Air Traffic Control Patents (Class 342/36)
  • Patent number: 11024180
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to validate data communicated by a vehicle. An example apparatus an anomaly detector to, in response to data communicated by a vehicle, at least one of compare an estimated speed with a reported speed or compare a location of the vehicle with a reported location. The apparatus including the anomaly detector further to generate an indication of the vehicle in response to the comparison. The apparatus further includes a notifier to discard data sent by the vehicle and notify surrounding vehicles of the data communicated by the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Liuyang Yang, Yair Yona, Moreno Ambrosin, Xiruo Liu, Hosein Nikopour, Shilpa Talwar, Kathiravetpillai Sivanesan, Sridhar Sharma, Debabani Choudhury, Kuilin Clark Chen, Jeffrey Ota, Justin Gottschlich
  • Patent number: 11007959
    Abstract: In a method for correcting at least one collision parameter determined by an anticipatory environment-sensor system of a vehicle and in a corresponding integrated safety system of the vehicle, a common time basis is established in the vehicle, a signal age and/or a latency time of at least one collision parameter is ascertained based on the common time base and on a time stamp that is output together with the at least one collision parameter, the at least one collision parameter is corrected based on the ascertained signal age and/or ascertained latency time, and the corrected parameter is output to at least one precrash function prior to an impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Heiko Freienstein, Sybille Eisele
  • Patent number: 10963703
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for identifying a desired target from among a more general class(es) of objects are provided. A method includes receiving one or more sensor feeds including one or more objects that are identified as being from the same class of objects, scanning the one or more objects to determine if a desired target is among the one or more objects based on a target profile, and identifying the desired target if the target profile matches one or more characteristics of a particular object in the one or more objects. One system includes a sensing device in communication with a hardware processor in which the hardware processor is configured for performing the above method. A computer program product includes computer code for performing the above method when a hardware processor executes the computer code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Smart Information Flow Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Allan Miller, Joshua David Hamell, Jeremy Frank Gottlieb
  • Patent number: 10795010
    Abstract: A system for providing integrated detection and countermeasures against unmanned aerial vehicles include a detecting element, a location determining element and an interdiction element. The detecting element detects an unmanned aerial vehicle in flight in the region of, or approaching, a property, place, event or very important person. The location determining element determines the exact location of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The interdiction element can either direct the unmanned aerial vehicle away from the property, place, event or very important person in a non-destructive manner, or can cause disable the unmanned aerial vehicle in a destructive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: XiDrone Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwaine A. Parker, Damon E. Stern, Lawrence S. Pierce
  • Patent number: 10774810
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for estimating tower loads, such as tower deflection, of a wind turbine. The method includes receiving an estimate of slow variations in thrust of a tower of the wind turbine. The method also includes determining, via one or more sensors, tower accelerations of the tower of the wind turbine. Thus, the method also includes estimating the tower loads of the wind turbine as a function of the estimate of slow variations in thrust of the tower and the tower accelerations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ameet Shridhar Deshpande, Pranav Agarwal
  • Patent number: 10754922
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method and an apparatus for sensor fusion. The method includes receiving, by a processor, track reports of at least a first sensor and a second sensor for sensor fusion, selecting a best track from at least the first sensor and the second sensor to reduce track error, determining a fused track that combines at least the first sensor and the second sensor and selecting one of the fused track and the best track as a system track of sensor fusion to minimize a system error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Bert Larue Bradford
  • Patent number: 10718851
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are described for determining displacement and/or rotation of a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), including, but not limited to, determining a first Time of Flight (ToF) for audio signals transmitted by an audio transmitter of the UAV and received by a first audio receiver of the UAV while the UAV is in motion, determining a second ToF for the audio signals transmitted by the audio transmitter and received by a second audio receiver of the UAV while the UAV is in motion, and determining the displacement or the rotation of the UAV based, at least in part, on the first ToF and the second ToF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Kiran Chikkappa
  • Patent number: 10720067
