Airspace deconfliction system and method

• US 9,495,877 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Duffy, Michael J., Mattero, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US14/287,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20150348424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• 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

An aircraft deconfliction system including a registration system having an airspace database, a registered airspace, wherein registration details of the registered airspace are logged in the airspace database, and an aircraft assigned to the registered airspace, the aircraft including a flight control system, a guidance computer controlling the flight control system based on a pilot input, and an override unit in communication with the guidance computer, wherein the override unit overrides the pilot input when the aircraft breaches the registered airspace.

Claims

1. An aircraft deconfliction system comprising:

a registration system comprising an airspace database;

a registered airspace, wherein registration details of said registered airspace are logged in said airspace database; and

an aircraft assigned to said registered airspace, said aircraft comprising;

a flight control system;

a guidance computer controlling said flight control system based on a pilot input; and

an override unit in communication with said guidance computer, wherein said override unit overrides said pilot input when said aircraft breaches said registered airspace.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein registration details of a plurality of other registered airspaces are logged in said airspace database.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein military data are logged in said airspace database.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein non-military data are logged in said airspace database.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein a threshold is defined within said registered airspace, and wherein said override unit takes remedial action when said aircraft breaches said threshold.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said remedial action comprises a warning.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said remedial action comprises issuing an intervention command to said guidance computer.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said override unit disables said aircraft when said aircraft breaches said registered airspace.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said aircraft further comprises an emergency landing device, and wherein said emergency landing device is deployed when said aircraft is disabled by said override unit.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said aircraft further comprises a propulsion system, and wherein said guidance computer controls said propulsion system based on said pilot input.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said pilot input comprises a radio control receiver.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said flight control system comprises actuators, and wherein said guidance computer controls said actuators based on said pilot input.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said override unit comprises a geolocation sensor in communication a processor.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said geolocation sensor comprises a GPS sensor.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said override unit comprises a memory in communication a processor, and wherein said registration details are stored in said memory.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said registration details comprise a location of said registered airspace and a window of time.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said location is defined by a center point having known geographic coordinates and a radius extending from said center point.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said aircraft is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

19. An airspace deconfliction method comprising the steps of:

providing an aircraft having an on-board override unit;

assigning a registered airspace to said aircraft;

flying said aircraft;

while said aircraft is flying, determining with said override unit whether said aircraft is in said registered airspace; and

taking remedial action when said aircraft is not in said registered airspace.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said taking said remedial action comprises at least one of issuing a warning, issuing an intervention command, and disabling said aircraft.