System, module, and method for presenting runway traffic information

• US 9,189,964 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Rathinam, Sethu R., Barber, Sarah
• Primary Examiner(s): Shapiro, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US12/322,442
• Time in Patent Office: 2,478 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/14, 701/16, 701/17, 701/117, 701/120, 701/301, 342 29- 37, 340/945, 340/947, 340/951, 340/953, 340/961, 340/963, 340971-973, 3409951-99528
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/913 for landing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/934 on airport surfaces, e.g. while taxiing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/916 Airport surface monitoring [ASDE]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/005 for aircraft positioning relative to other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/06 for control when on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A present novel and non-trivial system, module, and method for presenting runway traffic information are disclosed. A partitioned runway awareness zone is established using data received from a source of navigation reference data, where such data could represent runway information, runway awareness zone information, or partitioned runway awareness zone information. After traffic data is received from a source such as an ADS-B, each section of the partitioned runway zone occupied by traffic is determined. Based upon the determination, an advisory data set comprising traffic information is generated and provided to a presentation system, where the advisory data set could include alert data based upon a level of threat. A presentation system used to present traffic information could include a visual display unit(s), an aural alert unit, and/or a tactile alert unit. A portable device such as handheld may be used to present traffic information.

Claims

1. A system for presenting runway traffic information, said system comprising:

a source of navigation reference data;

a source of traffic data;

a processor configured to

establish a one partitioned runway awareness zone of one runway from navigation reference data received from the source of navigation reference data, where

the partitioned runway awareness zone of one runway is one runway awareness zone partitioned into a plurality of contiguous, rectangular sections,

receive traffic data, where

the traffic data is representative of traffic other than own-ship.

determine at least one rectangular section of the plurality of contiguous, rectangular sections occupied by traffic,

generate an advisory data set based upon the determination and independently of own-ship'"'"'s position, where

the advisory data set is comprised of advisory data representative of

at least one first visual highlighter highlighting each rectangular section presently occupied by traffic in its entirety, and

at least one second visual highlighter highlighting each rectangular section previously occupied by traffic in its entirety, where

 

each first visual highlighter and each second highlighter are non-textual, and

provide the advisory data set to a presentation system; and

the presentation system configured to

receive the advisory data set, and

present the advisory information represented in the advisory data to a recipient, thereby

highlighting each rectangular section of presently occupied and previously occupied by traffic in its entirety.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data received from the source of navigation reference data is representative of runway information or runway awareness zone information from which the partitioned runway awareness zone is established using a derivation technique.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data received from the source of navigation reference data is representative of a partitioned runway awareness zone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the advisory data is further representative of at least one of the following:

textual, visual advisory information, aural advisory information, and tactile advisory information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein

the advisory data set is further comprised of

a first directional indicator partially overlapping at least one first visual highlighter only when traffic travels within the runway awareness zone.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a source of navigation data, and

the processor is further configured to

receive navigation data, and

determine a level of threat from the traffic data and the navigation data, whereby

the advisory data is further representative of alert information corresponding to the level of threat.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is a processor of at least one of the following:

the navigation reference data source, the traffic data source, the presentation system, and a navigation source.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the presentation system includes at least one of the following:

a visual display unit, an aural alert unit, and a tactile alert unit.

9. A module for presenting runway traffic information, said module comprising:

an input communications interface;

an output communications interface; and

a processor configured to

establish one partitioned runway awareness zone of one runway from navigation reference data received from the source of navigation reference data, where

the partitioned runway awareness zone of one runway is one runway awareness zone partitioned into a plurality of contiguous, rectangular sections,

receive traffic data from a source of traffic data, where

the traffic data is representative of traffic other than own-ship,

determine at least one rectangular section of the plurality of contiguous, rectangular sections occupied by traffic,

generate an advisory data set based upon the determination and independently of own-ship'"'"'s position, where

the advisory data set is comprised of advisory data representative of

at least one first visual highlighter highlighting each rectangular section presently occupied by traffic in its entirety, and

at least one second visual highlighter highlighting each rectangular section previously occupied by traffic in its entirety, where

 

each first visual highlighter and each second highlighter are non-textual, and

provide the advisory data set to a presentation system, such that

the advisory information represented in the advisory data is presented to a recipient, thereby

highlighting each rectangular section of presently occupied and previously occupied by traffic in its entirety.

10. The module of claim 9, wherein the data received from a source of navigation reference data is representative of runway information or runway awareness zone information from which the partitioned runway awareness zone is established using a derivation technique.

11. The module of claim 9, wherein the data received from a source of navigation reference data is representative of a partitioned runway awareness zone.

12. The module of claim 9, wherein the advisory data is further representative of at least one of the following:

textual, visual advisory information, aural advisory information, and tactile advisory information.

13. The module of claim 9, wherein

the advisory data set is further comprised of

a first directional indicator partially overlapping at least one first visual highlighter only when traffic travels within the runway awareness zone.

14. The module of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to

receive navigation data, and

determine a level of threat from the traffic data and the navigation data, whereby

the advisory data is further representative of alert information corresponding to the level of threat.

15. The module of claim 9, wherein the module is a module of at least one of the following:

the navigation reference data source, the traffic data source, the presentation system, and a navigation source.

16. A method for presenting runway traffic information, where such method is performed by an aircraft avionics system processor, said method comprising:

establishing one partitioned runway awareness zone of one runway from navigation reference data received from the source of navigation reference data, where

the partitioned runway awareness zone of one runway is one runway awareness zone partitioned into a plurality of contiguous, rectangular sections;

receiving traffic data from a source of traffic data, where

the traffic data is representative of traffic other than own-ship;

determining at least one rectangular section of the plurality of contiguous, rectangular sections occupied by traffic;

generating an advisory data set based upon the determination and independently of own-ship'"'"'s position, where

the advisory data set is comprised of advisory data representative of

at least one first visual highlighter highlighting each rectangular section presently occupied by traffic in its entirety, and

at least one second visual highlighter highlighting each rectangular section previously occupied by traffic in its entirety, where

each first visual highlighter and each second highlighter are non-textual; and

providing the advisory data set to a presentation system, such that

the advisory information represented in the advisory data is presented to a recipient, thereby

highlighting each rectangular section of presently occupied and previously occupied by traffic in its entirety.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data received from a source of navigation reference data is representative of runway information or runway awareness zone information from which the partitioned runway awareness zone is established using a derivation technique.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the data received from a source of navigation reference data is representative of a partitioned runway awareness zone.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the advisory data is further representative of at least one of the following:

textual, visual advisory information, aural advisory information, and tactile advisory information.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein

the advisory data set is further comprised of

a first directional indicator partially overlapping at least one first visual highlighter only when traffic travels within the runway awareness zone.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving navigation data; and

determining a level of threat from the traffic data and the navigation data, whereby

the advisory data is further representative of alert information corresponding to the level of threat.