    Abstract: An unmanned flight vehicle includes a rotor, a motor rotating the rotor, and a control device controlling the motor and the vehicle. The control device has a memory storing identification information enabling identification of a user of a communication service for receiving first control information or airspace information about an airspace in which the flight vehicle flies via a wireless base station by the unmanned flight vehicle. The control device also has a processor controlling the vehicle to communicate with the wireless base station based on the stored identification information. The processor controls i) a flight state of the vehicle based on the first control information or the airspace information received via the wireless base station by using the identification information, and ii) the vehicle based on a quality of a radio wave that the vehicle has received from the wireless base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: KDDI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junichi Tabuchi
  • Patent number: 10694232
    Abstract: Systems and methods for push-based dynamic bandwidth allocation deliver addressable, advertising content in a digital network. Bandwidth is allocated on a push basis in response to receiving a trigger from a content distribution stream. The trigger contains data indicating an addressable break. A portion of bandwidth is then allocated to an addressable content stream based on the data of the trigger. The addressable content stream is then streamed to a receiver during the addressable break and the receiver is tuned from the broadcast stream to the addressable content stream for the duration of the addressable break. The additional bandwidth is de-allocated at the end of the addressable break.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Visible World, LLC
    Inventors: Seth Haberman, Gerrit Niemeijer, Alex Jansen, Erik van de Pol, Andrew Fife
  • Patent number: 10573185
    Abstract: System and method to protect the privacy of ADS-B messages transmitted by aircraft. The system includes one or more ground stations with a ground station control unit and a ground ADS-B transponder for receiving an ADS-B message. The ground station control unit includes an aircraft position determination module for retrieving an aircraft position included in the ADS-B message; an operating conditions module for determining the fulfillment of operating conditions including determining if the aircraft position is an actual aircraft position; and a fake aircraft position generator for computing one or more fake aircraft positions. The ground station control unit broadcasts one or more fake ADS-B messages including the fake aircraft positions if the operating conditions are met. With this system only trusted receivers can obtain the real position of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: David Scarlatti, Enrique Casado, David Esteban-Campillo
  • Patent number: 10476583
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to one or more techniques for communicating across multiple nodes using a single communication link. In certain embodiments, the nodes may be an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of a satellite user terminal for a satellite system. The multiple nodes may communicate with each other using a managed time division duplexed baseband signaling protocol over a single communication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventors: Branislav Petrovic, Timothy J Martin, Christopher J Cronin, Anthony G Hamel, David L Terry
  • Patent number: 10455469
    Abstract: Systems and methods may use radar channels for virtual reality streaming or output. A method may include sending virtual reality content to a head-mounted device over a radar channel, detecting a signal on the radar channel, propagating channel switch feedback to a virtual reality subsystem using an interface between the virtual reality subsystem and a wireless component. The method may include modifying the virtual reality content based on the channel switch feedback, such as by using the virtual reality subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Rajneesh Chowdhury, Noam Ginsburg, Ofer Hareuveni, Karthik Veeramani
  • Patent number: 10347141
    Abstract: A method for providing obstacle alerts to an in-flight aircraft has been developed. First, parameters of an in-flight aircraft are transmitted to a ground based processor station. The station calculates an aircraft safety envelope based on these parameters. The station accesses the characteristics of obstacles stored in a terrain database and calculates an obstacle safety envelope. Finally, the station determines if the aircraft safety envelope conflicts with the obstacle safety envelope and generates an alert for the aircraft if a conflict exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Jayant Kumar Singh, Nithin Ambika, Subhadeep Pal, Saurabh Gohil
  • Patent number: 10318451
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recording and communicating engine data are provided. One example aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a method for communicating engine data. The method includes receiving data. The method includes separating the data into categories. For one or more categories, the method includes creating a file including the separated data. For one or more categories, the method includes naming the file, at least in part, based on the category and based on a file naming convention. The method includes prioritizing the created files. The method includes transmitting an identification file comprising identification information for a wireless communication unit and the file naming convention. The method includes transmitting the created files based on the priority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC
    Inventors: Michael Clay Scholten, Richard John Reiffer, Jr., Lambros Lambrou, Robert Alan Meneghini, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10281570
    Abstract: A system for providing integrated detection and countermeasures against unmanned aerial vehicles include a detecting element, a location determining element and an interdiction element. The detecting element detects an unmanned aerial vehicle in flight in the region of, or approaching, a property, place, event or very important person. The location determining element determines the exact location of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The interdiction element can either direct the unmanned aerial vehicle away from the property, place, event or very important person in a non-destructive manner, or can cause disable the unmanned aerial vehicle in a destructive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: XiDrone Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwaine A. Parker, Damon E. Stern, Lawrence S. Pierce
