Method and system for aircraft conflict detection and resolution

• US 8,892,348 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitre Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitre Corporation
• Inventors: CHAMLOU, Roxaneh
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, JESS G
• Application Number:
  US12/949,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20110118981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/302
• US Class Current: 701/301
• 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

Methods, systems, and computer program products for aircraft conflict detection and resolution are proposed. Embodiments of the present invention detect potential conflicts without a predetermined look-ahead time threshold and determine the time for issuing resolution alerts dynamically based on the relative movements of the aircraft. A method embodiment for detecting a potential airborne conflict between an ownship and at least one intruder includes, determining a relative motion trajectory of the ownship and the intruder, generating a plurality of resolution advisories based upon the determined relative motion trajectory and corresponding to respective motion dimensions of the ownship, determining an alert time for each of the plurality of RAs responsive to the corresponding motion dimension and the determined relative motion trajectory, and transmitting at least one of the plurality of RAs to at least one of the ownship or an aircraft control entity.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a potential airborne conflict between an ownship and an intruder, comprising:

determining a relative motion trajectory of the ownship and the intruder;

generating a plurality of resolution advisories, based upon the determined relative motion trajectory, for each of two or more motion dimensions of the ownship,

wherein the motion dimensions comprise a horizontal direction, a speed. and a vertical direction of the ownship, and

wherein the plurality of resolution advisories comprise at least two resolution advisories for each of the two or more motion dimensions;

determining an alert time for each of the plurality of resolution advisories;

dynamically adjusting a size of a protection zone to reduce unnecessary resolution advisories;

selecting, for each of the two or more motion dimensions, one of the resolution advisories based on a latest alert time among the determined alert times; and

transmitting at least one of the selected resolution advisories to at least one of the ownship or an aircraft control entity,

wherein at least the selecting is performed by one or more hardware processors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the plurality of resolution advisories is based further upon capabilities or preferences of the ownship.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the plurality of resolution advisories is based further upon a type of the intruder.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a resolution advisory for each of the motion dimensions based upon an encounter geometry of the ownship and the intruder; and

selecting a final resolution advisory based at least upon one or more ownship preferences.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selecting the final resolution advisory is based further upon operational considerations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the operational considerations include a phase of flight information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the operational considerations include known intent of the intruder.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the ownship preferences include at least one of a preference for vertical maneuvers or a preference for horizontal maneuvers.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the ownship preferences are preconfigured.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the resolution advisory for each of the motion dimensions is based further upon ownship capabilities.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting one or more maneuvers of at least one of the ownship or the intruder;

adjusting the size of the protection zone based upon the detected one or more maneuvers converging; and

triggering at least one of the plurality of resolution advisories based upon the adjusted protection zone.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting the size of the protection zone is based further upon a quality of measurements.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the relative motion trajectory comprises:

determining a relative velocity vector between the ownship and the intruder; and

predicting a collision based upon the relative velocity vector and a protection zone.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the protection zone has a shape of a cylinder of a finite height.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the cylinder is bounded by two planar end-caps.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a current position of the ownship; and

defining a North-East-Down (NED) Cartesian coordinate frame centered on the current position of the ownship.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a relative position of the intruder; and

defining the protection zone centered on the relative position of the intruder in the NED Cartesian coordinate frame.

18. A system for detecting a potential airborne conflict between an ownship and an intruder, comprising:

at least one processor;

a relative velocity determiner configured to determine a relative velocity of the ownship and the intruder;

a resolution advisory generator configured to generate a plurality of resolution advisories,

based upon the determined relative velocity, for each of two or more motion dimensions of the ownship,

wherein the motion dimensions comprise a horizontal direction, a speed, and a vertical direction of the ownship, and

wherein the plurality of resolution advisories comprise at least two resolution advisories for each of the two or more motion dimensions;

an alert generator configured to determine an alert time for each of the plurality of resolution advisories;

a conflict detector configured to dynamically adjust a size of a protection zone to reduce unnecessary resolution advisories based upon a detected maneuver converging; and

a resolution advisory selector configured to select, for each of the two or more motion dimensions, one of the resolution advisories based on a latest alert time among the determined alert times.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a per-dimension resolution advisory selector configured to select a resolution advisory for each of the motion dimensions based upon an encounter geometry of the ownship and the intruder; and

a final resolution advisory selector configured to select a final resolution advisory based at least upon one or more ownship preferences.

20. A non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions wherein said instructions when executed are adapted to detect a potential airborne conflict between an ownship and an intruder with a method comprising:

determining a relative velocity of the ownship and the intruder;

generating a plurality of resolution advisories, based upon the determined relative velocity, for each of two or more motion dimensions of the ownship,

wherein the motion dimensions comprise a horizontal direction, a speed, and a vertical direction of the ownship, and

wherein the plurality of resolution advisories comprise at least two resolution advisories for each of the two or more motion dimensions;

determining an alert time for each of the plurality of resolution advisories;

dynamically adjusting a size of a protection zone to reduce unnecessary resolution advisories based upon a detected maneuver converging;

selecting, for each of the two or more motion dimensions, one of the resolution advisories based on a latest alert time among the determined alert times; and

transmitting at least one of the selected resolution advisories to at least one of the ownship or an aircraft control entity.