Schedule management system and method for managing air traffic

• US 9,177,480 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company, Leidos Innovations Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Subbu, Rajesh Venkat, Chan, David So Keung, Brooksby, Glen William, Klooster, Joel Kenneth, Torres, Sergio
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US13/786,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20130184978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 701120-122, 701/3, 701/4, 701/14, 701/411, 701/465
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A system and method to improve efficiency in aircraft maneuvers meant to accommodate time-related constraints in air traffic. Information related to flight performance and atmospheric conditions is gathered onboard an aircraft, then transmitted to an air traffic control center. In the event of a delay or any other event which necessitates an alteration in an aircraft trajectory, the data is sent to a decision support tool to compute and provide alternative trajectories, preferably including operator-preferred trajectories, within air traffic constraints. Air traffic controllers can then offer an alternative trajectory to an aircraft that is more efficient, cost effective, and/or preferable to the aircraft operator.

Claims

1. A schedule management system for managing air traffic comprising multiple aircraft that are within a defined airspace and approaching an arrival airport, each of the multiple aircraft having existing trajectory parameters comprising three-dimensional position and velocity, the schedule management system comprising:

on-aircraft flight management systems individually associated with the multiple aircraft and adapted to determine aircraft trajectory and flight-specific cost data of the aircraft associated therewith;

an air traffic control system adapted to monitor the multiple aircraft but is not located on any of the multiple aircraft, the air traffic control system having a decision support tool, the air traffic control system being operable to acquire the aircraft trajectory and the flight-specific cost data from the flight management systems and generate a scheduled time-of-arrival (STA) for each of the multiple aircraft for at least one location along an approach to the arrival airport;

wherein if any of the multiple aircraft miss the STA thereof at the at least one location and thereby delays a second of the multiple aircraft flying towards the at least one location to impose a later STA for the second aircraft, the air traffic control system is operable to transmit the aircraft trajectory and the flight-specific cost data to the decision support tool, utilize the decision support tool to determine if a particular trajectory alteration is more cost-efficient for the second aircraft to absorb the delay associated with the later STA, and then transmit instructions to the second aircraft based on a human decision facilitated by the decision support tool.

2. The schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein the flight-specific cost data include at least one time-related flight-specific cost.

3. The schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein the particular trajectory alteration comprises a change in cruise altitude to reduce speed of the second aircraft.

4. The schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein the particular trajectory alteration comprises an early-descent trajectory to reduce speed of the second aircraft.

5. The schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one location is a meter fix point.

6. A method of managing air traffic comprising multiple aircraft that are within a defined airspace and approaching an arrival airport, each of the multiple aircraft having existing trajectory parameters comprising three-dimensional position and velocity, the method comprising:

determining aircraft trajectory and flight-specific cost data of each of the multiple aircraft with on-aircraft flight management systems individually associated with the multiple aircraft;

monitoring the multiple aircraft with an air traffic control system that is not located on any of the multiple aircraft;

generating with the air traffic control system a scheduled time-of-arrival (STA) for each of the multiple aircraft for at least one location along an approach to the arrival airport;

if any of the multiple aircraft miss the STA thereof at the at least one location and thereby delays a second of the multiple aircraft flying towards the at least one location to impose a later STA for the second aircraft, then;

transmitting the aircraft trajectory and the flight-specific cost data acquired from the flight management systems to a decision support tool of the air traffic control system;

utilizing the decision support tool to determine if a particular trajectory alteration is more cost-efficient for the second aircraft to absorb the delay associated with the later STA; and

then

transmitting instructions to the second aircraft based on a human decision facilitated by the decision support tool.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the flight-specific cost data include at least one time-related flight-specific cost.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the particular trajectory alteration comprises a change in cruise altitude to reduce speed of the second aircraft.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the particular trajectory alteration comprises an early-descent trajectory to reduce speed of the second aircraft.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one location is a meter fix point.