  • Patent number: 10269253
    Abstract: Systems and methods of refining trajectories for aircraft include a trajectory prediction module for predicting a set of four-dimensional trajectories for aircraft; and a constraint selector module for determining a set of constraints based on the set of four-dimensional trajectories. The trajectory can be refined by mapping values for a goal associated with the set of four-dimensional trajectories based on the determined set of constraints and estimating additional values for the goal based on the mapped values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC
    Inventor: Szabolcs Andras Borgyos
  • Patent number: 10221014
    Abstract: A storage and retrieval system including a storage structure having storage shelves, each storage shelf having slats for supporting stored items where the slats are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, an autonomous transport vehicle including at least one sensor configured to sense each of the slats and output a signal indicating when a slat is sensed, and a controller for verifying a location of the autonomous transport vehicle within the storage structure based on at least the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Symbotic, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, Michael Cyrulik, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Patent number: 10156631
    Abstract: A system for providing integrated detection and deterrence against an unmanned vehicle including but not limited to aerial technology unmanned systems using a detection element, a tracking element, an identification element and an interdiction or deterrent element. Elements contain sensors that observe real time quantifiable data regarding the object of interest to create an assessment of risk or threat to a protected area of interest. This assessment may be based e.g., on data mining of internal and external data sources. The deterrent element selects from a variable menu of possible deterrent actions. Though designed for autonomous action, a Human in the Loop may override the automated system solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: XiDrone Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwaine A. Parker, Damon E. Stern, Lawrence S. Pierce
  • Patent number: 10126252
    Abstract: A system for sensing a three-dimensional topology of a circuit board is provided. An illumination source generates patterned illumination from a first point of view. At least one camera acquires an image of the patterned illumination from a second point of view. A controller is coupled to the source, and to the at least one camera. The controller generates a height topology of the circuit board based on images acquired from first and second image detectors of the patterned illumination. The characteristics of the pattern illumination are modified based on knowledge of the circuit board to enhance the dynamic range of the sensor and to reject image defects caused by multipath reflections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: CyberOptics Corporation
    Inventor: Paul R. Haugen
  • Patent number: 10120080
    Abstract: A technology is provided for detecting spoofed satellite signals. An aircraft may be equipped with a top antenna that is adapted to receive satellite signals and a bottom antenna that is adapted to receive terrestrial signals. A signal may be received on the top antenna and the bottom antenna. Relative signal strength between the top antenna and the bottom antenna may be used to differentiate satellite sourced signals from terrestrial sourced signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Steven P. Davies
  • Patent number: 9977117
    Abstract: A system for providing integrated detection and countermeasures against unmanned aerial vehicles include a detecting element, a location determining element and an interdiction element. The detecting element detects an unmanned aerial vehicle in flight in the region of, or approaching, a property, place, event or very important person. The location determining element determines the exact location of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The interdiction element can either direct the unmanned aerial vehicle away from the property, place, event or very important person in a non-destructive manner, or can cause disable the unmanned aerial vehicle in a destructive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: XiDrone Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwaine A. Parker, Damon E. Stern, Lawrence S. Pierce
  • Patent number: 9882270
    Abstract: An aviation transponder system comprising a permanently-mounted antenna, a permanently-mounted receiver module comprising a receiver, a signal splitter, and an external connector, and a portable receiver module, wherein a signal received on the permanently-mounted antenna is passed to the signal splitter of the permanently-mounted receiver module, wherein the signal splitter splits the signal such that the signal is sent to both the receiver and to the external connector, and wherein the portable receiver module is connected to the external connector, whereby the permanently-mounted antenna is used by the receiver of the permanently-mounted receiver module and fed through the permanently-mounted receiver module and made available to the portable receiver module through the external connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Appareo Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Robert M. Allen, Bradley R. Thurow, Jeffrey L. Johnson
  • Patent number: 9794059
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for encrypting data. The disclosed techniques can include tracking a plurality of flight parameter values for a plurality of flight parameters of an aircraft, generating a first cryptographic key from the plurality of flight parameter values, encrypting plaintext using the first cryptographic key to generate a first ciphertext, and sending, from a sender to a receiver, a message comprising the first ciphertext.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Daniel Nguyen, Timothy M. Mitchell, Marissa A. Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 9754495
