Ground vehicle collision prevention systems and methods

• US 8,629,800 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Anderson, David M., Banks, David L., Avery, Robert L., Akdeniz, Aydin
• Primary Examiner(s): PIHULIC, DANIEL T
• Application Number:
  US12/972,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 367/99, 367/907, 701/301, 701/300, 340/903, 342/69, 342/72, 342/109
• US Class Current: 342/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/48 for parking purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/3055 with hinged head interface between aircraft and passenger bridge
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/934 on airport surfaces, e.g. while taxiing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting a vehicle. An apparatus comprises a proximity detection system, a vehicle management system, and a notification system. The proximity detection system is associated with an aircraft and operably connected to a transducer. The proximity detection system is configured to determine a distance of a vehicle from a surface of the aircraft and a velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft. The vehicle management system operably connected to the proximity detection system. The vehicle management system is configured to determine a time the vehicle will be a threshold distance from the surface of the aircraft and an threshold amount of time to bring the vehicle to a predetermined velocity. The notification system is associated with the proximity detection system and configured to generate a notification signal in response to a determination that the time is less than the threshold amount of time.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a proximity detection system associated with an aircraft and operably connected to a transducer, the proximity detection system configured to determine a distance of a vehicle from a surface of the aircraft and a velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft;

a vehicle management system operably connected to the proximity detection system, the vehicle management system configured to determine a time the vehicle will be a threshold distance from the surface of the aircraft and an threshold amount of time to bring the vehicle to a predetermined velocity; and

a notification system associated with the proximity detection system and configured to generate a notification signal in response to a determination that the time is less than the threshold amount of time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a control system associated with the vehicle, the control system configured to reduce the velocity of the vehicle in response to receiving the notification signal from the notification system.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the distance is a first distance and further comprising:

a first transceiver operably connected to the control system and configured to send and receive signals to and from a second transceiver operably connected to the proximity detection system, wherein the signals include information regarding a second distance of a portion of the vehicle from the surface of the aircraft, wherein the control system is further configured to control a deceleration of the vehicle such that the portion of the vehicle one of stops prior to contacting the aircraft and contacts the surface of the aircraft at or below a threshold velocity.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the proximity detection system is an aircraft-based proximity detection system and wherein the velocity is a first velocity, and further comprising:

a vehicle-based proximity detection system operably connected to the first transceiver, the vehicle-based proximity detection system configured to determine the second distance of the portion of the vehicle from the surface of the aircraft and a second velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a braking system associated with the vehicle and operably connected to the control system, the braking system configured to bring one of the vehicle and a component of the vehicle to a stop before reaching the threshold distance from the aircraft in response to receiving the notification signal from the notification system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a receiver associated with the vehicle, the receiver configured to receive the notification signal; and

a notification device operably connected to the receiver, the notification device configured to generate a notification of the aircraft at the vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the notification device comprises at least one of an audio alarm device and a visual alarm device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a graphical user interface associated with the notification device, the graphical user interface configured to display a visual indication of the distance between the surface of the aircraft and the vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proximity detection system is an aircraft-based proximity detection system, wherein the distance is a first distance, wherein the velocity is a first velocity, wherein the time is a first time, and further comprising:

a vehicle-based proximity detection system configured to determine a second distance of the vehicle from the surface of the aircraft and a second velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft and configured to determine a second time the vehicle will be the threshold distance from the surface of the aircraft in response to determining the second distance and the second velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft; and

a notification device operably connected to the vehicle-based proximity detection system, the notification device configured to receive the notification signal from the notification system associated with the aircraft and configured to generate a notification of the aircraft at the vehicle in response to one of receiving the notification signal from the notification system associated with the aircraft and a determination that the second time is less than the threshold amount of time.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the threshold amount of time is subdivided into at least a first notification time range and a second notification time range, wherein the notification system is configured to generate a first notification signal in response to a determination that the time is within the first notification time range and to generate a second notification signal in response to a determination that the time is within the second notification time range.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first notification time range includes a range of times that is greater than a range of times in the second notification time range, wherein the first notification signal comprises an intermittent audible tone at a selected audio frequency, and wherein the second notification signal comprises a steady audible tone at a selected audio frequency.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a first apparatus and wherein the proximity detection system includes a second apparatus selected from a group comprising at least one of a radio frequency detection and ranging apparatus (RADAR) wherein the transducer comprises an antenna suited for use at microwave radio frequencies, a light frequency detection and ranging apparatus (LIDAR) wherein the transducer comprises a photo emitter and photo detector suited for use at light frequencies, and an ultrasonic detection and ranging apparatus wherein the transducer comprises an ultrasonic transducer.

