Integrated air traffic management and collision avoidance system

• US 6,133,867 A
• Filed: 12/28/1998
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David Brent Eberwine, Mark Alan Eberwine
• Original Assignee: David Brent Eberwine, Mark Alan Eberwine
• Inventors: Eberwine, David Brent, Eberwine, Mark Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US09/221,925
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 342/29, 342/30, 342/31, 342/32, 342/36, 342/40, 342/41, 342/46, 342/49, 342/115, 342/125, 342/135, 342/140, 342/357.09, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 342/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/005 for aircraft positioning relative to other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• 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

A collision avoidance system utilizes a satellite navigational system to continuously determine object motion parameters relative to the earth'"'"'s surface and exchanges this information with other objects. The system calculates collision potential with other objects that are stationary or in motion based on the exchange of the motion parameters. Evasive actions are calculated with congested space and altitude floor taken into account. The system determines collision potential between two or more objects or can utilize a single ground monitor to perform the collision potential calculations between all participating objects.

Claims

1. A collision Avoidance System for preventing the collision of moveable craft relative to the earth'"'"'s surface where there is a common referenced multi dimensional position and motion determining system in operation comprising:

position determining means in said movable craft for determining data parameters of position, velocity, acceleration and time of said craft relative to the Earth'"'"'s surface;

CPU means in said craft coupled to said position determining means for continuously storing said data parameters at time spaced intervals and calculating 2^nd order motion path coefficients for transmission in time spaced data packets and for storing craft identification indicia and for storing craft operating parameters and limitations;

digital transmission means coupled to said CPU means for transmitting said time spaced data packets containing the craft identification indicia, the unique message type identification, the motion path coefficients, and the time data in digital format to remote receiver means;

digital receiver means coupled to said CPU means for receiving and storing said time spaced data packets containing the identification indicia, the unique message type identification, motion path coefficients, and the time data in digital format from remote transmitter means;

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said data parameters for calculating collision potential between said aircraft and remote object using aircraft motion path data, and data received from remote transmitter means; and

Audio means coupled to said CPU means in said craft for notification to craft operator of collision potential and/or evasive maneuver instructions.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 where said position determining means is a Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 where said position determining means is a communication means for receiving craft and object position and motion path data from a ground based radar processing system.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 where said position determining means is a Loran receiver.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 where said position determining means provides only position and time of position data;

and

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said data parameters for calculating 2^nd order motion path coefficients of predicted motion path based on consecutive time spaced position data from said position determining means.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

Visual display means coupled to said CPU means in said craft for display of one or more craft with indication of collision potentials and evasive action.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

operator input means coupled to said CPU for manual initiation of transmission of said data parameters including craft identification indicia and unique message type identification.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

Autopilot means coupled to said CPU means in said craft for input of control surface data parameters;

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said data parameters for calculating Nth order motion path coefficients of predicted motion path based on current motion path data from said position determining means and control surface data from said Autopilot means.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 where said digital receiver means receives path coefficients data of remote crafts and objects from remote transmitter means located at a ground based radar processing system;

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said data parameters for calculating collision potential between said aircraft and remote object using aircraft motion path data and data received from remote transmitter means.

10. A collision Avoidance System for preventing the collision of moveable aircraft relative to the earth'"'"'s surface where there is a Navstar GPS system in operation comprising:

GPS receiver means in movable aircraft for determining data parameters of position, velocity, acceleration, and time of said aircraft from the Global Positioning System;

CPU means in said aircraft coupled to said GPS receiver means for continuously storing said data parameters at time spaced intervals and calculating 2^nd order motion path coefficients for transmission in time spaced data packets and for storing craft identification indicia and for storing aircraft operating parameters and limitations;

digital transmission means coupled to said CPU means for transmitting said time spaced data packets containing the aircraft identification indicia, the unique message type identification, the motion path coefficients, and the time data in digital format to remote receiver means;

digital receiver means coupled to said CPU means for receiving and storing said time spaced data packets containing the identification indicia, the unique message type identification, motion path coefficients, and the time data in digital format from remote transmitter means;

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said data parameters for calculating collision potential between said aircraft and remote object using aircraft motion path data and data received from remote transmitter means; and

Audio means coupled to said CPU means in said craft for notification to aircraft operator of potential collision situation and also evasive instructions.