    Abstract: An associative memory system, method and computer-readable storage medium are provided to modify a flight plan. In regards to an associative memory system, a receiver module is provided that is configured to receive a flight plan of an aircraft. The flight plan includes a plurality of attribute categories and their associated attribute values. The associative memory system also includes an associative memory configured to compare attribute values of the flight plan with corresponding attribute values of prior flight plans to identify one or more related flight plans. The one or more related flight plans include intangible data related to a respective flight. The associative memory system also includes a modification module configured to modify the flight plan of the aircraft based upon information from one or more of the related flight plans, including the intangible data from one or more of the related flight plans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: John Whelan
  • Patent number: 9741253
    Abstract: A price to utilize air-traffic resources is determined using a projected capacity for each air-traffic resource. The air-traffic resources include predefined geographic locations and future time periods. The price for a given air-traffic resource is based on the projected capacity of the given air-traffic resource. Data including the determined price is transmitted to each of a plurality of distributed computing systems to enable each of the distributed computing systems to independently determine, based on the price, proposed trajectories for one or more of the plurality of aerial vehicles. Data characterizing the proposed trajectories is received from the plurality of distributed computing systems. Whether the capacity required by the proposed trajectories in aggregate exceed the projected capacity for each of the plurality of air-traffic resources is determined using the proposed trajectories. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Resilient Ops, Inc
    Inventors: Bala Chandran, Hamsa Balakrishnan
  • Patent number: 9706242
    Abstract: An improved image display system configured to receive and display content, including one or more images and/or parametric data, associated with the flight trajectory of an aircraft is described herein. At least one or more images of the sky and/or earth may be retrieved and stored in an aircraft. Based on the location of the aircraft, the image display system selects a subset of the one or more stored images and displays the subset of the one or more images to at least one interior surface in the aircraft such that passengers may experience the imagery of the open sky or earth while in-flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Stephen Gregory Dame, Yakentim M. Ibrahim
  • Patent number: 9625720
    Abstract: A personal, electronic target vision system renders targets in the field of view of the user in real-time so that the user can visualize where the targets are relative to him, in an orientation analogous to unaided human vision. An electronic vision device exchanges target selection information with a target vision server which returns to the electronic vision device the corresponding selected target location information for rendering selected targets in accordance with the user's changing viewpoint. The target vision server queries a target information server in order to access, filter and provide the real-time target location information required by the electronic vision device. A surveillance system of sensors and target tracking systems provides the target information server with target location information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: ACCIPITER RADAR TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Timothy J. Nohara
  • Patent number: 9606535
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle includes a sensor interface coupled to a gyroscope system, a wireless communication interface, a processor, and memory. The memory has instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the autonomous vehicle to establish a plurality of wireless communication links with two or more vehicles in a group including the autonomous vehicle and the two or more vehicles. A signal strength of each of the wireless communication links is monitored to determine an observed signal strength of each of the wireless communication links. A desired position of the autonomous vehicle is determined based on an expected signal strength of each of the wireless communication links. A position adjustment of the autonomous vehicle is initiated based on a difference between the expected signal strength and the observed signal strength in combination with data from the gyroscope system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eric Humenay
  • Patent number: 9530317
    Abstract: A peripheral aircraft selection means maps a region in a 3D space defined by a start point of period information of the aircraft of interest, a point having the coordinate values of passage position coordinates at an end point of the period information and a lower limit arrival time, and a point having the coordinate values of passage position coordinates at the end point of the period information and an upper limit arrival time onto a 2D plane by use of a first projection matrix. The peripheral aircraft selection means then selects a peripheral aircraft which can abnormally near to the aircraft of interest by determining how the resultant region crosses with a circle whose center is a passage position of the peripheral aircraft and whose radius is a determination standard threshold as to whether abnormal nearing will occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sachio Teramoto, Koji Kida, Hiroki Tagato, Tomohito Ando
  • Patent number: 9520067
