Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft
  • G08G5/20—Arrangements for acquiring, generating, sharing or displaying traffic information
  • G08G5/21—Arrangements for acquiring, generating, sharing or displaying traffic information located onboard the aircraft
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft
  • G08G5/20—Arrangements for acquiring, generating, sharing or displaying traffic information
  • G08G5/25—Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft
  • G08G5/50—Navigation or guidance aids
  • G08G5/54—Navigation or guidance aids for approach or landing
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft
  • G08G5/50—Navigation or guidance aids
  • G08G5/55—Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft
  • G08G5/70—Arrangements for monitoring traffic-related situations or conditions
  • G08G5/72—Arrangements for monitoring traffic-related situations or conditions for monitoring traffic
  • G08G5/723—Arrangements for monitoring traffic-related situations or conditions for monitoring traffic from the aircraft
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft
  • G08G5/70—Arrangements for monitoring traffic-related situations or conditions
  • G08G5/76—Arrangements for monitoring traffic-related situations or conditions for monitoring atmospheric conditions
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft
  • G08G5/20—Arrangements for acquiring, generating, sharing or displaying traffic information
  • G08G5/23—Details of user output interfaces, e.g. information presented

Definitions

• the present invention generally relates to aircraft operations and more particularly relates to systems and methods for providing landing assistance at a non-towered airport.
• CTAF traffic advisory frequency
• the pilot typically relies on communications broadcast by other aircraft over the CTAF to sequence entry into the traffic pattern and maintain safe flying distances with respect to the other aircraft.
• Examples of communications broadcast by the pilot of other aircraft include, an aircraft identifier, an aircraft position, an aircraft type, and an aircraft intention.
• the pilot may have to look out a cockpit window to continuously correlate the position of the other aircraft in the traffic pattern creating an additional workload for the pilot.
• a method of providing landing assistance associated with a non-towered airport onboard an aircraft includes: receiving first traffic data associated with a first intruder aircraft via a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), the first traffic data including a first position of the first intruder aircraft; receiving an aircraft position of the aircraft from a geospatial sensor system of the aircraft; determining whether the first position of the first intruder aircraft is within a pre-defined distance of the non-towered airport; and generating a landing assistance display including a graphical representation of a traffic pattern, the aircraft position of the aircraft, and the first position of the first intruder aircraft with respect to the traffic pattern for display on a display device onboard the aircraft based on the determination.
• CAF common traffic advisory frequency
• a system for providing landing assistance associated with a non-towered airport onboard an aircraft including at least one processor and at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor.
• the at least one memory includes instructions that, upon execution by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: receive first traffic data associated with a first intruder aircraft via a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), the first traffic data including a first position of the first intruder aircraft; receive an aircraft position of the aircraft from a geospatial sensor system of the aircraft; determine whether the first position of the first intruder aircraft is within a pre-defined distance of the non-towered airport; and generate a landing assistance display including a graphical representation of a traffic pattern, the aircraft position of the aircraft, and the first position of the first intruder aircraft with respect to the traffic pattern for display on a display device onboard the aircraft based on the determination.
• CAF common traffic advisory frequency
• a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions executable by at least one processor, the instructions configurable to cause the at least one processor to perform operations including: receiving first traffic data associated with a first intruder aircraft via a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), the first traffic data including a first position of the first intruder aircraft; receiving an aircraft position of the aircraft from a geospatial sensor system of the aircraft; determining whether the first position of the first intruder aircraft is within a pre-defined distance of a non-towered airport; and generating a landing assistance display including a graphical representation of a traffic pattern, the aircraft position of the aircraft, and the first position of the first intruder aircraft with respect to the traffic pattern for display on a display device onboard the aircraft based on the determination.
• CAF common traffic advisory frequency
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram representation of a system 10 configured to provide landing assistance at a non-towered airport in accordance with least one embodiment (shortened herein to "system” 10), as illustrated in accordance with an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure.
• the system 10 may be utilized onboard a mobile platform 5, as described herein.
• the mobile platform is an aircraft, which carries or is equipped with the system 10. As schematically depicted in FIG.
• the system 10 may include one or more of the following components or subsystems, each of which may assume the form of a single device or multiple interconnected devices: a controller circuit 12 operationally coupled to: at least one display device 14; computer-readable storage media or memory 16; an optional input interface 18, and ownship data sources 20 including, for example, a flight management system (FMS) 21 and an array of flight system state and geospatial sensors 22.
• a controller circuit 12 operationally coupled to: at least one display device 14; computer-readable storage media or memory 16; an optional input interface 18, and ownship data sources 20 including, for example, a flight management system (FMS) 21 and an array of flight system state and geospatial sensors 22.
• FMS flight management system
• the system 10 may be separate from or integrated within: the flight management system (FMS) 21 and/or a flight control system (FCS).
• FMS flight management system
• FCS flight control system
• FIG. 1 the individual elements and components of the system 10 can be implemented in a distributed manner utilizing any practical number of physically distinct and operatively interconnected pieces of hardware or equipment.
• the various components of the system 10 will typically all be located onboard the mobile platform 5.
