Method and apparatus for dynamic aircraft trajectory management

• US 9,830,827 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartsky Networks Llc
• Original Assignee: Smartsky Networks Llc
• Inventors: Sawhill, Bruce K., Herriot, James W., Holmes, Bruce J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Application Number:
  US14/615,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20150154873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 701122
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0017 Arrangements for implementing traffic-related aircraft activities, e.g. arrangements for generating, displaying, acquiring or managing traffic information head-up displays G02B27/01; ground or aircraft-carrier-deck-installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• 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 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• 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

Disclosed are algorithms and agent-based structures for a system and technique for analyzing and managing the airspace. The technique includes managing bulk properties of large numbers of heterogeneous multidimensional aircraft trajectories in an airspace, for the purpose of maintaining or increasing system safety, and to identify possible phase transition structures to predict when an airspace will approach the limits of its capacity. The paths of the multidimensional aircraft trajectories are continuously recalculated in the presence of changing conditions (traffic, exclusionary airspace, weather, for example) while optimizing performance measures and performing trajectory conflict detection and resolution. Such trajectories are represented as extended objects endowed with pseudo-potential, maintaining objectives for time, acceleration limits, and fuel-efficient paths by bending just enough to accommodate separation.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for predicting the capacity of an airspace comprising:

A) upon entry of an aircraft into an airspace, acquiring and storing in computer memory data describing a first trajectory representing the aircraft, the trajectory comprising a plurality of control point values and a moment buffer;

B) periodically re-calculating trajectory;

C) identifying conflicts between the first trajectory and another trajectory or the first trajectory and an obstacle in real time or near real time;

D) applying momentum to at least the first trajectory; and

E) in response to identifying the conflicts, generating optimal choices for resolution of the conflicts to be provided to a pilot or flight controller,

wherein the data describing the trajectory for the aircraft comprises a multi-dimensional data structure stored in a computer memory representing three spatial dimensions and two time dimensions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

F) storing updated control point and momentum buffer values for the first trajectory.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in (B) comprising:

B1) applying a repulsion/separation process to a closest approach of first trajectory and the another trajectory or the first trajectory and the obstacle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in (B) comprising:

B1) applying an elasticity/smoothing process to control points for the first trajectory.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein in (B) comprising:

B1) applying a bounding/limits process to control points for the first trajectory.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the optimal choices further comprises generating different choices for each of a plurality of different aircraft impacted by the trajectory.

7. In a system for simulation and management of aircraft trajectories within an airspace, the system having a network interface, a computer memory coupled to the network interface and a processor coupled to the computer memory and the network interface, a non-transient memory apparatus containing a data structure usable with a computer system for representing a trajectory to be flown by an aircraft within an airspace comprising:

A) X, Y and Z coordinate values within the airspace model;

B) a first time value representing a point along the trajectory;

C) a second time value representing a global time of the computer system;

D) plurality of control point values representing points along a trajectory;

E) a plurality of trajectory data structures stored in computer memory, each trajectory data structure representing a trajectory to be flown by a respective one of a plurality of aircraft within the defined airspace model;

F) a moment buffer value used in modifying a trajectory; and

G) an airspace model stored in the computer memory, the airspace model initialized to a plurality of parameters which collectively define characteristics of the airspace,

wherein the memory apparatus further includes instructions for identifying a conflict with respect to the trajectory in real time or near real time and, in response to identifying the conflict, generating one or more optimal choices for resolution of the conflict to be provided to a pilot or flight controller.

8. In a system for simulation and management of aircraft trajectories within an airspace, the system having a network interface;

a computer memory coupled to the network interface and a processor coupled to the computer memory and the network interface, a non-transient memory apparatus containing a data structure usable with a computer system for representing an airspace model, the data comprising;

data representing a plurality of trajectories, each trajectory representing a trajectory to be flown by a respective one of a plurality of aircraft within the airspace model,

wherein each trajectory is characterized by a continuous one-dimensional curve of finite length embedded in five-dimensional space-time defined by three spatial dimensions and two time dimensions, and

wherein the computer memory further includes instructions for identifying a conflict with respect to the trajectories in real time or near real time and, in response to identifying the conflict, generating one or more optimal choices for resolution of the conflict to be provided to a pilot or flight controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein a position along a trajectory is parametrized by t and a current state of all trajectories is parametrized by τ

.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein present time is represented if t=τ

.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein future time is represented if t>

τ

.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein generating the one or more optimal choices further comprises generating different choices for each the aircraft.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein generating the one or more optimal choices further comprises generating different choices for each the aircraft.