Surface traffic movement system and method

• US 6,920,390 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technology Planning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Technology Planning Incorporated
• Inventors: Calzetta, Robert, Mallet, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US10/147,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120, 701/117, 701/200, 701/211, 731/78.R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A Surface Movement Area/Runway Traffic and Surface Area Flow Tool with Runway Incursion Protection System reduces runway incursions due to lost or disoriented aircraft, navigation in low visibility conditions, unfamiliarity with local procedures and airport layouts, and truncated or misunderstood clearances or other frequency congestion related communication and workload problems. SMART Board surface displays are used to provide route guidance instructions to aircraft at ramp and taxiway intersections, confirm to for pilots that their aircraft is at the correct location and is in the assigned queue and sequence before entering active runways, visual confirmation of runway clearances to aircraft and vehicles at all runway entrances, and lessening frequency congestion on Ground and Local communications channels. The system includes an Electronic Flight Data System to generate messages. Sensors and a wireless LAN are used to provide data from the system to all aircraft and vehicles on the surface movement area of an airport.

Claims

1. An airport surface traffic management system comprising:

means for detecting a position of vehicles on the airport surface;

means off of the vehicle for transmitting the vehicle positions;

means for providing location-specific information to all vehicles based on their relative location on the airport surface;

means for controlling the vehicles on the airport surface; and

means for interfacing the means for providing location-specific information and the means for controlling.

2. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 1 wherein the means for detecting is at least one of an inductive loop, infrared sensor, trip-wire, RF sensor, microwave sensor or RADAR.

3. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 1 wherein the means for interfacing is at least one of a wireless LAN or a hard-wired system.

4. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 1 wherein the means for providing location-specific information includes programmable LED alpha-numeric signs.

5. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 4 wherein the alpha-numeric signs are programmed to display at least one of navigational messages, guidance messages, alert and warning messages, or Air Traffic Controller informational messages.

6. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 1 wherein the means for controlling the vehicle controls at least one of tracking the vehicle location, generating specific route confirmation or delivering specific Air Traffic Controller instructions.

7. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 1 wherein the means for controlling further includes graphical display means.

8. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 7 wherein the graphical display means displays at least one of sensor status, vehicle location, vehicle route destination and sequence or alerts and warnings.

9. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 1 wherein the means for interfacing operates in the frequency band of between 5.09 GHz and 5.15 GHz.

10. An airport surface traffic management system comprising:

position detecting device for detecting a position of vehicles on the airport surface;

an off-vehicle transmitter for transmitting the detected positions;

information delivering device for providing location-specific information to the vehicles;

controller for controlling the vehicles on the airport surface; and

interfacing device for interfacing the information delivering device and the controller.

11. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 10 wherein the position detecting device is at least one of an inductive loop, infrared sensor, trip-wire, RF sensor, microwave sensor or RADAR.

12. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 10 wherein the interfacing device is at least one of a wireless LAN or a hard-wired system.

13. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 10 wherein the information delivering device includes programmable LED alpha-numeric signs.

14. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 13 wherein the alpha-numeric signs are programmed to display at least one of navigational messages, guidance messages, alert and warning messages, or Air Traffic Controller informational messages.

15. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 10 wherein the controller controls at least one of tracking the vehicle location, generating specific route confirmation or delivering specific Air Traffic Controller instructions.

16. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 10 wherein the controller further includes graphical display means.

17. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 16 wherein the graphical display means displays at least one of sensor status, vehicle location, vehicle route destination and sequence or alerts and warnings.

18. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 10 wherein the means for interfacing operates in the frequency band of between 5.09 GHz and 5.15 GHz.

19. A method of performing airport surface traffic management including the steps of:

detecting position of vehicles on the airport surface;

transmitting vehicle position data from off of the vehicle to a controller;

verifying vehicle position data at the controller;

generating specific vehicle location and route data at the controller;

transmitting navigational and identification information to the vehicles;

assigning and displaying runway usage information to the vehicles on the airport surface; and

detecting vehicle movement on the airport surface that conflicts with the assigned runway usage information.

20. The airport surface traffic management system according to claim 19 wherein the step of detecting position of vehicles detects via at least one of an inductive loop, infrared sensor, tripwire, RF sensor, microwave sensor or RADAR.

21. The method of performing airport surface traffic management according to claim 19 wherein the step of transmitting transmits vehicle position data to the controller via at least one of a wireless LAN or a hard-wired system.

22. The method of performing airport surface traffic management according to claim 19 wherein the step of assigning and displaying displays the specific vehicle location and route data by programmable LED alpha-numeric signs.

23. The method of performing airport surface traffic management according to claim 22 wherein the alpha-numeric signs are programmed to display at least one of navigational messages, guidance messages, alert and warning messages, or Air Traffic Controller informational messages.

24. The method of performing airport surface traffic management according to claim 19 wherein the step of generating further includes the step of generating Air Traffic Controller instructions.

25. The method of performing airport surface traffic management according to claim 20 wherein the step of verifying verifies the vehicle position data by checking detector status.

26. The method of performing airport surface traffic management according to claim 19 wherein the step of transmitting transmits vehicle data in the frequency band of between 5.09 GHz and 5.15 GHz.

27. The method of performing airport surface traffic management according to claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

relaying runway usage clearances to all vehicles on the airport surface;

processing unauthorized vehicle movement and identifying as a conflict with the assigned vehicle usage of the runway;

displaying alert information in response to conflicts with assigned runway usage information to the controller; and

outputting alert information in response to conflicts with assigned runway usage information.

28. The method of performing airport surface traffic management according to claim 19 wherein the step of assigning and displaying runway usage information to vehicles on the airport surface simultaneously displays the occupation status of the runway as open for all vehicles crossing or entering the runway, or closed when a vehicle is on the runway or about to enter the runway.

29. The method of performing airport surface traffic management according to claim 21 wherein the step of relaying runway usage clearances to all vehicles relays approved Air Traffic control clearance information to specific vehicles or groups of vehicles by identification number.

30. The method of performing airport surface traffic management according to claim 21 wherein alert information includes runway incursion alerts.