    Abstract: Provided is an air traffic control assistance system whereby it is possible to display the reliability of an avoidance recommendation over time in a manner which is easily understood by an air traffic controller. For each combination of link information of an aircraft of interest and link information of an aircraft in the vicinity thereof, a graphic identification unit identifies a graphic which represents a prescribed range which is defined by the aircraft in the vicinity thereof, in a plane which includes a three-dimensional vector which is represented by the link information of the aircraft of interest and which is perpendicular to the x-y plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Sachio Teramoto, Tomohito Ando, Hiroki Tagato, Koji Kida
  • Patent number: 9318024
    Abstract: Methods and systems for an automated real time cabin status and position reporting system with an application on a user mobile device for initiating a request for cabin status and position, an aircraft internet connection aboard the aircraft for receiving and transmitting the request with aircraft identification, and a ground network to receive the request and aircraft identification and return real time cabin status and position reports corresponding to aircraft identification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Satcom Direct, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason T. Natwick, Brian A. Rudloff
  • Patent number: 9262927
    Abstract: Methods and devices for automatically managing audio air control messages on an aircraft are described. The device comprises a unit for automatically transcribing an audio message received on board an aircraft into a textual message, a unit for automatically processing the textual message in order to extract all the indications included in this message, and a unit for automatically displaying, for each extracted indication, on at least one screen of the aircraft cockpit, an information message relating to the indication and a validation request for the pilot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS
    Inventors: Frédérique Populus, Eric Petit
  • Patent number: 9207312
    Abstract: The invention relates to a data processing method for a multistatic radar system comprising a plurality of transmitters and receivers, each receiver being associated with one or more transmitters so as to form one or more bistatic bases. According to the invention, the method involves producing and sustaining multi-receiver Cartesian tracks from bistatic blips produced by the various receivers, and comprises: a first step in which mono-receiver Cartesian tracks are produced and sustained, each mono-receiver track consisting of blips formed by a given receiver; and a second step in which multi-receiver Cartesian tracks are produced and sustained, each multi-receiver track being constituted by merging the mono-receiver tracks together and with bistatic blips which have not been associated with a mono-receiver track. The produced tracks are transmitted together with the attributes thereof to processing means operating upstream from the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Nicolas Millet, Sébastien Allam, Mathieu Klein, Thierry Malherbe
  • Patent number: 9134403
    Abstract: Localization systems and methods for unambiguously determining the range, bearing, and relative heading of a neighboring object relative to a reference point are provided. The systems and methods utilize a triangulation-based approach, wherein the range and heading information is based on measurements of angles between a reference coordinate system superposed on the reference point to a minimum of three target points on the neighboring object. The target points can include a minimum of three uniquely discernible beacons mounted to the neighboring object. A sensor capable of detecting the beacons is mounted at the reference point. The range and heading of the neighboring object can be calculated by an analysis of the geometries of the beacons and the reference point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Roger J. Anderson
  • Patent number: 8933957
    Abstract: Methods and systems for visually organizing aviation or aeronautical charts with color emphasis and de-emphasis features selected by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Brian B. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 8917201
    Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving ADS-B messages in environments where multipath propagation corrupts the messages or blocks the reception of the messages. An exemplary system combines RF signal processing and digital signal processing techniques to make it possible to receive ADS-B messages in the presence of multipath reflections from nearby structures and/or farther out structures. The system uses an array of horizontally spaced antennas. The RF signals from the antennas are combined by the receiver so as to form a set of beams with different azimuth antenna patterns to increase the probability that the multipath does not combine destructively with the line-of-sight path in at least one of the beams. This effectively removes multipath reflections where the delay of the multipath relative to the line-of-sight path is less than 100-200 nanoseconds. The system is also configured to remove multipath reflections with greater delays relative to the line-of-sight path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Alfonso Malaga
  • Patent number: 8909158
    Abstract: An aircraft communication system and corresponding method for establishing a datalink network between participating aircrafts, wherein each participating aircraft comprises a datalink transponder for sending and receiving standard communication messages (M) over a standard communication protocol; said datalink transponders are employed for establishing said datalink network using a standard communication protocol, and wherein said datalink transponders transmitting event driven messages (M) with a predefined structure identifying said messages (M) as test messages (TM) and at the same time comprising message data (MD) for establishing said datalink network, thus providing a datalink network established by transmission of solely messages (M) compliant with said standard communication protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG
    Inventors: Daniel O'Connor, Bruno Cervia, Robert Milns, Paul Gibson
  • Patent number: 8896467
    Abstract: Methods and an appropriately setup communication unit for positioning in vehicle-to-surroundings communication are described, wherein the method involves a first sensor (S1) of a first communication subscriber using a transmission and reception unit to emit a challenge pulse, to which a transmission and reception unit of a second sensor (S2) of a second communication subscriber responds with a response pulse. The response pulse is received and evaluated by the first sensor (S1) and positioning is performed. In order to achieve reliable cooperative sensor communication, the transmission and reception units of the first and second sensors (S1, S2) use a frequency band (SCH2) which is reserved for vehicle-oriented safety applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Ulrich Stählin, Marc Menzel, Stephan Zecha, Oliver Scherf
  • Patent number: 8897935
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a system for preventing collisions with a terrain. The system includes a detecting means for detecting risks of collision with the terrain after a predetermined forecasting delay. The system further includes a determining means for determining, based on a trajectory followed by the aircraft, a possible limit point for success of the vertical terrain avoidance maneuver. The system further includes indication means for giving indications on azimuth clearance sections, around the direction in which the aircraft is moving, suitable for success of the vertical terrain avoidance maneuver. The system further includes means for estimating a free-travel distance in each azimuth clearance sector on a straight distancing trajectory with constant gradient and over a distance correspond to more than one minute of flight, the free-travel distance being free of potential conflicts with the terrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Hugues Meunier, Nicolas Marty, Julia Percier
  • Patent number: 8892349
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving, in a computer-based airspace monitoring system, airspace information from a plurality of different sources via a plurality of different communication networks, receiving, in the computer-based airspace monitoring system, a first flightpath parameter from a first aircraft at a first point in time, wherein the first flightpath parameter comprises at least one of a three-dimensional position parameter, a flight trajectory parameter, or a speed parameter, establishing, in the computer-based airspace monitoring system, a first defined airspace in a region proximate the first aircraft, processing, in the computer-based airspace monitoring system, the airspace information for the first defined airspace based on the first position parameter received from the first aircraft to define a first data set of airspace information relevant to the first aircraft, and transmitting the first dataset of airspace information from the computer-based airspace monitoring system to the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Regina I. Estkowski, Ted D. Whitley, Richard Baumeister, Neale Leslie Fulton
  • Patent number: 8884810
    Abstract: A system and method for a single site beacon transceiver including an omni-directional transceiver, a plurality of directional receiving antennas for receiving a signal, and a digital receiver for processing the signal to determine an azimuth to the source of the received signal. The digital receiver includes a plurality of receiver channels that are calibrated periodically and at least one processor that estimates a coarse signal azimuth for the signal by calculating an amplitude monopulse ratio for the signal using the two directional receiving antennas receiving the highest amplitude signal, and estimates a final signal azimuth for the signal using an interferometer baseline between the two directional receiving antennas or, alternately, subtracts the complex ratio of the measurements from the complex ratio of the antenna array RF model to determine the angle corresponding to the minimum of the absolute value of the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Saab Sensis Corporation
    Inventor: Elyahu Perl
  • Publication number: 20140320332
    Abstract: Computer assistance in interval management may be beneficial in a number of ways. For example, digital communication of interval management instructions or information related to interval management may beneficially be communicated to aircraft with respect to other aircraft. This information may be communicated overlaid on air traffic control (ATC) communications, or otherwise. A method can include, for example, obtaining a spacing goal for an aircraft relative to a target aircraft. The method can also include determining clearance instructions for the aircraft, wherein the speed guidance is based on the spacing goal. The method can further include transmitting the clearance instructions in a computer-readable format to the aircraft. The instructions can be provided by an overlay-modulated signal of a provided modulated ATC signal. The instructions can be configured to enable control of the aircraft to achieve the spacing goal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems LLC
    Inventors: Gregory T. Stayton, Chuck Manberg
  • Patent number: 8860603
    Abstract: A method for the real-time management and sequencing of the information interchanges between a secondary radar and a plurality of aircraft includes the interchanges between the radar and a given aircraft being performed, depending on the aircraft concerned, either in a non-selective, SSR, IFF or “All Call” interrogation mode or in a selective “Roll Call” interrogation mode. According to this method, the information interchanges according to the non-selective interrogation modes are performed during successive periods specifically allocated to these modes, whereas each transaction forming an information interchange in selective mode between the radar and a given aircraft is temporally inserted into the time slots not used in periods by the interrogation-response tasks in non-selective mode. The method applies equally to the secondary radars exclusively dedicated to civilian air traffic control and to the secondary radars dedicated to combined civilian and military aircraft control tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventor: Philippe Billaud