13. A prevention system comprising:

a proximity detection system associated with an aircraft and operably connected to a transducer, the proximity detection system configured to identify a distance of a vehicle from the aircraft, a velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft, a position of the vehicle relative to the aircraft, and a number of dimensions associated with the vehicle in response to detecting the vehicle within an area adjacent to the aircraft;

a vehicle management system associated with the aircraft and operably connected to proximity detection system, the vehicle management system configured to receive information regarding a plurality of dimensions associated with a number of surfaces of the aircraft, map the number of dimensions associated with the vehicle with the plurality of dimensions associated with the number of surfaces of the aircraft based on the position of the vehicle relative to the aircraft to form a mapping, determine a portion of the vehicle that will be a threshold distance from a surface in the number of surfaces of the aircraft based on the mapping and the velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft, determine a time the portion of the vehicle will be the threshold distance from the surface of the aircraft based on the mapping and the velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft, and determine a threshold amount of time to bring the vehicle to a predetermined velocity; and

a notification system associated with the vehicle management system and configured to generate a notification signal in response to a determination that the time is less than the threshold amount of time.

14. The prevention system of claim 13 further comprising:

a control system associated with the vehicle, the control system configured to reduce the velocity of the vehicle to bring one of the vehicle and a component of the vehicle to a stop before reaching the threshold distance from the aircraft in response to receiving the notification signal from the notification system.

15. The prevention system of claim 13 further comprising:

a receiver associated with the vehicle, the receiver configured to receive the notification signal; and

a notification device operably connected to the receiver, the notification device configured to generate one of an audible notification of the aircraft at the vehicle and a visual notification of a current distance between the surface of the aircraft and the portion of vehicle at the vehicle.

16. The prevention system of claim 13, wherein the proximity detection system is an aircraft-based proximity detection system and the surface is a first surface and further comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency devices associated with the number of surfaces of the aircraft, the plurality of radio frequency devices configured to send at least one of identification information, dimensional information, and proximity information of a second surface in the number of surfaces of the aircraft in response to receiving a detection signal;

a vehicle-based proximity detection system associated with the vehicle and configured to send the detection signal to a radio frequency device of the plurality of radio frequency devices within a predetermined range of the vehicle and receive the information regarding the dimensions of the second surface, wherein the vehicle-based proximity detection system is further configured to determine a current distance between the second surface of the aircraft and the vehicle based on the information received and a time delay associated with the detection signal; and

a notification device operably connected to the vehicle-based proximity detection system, the notification device configured to generate on of an audible notification of the aircraft at the vehicle and a visual notification of the current distance between the second surface of the aircraft and the vehicle.

17. The prevention system of claim 13, wherein the proximity detection system is configured to identify a type of the vehicle and retrieve the number of dimensions associated with the vehicle from a database storing dimensions of a number of different types of vehicles to determine the number of dimensions associated with the vehicle.

18. A method for detecting vehicles, the method comprising:

monitoring an area adjacent to an aircraft for a vehicle, wherein the area is monitored using a transducer associated with the aircraft;

responsive to detecting the vehicle within the area adjacent to the aircraft, determining a distance of the vehicle from a surface of the aircraft and a velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft;

determining, using a processing unit, a time the vehicle will be a threshold distance from the surface of the aircraft;

determining a threshold amount of time to bring the vehicle to a predetermined velocity; and

responsive to a determination that the time is less than the threshold amount of time, generating a notification signal.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

responsive to detecting the vehicle within the area adjacent to the aircraft, identifying a position of the vehicle relative to the aircraft and a number of dimensions associated with the vehicle;

receiving information regarding a plurality of dimensions associated with a number of surfaces of the aircraft;

mapping the number of dimensions associated with the vehicle with the plurality of dimensions associated with the number of surfaces of the aircraft based on the position of the vehicle relative to the aircraft to form a mapping; and

determining a portion of the vehicle that will be the threshold distance from the surface of the aircraft based on the mapping and the velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

sending the notification signal; and

responsive to receiving the notification signal, reducing the velocity of one of the vehicle and a component of the vehicle to bring the vehicle to a predetermined velocity before reaching the threshold distance from the aircraft.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

sending the notification signal; and

responsive to receiving the notification signal, generating one of an audible notification of the aircraft at the vehicle and a visual notification of a current distance between the surface of the aircraft and the portion of vehicle at the vehicle.