Aircraft wake vortex hazard warning apparatus

• US 5,724,040 A
• Filed: 02/16/1996
• Issued: 03/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Watnick, Marshall
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US08/602,426
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26, 342/460, 342/33
• US Class Current: 342/26.00D
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/913 for landing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/951 ground based
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

An apparatus for monitoring the position of objects in a space including a target supervisor, a location supervisor, and a hazard monitoring supervisor. The apparatus can detect and respond to a potential wake-vortex hazard condition. The tracking supervisor receives target data from a sensor, characterizes and tracks selected objects, and provides target outputs having features respective of the selected objects. The location supervisor characterizes and displays features in the space, and provides a location output having the aforementioned features. The hazard monitoring supervisor detects and responds to potential hazard conditions, and provides a notice of such conditions, responsive to the target outputs and the location output. A data logger selectively retains the target outputs, the location output, or both. The position monitoring apparatus has six modes: full operation, non-airport-surveillance-radar, isolation, set-up, adaptation, and simulation. The target supervisor receives data from an airborne surveillance radar, a secondary surveillance radar, a global-positioning-system-based sensor, a ground-based sensor, or an auxiliary sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring the position of at least two aircraft in an approach pattern to an airport, comprising:

(a) a target supervisor for characterizing and tracking said aircraft, said target supervisor receiving target data from at least one sensor, said target supervisor providing a plurality of outputs indicative of at least position and velocity parameters of said aircraft; and

(b) a hazard monitoring supervisor responsive to said outputs and operable to compare said outputs with a predetermined rule base governing a wake vortex hazard condition and to provide a detectable notice of a wake vortex hazard condition if said parameters violate said rule base.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor is from the group consisting of an airborne surveillance radar and a secondary surveillance radar and a global positioning-system based sensor and a ground-based sensor and a microwave-based sensor and a laser-based sensor and an infrared sensor and an auxiliary sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hazard monitoring supervisor automatically transmits a warning message to at least one of a controller and a pilot responsive to said wake vortex hazard condition.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said warning message is unique to said wake vortex hazard condition.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said outputs indicative of aircraft parameters include an output indicative of aircraft absolute altitude.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said outputs indicative of aircraft parameters include an output indicative of relative altitude between aircraft.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said outputs indicative of aircraft parameters include an output indicative of aircraft spatial separation.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said outputs indicative of aircraft parameters include an output indicative of relative aircraft closing rates.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said outputs indicative of aircraft parameters include an output indicative of aircraft acceleration.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said outputs indicative of aircraft parameters include an output indicative of aircraft type.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said outputs indicative of aircraft parameters include an output indicative of aircraft heading.