  • Patent number: 8843301
    Abstract: A system and methods for coordinating positioning of vehicles in motion is disclosed. The method graphically presents displayed synchronization parameters on a display screen such that a user determines a planned position of a first vehicle on a planned path in order to arrive at a predetermined position at a correct time. The method further synchronizes the first vehicle with the planned position on the planned path using the displayed synchronization parameters and performs a rendezvous between the first vehicle and a second vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Charles B. Spinelli, Glenn Hanbey
  • Patent number: 8830115
    Abstract: A multiple-sensor tracking method, notably implemented in an air traffic control system, making it possible to reduce the latency time introduced by the tracking system, characterized in that the correlation (302) and association (303) functions work on the basis of membership of the detections (502) and of the tracks (503, 504) to cells (510, 511) defining a subdivision into a grid (501) of the surveillance area represented on a stereographic projection plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Olivier Baud, Nicolas Honore
  • Patent number: 8788187
    Abstract: A method and system for providing taxiway navigational information to a crewmember of an airplane taxiing at an airport. An airport taxiway navigation system (“ATNS”) that executes on an onboard computer system that displays a map of the taxiways of an airport, receives the name of each taxiway of the taxi route specified by the taxi clearance, and highlights the taxiways on a displayed map to provide a visual indication of the cleared taxi route for the crewmembers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Reagan Doose, Richard W. Ellerbrock, Glade L. Hulet, John M. Jauglias, Matthew T. Majka
  • Patent number: 8775062
    Abstract: Embodiments provide an advanced decision support tool to enable automated aircraft sequencing and conflict detection and resolution. The tool can be used to assist an air traffic controller (ATC) in determining merging, sequencing, and spacing resolutions; communicating the resolutions to the aircraft; and monitoring execution and compliance with the provided resolutions. According to embodiments, the tool can incorporate a broad range of inputs (e.g., surveillance data, weather information, aircraft equipage, etc.) and can be configured according to different aircraft sequencing modes of operation (e.g., one mode of operation is to minimize aircraft deviations necessary to resolve a particular conflict). In an embodiment, the tool includes a controller interface, which may be integrated within the controller interface of existing ATC systems or implemented separately. Embodiments can be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: The MITRE Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Alois Becher, Eric Joseph Zakrzewski, Paul Vincent MacWilliams
  • Patent number: 8755990
    Abstract: Traffic management reports are created from data provided by vehicle sensor devices placed at different fixed locations in a region. Data of vehicles that pass each of the vehicle sensor devices are captured and communicated to a central computer database. At the central computer database, traffic management reports are periodically created from the vehicle data. Each traffic management report incorporates vehicle data from a plurality of vehicles. The vehicle data is for a plurality of previous, non-current times so as to allow for analysis of past vehicle data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Intuitive Control Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher S. Johnson, Jason S. Geiger, John T. Graef
  • Patent number: 8723719
    Abstract: A bistatic radar receiver is centrally located within an array of multiple bistatic transmitters at an airport to precisely determine bird positions and altitudes. Bird target reflections from multiple transmitters are received by the radar receiver. Target location is determined by the transmitter location, receiver location, and measured transmitter-to-target-to-receiver ranges. Target position and altitude accuracy is similar to GPS. The radar receiver antenna is composed of a vertical array of elements and rotated 360 degrees in azimuth. The output of each element is downconverted, digitized, and digitally beamformed to provide multiple simultaneous antenna beams each electronically scanned in elevation. When bistatic transmitters cannot be deployed, a narrow-azimuth wide-elevation transmit antenna beam is overlapped with a wide-azimuth narrow-elevation receive antenna beam electronically scanned in elevation to provide a composite narrow azimuth and elevation beamwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Inventor: Gregory Hubert Piesinger
  • Patent number: 8704701
    Abstract: The present disclosure is generally directed to processing air traffic controller (“ATC”) communication directed to aircraft other than the current aircraft. ATC communication is processed using speech recognition and the call sign and augmented flight information for other aircraft is identified. The corresponding aircraft icon on the display representing the aircraft on the display may be augmented by emphasizing the icon and displaying augmented flight information, along with an insignia. This information is displayed for a configurable time duration, after which the display reverts to displaying a conventional aircraft icon and associated flight information on the display. The pilot can subsequently select the aircraft icon and may be presented with a log of past ATC communications for the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Karl Christian Pschierer, Marco Gaertner, Joshua Nicholas Smith