System and method for collecting remotely located positional data

• US 8,958,931 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flightaware LLC (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Flightaware LLC (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Baker, Daniel, McNett, David Cameron, Lehenbauer, Karl, Duell, Mark L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fei, Jordan S
• Application Number:
  US13/465,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 701/14, 701/482, 342/454
• US Class Current: 701/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for the collection, filtering, and transmission of aviation information is disclosed. A plurality of flight information is received over a digital network at various remote locations, and the data is filtered prior to transmission to a central database for presentation and use. The database includes aviation information. The method of filtration is dynamically updated as to information concerning a specific flight based on one characteristic of the flight. As to aircraft being tracked, a determination is made as to which receiver should relay collected data, and that determination is periodically revised, such as to minimize transmission costs and maximize signal quality as aircraft positions change. Once the information is located in the central database, it is suitable for use in responding to user requests for flight tracking information is association with at least one identified flight.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically filtering flight tracking information prior to transmission to a central location comprising the steps of:

receiving a transmission frequency protocol defining a predetermined outgoing data rate for reporting flight tracking information received with respect to a first flight, wherein said predetermined outgoing data rate is determined based upon at least one characteristic of said first flight selected from the group consisting of at gate, taxi, takeoff, cruising, speed, banking, altitude change, holding pattern, and turn;

receiving a stream of flight tracking information from a substantially real-time source, wherein said stream includes positional information regarding a first flight which is received at an incoming rate;

repetitively transmitting at least a portion of said positional information received in association with said first flight over a network to a remote server at at least said predetermined outgoing rate, wherein said predetermined outgoing rate is less frequent than or equal to said incoming rate;

determining that said at least one characteristic of said first flight defined in the transmission frequency protocol has changed based on said flight tracking information; and

altering said predetermined outgoing rate by at least 25% based upon said at least one characteristic of said first flight to establish a second predetermined outgoing rate, wherein said second predetermined outgoing rate is less frequent than said first rate; and

repetitively transmitting at least a portion of said positional information received in association with said first flight over said network to said remote server at at least said second outgoing rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said substantially real-time source includes automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said substantially real-time source is an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) transceiver.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said first flight is a flight currently in-progress.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital network comprises the Internet.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said each of said repetitively transmitting is accomplished using the hypertext transfer protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first rate is altered by at least 50%.

8. The method of claim 1, which additionally includes the step of comparing signal strength or signal to noise ratio data from an aircraft being received at two separate locations, and using the signal strength or signal to noise ratio data to select one location of the two separate locations to transmit the aircraft'"'"'s data while disabling transmission of the aircraft'"'"'s data from the other location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said positional information is determined based upon global positioning satellites.

10. A method for dynamically filtering flight tracking information prior to transmission to a central location while providing it subsequently in response to a request comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of flight tracking information for a first flight from a substantially real-time source, wherein said stream of flight tracking information is received at a first incoming rate, and wherein said stream includes positional information regarding said first flight;

storing said positional information associated with said first flight in a ring buffer, wherein said storing overwrites historical flight tracking data received prior to said receiving a stream;

repetitively transmitting the most recent positional information received in association with said first flight over a network to a remote server at at least a second predetermined outgoing rate, wherein said second predetermined outgoing rate is less frequent than said first incoming rate, and wherein said second rate is determined based upon at least one characteristic of said first flight selected from the group consisting of at gate, taxi, takeoff, cruising, speed, banking, altitude change, holding pattern, and turn;

receiving a request to transmit any un-transmitted data associated with said first flight from said remote server; and

transmitting all previously un-transmitted data associated with said first flight currently stored within said ring buffer to said remote server over said network.

11. A method for collecting flight tracking information from remote sources comprising the steps of:

sending a transmission frequency protocol to a remote server which is connected to an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) transceiver, wherein said transmission frequency protocol provides for the calculation of a first reporting rate based upon characteristics of a selected first flight determined from data received from said ADS-B transceiver;

receiving flight tracking information for said first flight from said remote server which originated from said ADS-B transceiver at said first reporting rate;

subsequently receiving flight tracking information for said first flight from said remote server which originated from said ADS-B transceiver at a second reporting rate, wherein said second reporting rate differs from said first reporting rate by at least 25%; and

wherein said second rate is determined based upon said transmission frequency protocol and at least one characteristic of said first flight selected from the group consisting of at gate, taxi, takeoff, cruising, speed, banking, altitude change, holding pattern, and turn.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said transmission frequency protocol includes a reporting rate adjustment based upon the altitude of a flight.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said transmission frequency protocol includes a reporting rate adjustment based upon the airspeed of a flight.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said transmission frequency protocol includes a reporting rate adjustment based upon the turn rate of a flight.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said transmission frequency protocol includes a reporting rate adjustment based upon the rate of climb of a flight.

16. A method for dynamically filtering flight tracking information associated with a plurality of flights so as to accommodate a defined bandwidth limit in transmission to a central location comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of flight tracking information from a substantially real-time source, wherein said stream includes positional information regarding a plurality of flights, and wherein said flight tracking information includes flight characteristics selected from the group consisting of at gate, taxi, takeoff, cruising, speed, banking, altitude change, holding pattern, and turn for at least one of said plurality of flights;

repetitively transmitting at least a portion of said positional information received in association with each of said plurality of flights over a network to a remote server, wherein said positional information received in association with at least a first flight in said plurality is sent at a predetermined outgoing rate determined from said flight characteristics;

calculating an outgoing data rate corresponding to said repetitively transmitting;

determining that said outgoing data rate exceeds said defined bandwidth limit; and

decreasing said outgoing rate by at least 5% based upon said outgoing data rate to establish a second outgoing rate; and

repetitively transmitting at least a portion of said positional information received in association with each of said plurality of flights, wherein said positional information received in association with said first flight is transmitted at said second outgoing rate.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

determining that at least one characteristic of said first flight has changed based on said flight tracking information; and

altering said second outgoing rate by at least 25% based upon said at least one characteristic to establish a third outgoing rate, wherein said third outgoing rate is less frequent than or equal to said first rate.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a second outgoing data rate corresponding to said second repetitively transmitting step;

determining that said second data rate is less than said defined bandwidth limit; and

increasing said second outgoing rate by at least 5% based upon said second outgoing data rate to establish a third outgoing rate; and

repetitively transmitting at least a portion of said positional information received in association with each of said plurality of flights, wherein said positional information received in association with said first flight is transmitted at at least said third outgoing rate.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said substantially real-time source is an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) transceiver.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said digital network comprises a cellular modem at its proximate end.