associated stored elements in the geographic information system airport mapping database, wherein the set of associated stored elements comprise a first set of stored visual elements whose stored geocode attribute is in geospatial relationship to the request element geocode attribute of the first update request non-visual element;

appending, using the database management system, the first update request non-visual element to each stored element in the first set of stored visual elements, wherein appending comprises;

when the non-visual element has an operational relationship to the visual element, adding the non-visual element as an attribute of the visual element, and linking the non-visual element to each associated visual element, wherein the linking creates or supplements a stored container comprising the set of associated stored elements;

adding, using the database management system, a first request new element to the geographic information system airport mapping database as a new unlinked element in the database when the request element geocode attribute of the first request new element is not in geospatial relationship to the geocode within any stored element in the geographic information system airport mapping database;

accepting a query to the geographic information system airport mapping database management system to provide data about an airport, wherein the query comprises;

a query geocode attribute, and a query geospatial relationship;

responsive to the geographic information system airport mapping database management system accepting the query, searching all stored elements and stored containers in the geographic information system airport mapping database to identify a set of presentation elements and containers, wherein the set of presentation elements and containers comprises;

elements and containers whose geocode attribute is in the query geospatial relationship with the query geocode attribute; and

returning, for presentation in a display, the set of presentation of elements and containers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of stored attributes further comprises a natural unique key.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of stored attributes further comprises an artificial key.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein directional movement command indicates which direction to turn at an intersection in a taxiway.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible element is one of a runway, a taxiway, an intersection, a parking stand, and a helipad.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-visible element has an operational relationship to the visible element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-visible element is one of a runway incursion hotspot, a surface information, a threshold, a parking stand position direction, a parking stand push back direction, an allowed turn, and a color of a stop light bar.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored container is for a runway.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the stored container references a stored element that is one of a runway element, a runway intersection, a stop way, a runway marking, a painted center line, an arresting gear location, a runway threshold, a runway shoulder, and a runway displaced area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored container includes the non-visible element for one of a takeoff position, a low visibility taxi route, a company specific taxi route, published parking stand location coordinates, a runway incursion hotspot, an apron entry point, a color of a stop light bar, a lighting system, a parking stand position direction, a parking stand push back direction, communication frequency information, a run-up position, a slope profile of the runway, a runway visual range detector, an underground fuel hydrant, a functional part of buildings, and an area affected by a warning note.