11. A communication system for determining the position of moveable craft and stationary objects relative to the earth'"'"'s surface where there is a common referenced multi dimensional position determining system in operation comprising:

position determining means in said movable craft for determining data parameters of position, velocity, acceleration, and time of said craft from the common positioning system;

CPU means in said craft coupled to said position determining means for continuously storing said data parameters at time spaced intervals and calculating 2^nd order motion path coefficients for transmission in time spaced data packets and for storing craft identification indicia and for storing craft operating parameters and limitations;

digital transmission means coupled to said CPU means for transmitting said time spaced data packets containing the craft identification indicia, the unique message type identification, the motion path coefficients, and the time data in digital format to remote receiver means;

digital receiver means coupled to said CPU means for receiving and storing said time spaced data packets containing the identification indicia, the unique message type identification, motion path coefficients, and the time data in digital format from remote transmitter means;

Audio means coupled to said CPU means in said craft for notification to craft operator of collision potential and/or evasive maneuver instructions;

Visual display means coupled to said CPU means in said craft for display of one or more remote craft or objects centered about the present craft;

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said position determining means data parameters and data received from one or more remote transmitter means for calculation and audible and or visual display of location and motion path of said remote craft relative to present craft; and

operator input means coupled to said CPU for manual initiation of transmission of said data parameters including craft identification indicia and unique message type identification.

12. A position reporting system for reporting position and path coefficients of moveable craft and stationary object locations relative to the earth'"'"'s surface where there is a common referenced multi dimensional position determining system in operation comprising:

position determining means in said movable craft for determining data parameters of position, velocity, acceleration, and time of said craft from the positioning system;

CPU means in said craft coupled to said position determining means for continuously storing said data parameters at time spaced intervals and calculating N^th order motion path coefficients for transmission in time spaced data packets and for storing craft identification indicia and for storing craft operating parameters and limitations;

digital transmission means coupled to said CPU means for transmitting said time spaced data packets containing the craft identification indicia, the unique message type identification, the Nth order motion path coefficients, and the time data in digital format to remote receiver means; and

Audio means coupled to said CPU means in said craft for notification to craft operator of collision potential and/or evasive maneuver instructions;

Visual display means coupled to said CPU means in said craft for display of one or more remote craft or object centered about the present craft;

operator input means coupled to said CPU for manual initiation of transmission of said data parameters including craft identification indicia and unique message type identification.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12 and further including:

Autopilot means coupled to said CPU means in said craft for input of control surface data parameters;

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said data parameters for calculating Nth order motion path coefficients of predicted motion path based on current motion path data from said position determining means and control surface data from said Autopilot means.

14. A method for preventing a collision between multiple participating objects in three dimensional space where there is a common referenced multi dimensional position determining system in operation, comprising:

position determining means in movable object for determining data parameters of position, velocity, acceleration, and time of said object;

CPU means in said object coupled to said position determining means for continuously storing said data parameters at time spaced intervals and calculating Nth order motion path coefficients in three dimensional axis for transmission in time spaced data packets and for storing object identification indicia and for storing object operating parameters and limitations;

digital transmission means coupled to said CPU means for transmitting said time spaced data packets containing the object identification indicia, the unique message type identification, the object Nth order path coefficients, and the time data in digital format to remote receiver means;

digital receiver means coupled to said CPU means for receiving and storing said time spaced data packets containing the identification indicia, the unique message type identification, Nth order three dimensional object path coefficients, and the time data in digital format from remote transmitter means in movable or stationary object;

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said data parameters for calculating collision potential between said aircraft and remote object using aircraft motion path data and data received from remote transmitter means;

Audio means coupled to said CPU means in said object for notification to object operator of collision potential and/or evasive maneuver instructions; and

operator input means coupled to said CPU for manual initiation of transmission of said data parameters including object identification indicia and unique message type identification.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14 and further including:

visual display means coupled to said CPU means in said object for display of one or more objects with indication of collision potentials and evasive action.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14 and further including:

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said data parameters to categorize objects at a distance greater than a dynamically modified predetermined distance.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14 and further including:

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said data parameters to vary processing parameters based on received object indicia.

18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14 and further including:

said CPU means having programming instructions so as to be responsive to said data parameters to categorize objects traveling in a non-threatening direction or at a speed which would preclude a collision, and to ignore stationary objects in a non threatening location relative to the present craft.

19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14 and further where:

said Nth order three dimensional object path coefficients from said digital receiver means contain zero in all coefficient positions except X₀, Y₀, and Z₀.