• controller circuit (and its simplification, “controller”), broadly encompasses those components utilized to carry-out or otherwise support the processing functionalities of the system 10. Accordingly, the controller circuit 12 can encompass or may be associated with a programmable logic array, application specific integrated circuit or other similar firmware, as well as any number of individual processors, flight control computers, navigational equipment pieces, computer-readable memories (including or in addition to the memory 16), power supplies, storage devices, interface cards, and other standardized components. In various embodiments, the controller circuit 12 embodies one or more processors operationally coupled to data storage having stored therein at least one firmware or software program (generally, computer-readable instructions that embody an algorithm) for carrying-out the various process tasks, calculations, and control/display functions described herein.
• firmware or software program generally, computer-readable instructions that embody an algorithm
• the controller circuit 12 may be programmed with and execute the at least one firmware or software program, for example, a program 30, that embodies an algorithm described herein for providing landing assistance at a non-towered airport in accordance with least one embodiment on a mobile platform 5, where the mobile platform 5 is an aircraft, and to accordingly perform the various process steps, tasks, calculations, and control/display functions described herein.
• a program 30 that embodies an algorithm described herein for providing landing assistance at a non-towered airport in accordance with least one embodiment on a mobile platform 5, where the mobile platform 5 is an aircraft, and to accordingly perform the various process steps, tasks, calculations, and control/display functions described herein.
• the controller circuit 12 may exchange data, including real-time wireless data, with one or more external sources 50 to support operation of the system 10 in embodiments.
• bidirectional wireless data exchange may occur over a communications network, such as a public or private network implemented in accordance with Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol architectures or other conventional protocol standards. Encryption and mutual authentication techniques may be applied, as appropriate, to ensure data security.
• the memory 16 is a data storage that can encompass any number and type of storage media suitable for storing computer-readable code or instructions, such as the aforementioned software program 30, as well as other data generally supporting the operation of the system 10.
• the memory 16 may also store one or more threshold 34 values, for use by an algorithm embodied in software program 30.
• One or more database(s) 28 are another form of storage media; they may be integrated with memory 16 or separate from it.
• aircraft-specific parameters and information for an aircraft may be stored in the memory 16 or in a database 28 and referenced by the program 30.
• aircraft-specific information includes an aircraft weight and dimensions, performance capabilities, configuration options, and the like.
• Flight parameter sensors and geospatial sensors 22 supply various types of data or measurements to the controller circuit 12 during an aircraft flight.
• the geospatial sensors 22 supply, without limitation, one or more of: inertial reference system measurements providing a location, Flight Path Angle (FPA) measurements, airspeed data, groundspeed data (including groundspeed direction), vertical speed data, vertical acceleration data, altitude data, attitude data including pitch data and roll measurements, yaw data, heading information, sensed atmospheric conditions data (including wind speed and direction data), flight path data, flight track data, radar altitude data, and geometric altitude data.
• FPA Flight Path Angle
• the display device 14 can include any number and type of image generating devices on which one or more avionic displays 32 may be produced.
• the display device 14 may be affixed to the static structure of the Aircraft cockpit as, for example, a Head Down Display (HDD) or Head Up Display (HUD) unit.
• the display device 14 may assume the form of a movable display device (e.g., a pilot-worn display device) or a portable display device, such as an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), a laptop, or a tablet computer carried into the aircraft cockpit by a pilot.
• EFB Electronic Flight Bag
• At least one avionic display 32 is generated on the display device 14 during operation of the system 10; the term “avionic display” is synonymous with the term “aircraft-related display” and “cockpit display” and encompasses displays generated in textual, graphical, cartographical, and other formats.
• the system 10 can generate various types of lateral and vertical avionic displays 32 on which map views and symbology, text annunciations, and other graphics pertaining to flight planning are presented for a pilot to view.
• the display device 14 is configured to continuously render at least a lateral display showing the aircraft at its current location within the map data.
• the avionic display 32 generated and controlled by the system 10 can include graphical user interface (GUI) objects and alphanumerical input displays of the type commonly presented on the screens of multifunction control display units (MCDUs), as well as Control Display Units (CDUs) generally.
• GUI graphical user interface
• MCDUs multifunction control display units
• CDUs Control Display Units
• embodiments of the avionic displays 32 include one or more two-dimensional (2D) avionic displays, such as a horizontal (i.e., lateral) navigation display or vertical navigation display (i.e., vertical situation display VSD); and/or on one or more three dimensional (3D) avionic displays, such as a Primary Flight Display (PFD) or an exocentric 3D avionic display.
• 2D two-dimensional
• avionic displays such as a horizontal (i.e., lateral) navigation display or vertical navigation display (i.e., vertical situation display VSD)
• 3D three dimensional
• PFD Primary Flight Display
• a human-machine interface is implemented as an integration of a pilot input interface 18 and a display device 14.
• the display device 14 is a touch screen display.
• the human-machine interface also includes a separate pilot input interface 18 (such as a keyboard, cursor control device, voice input device, or the like), generally operationally coupled to the display device 14.
• the controller circuit 12 may command and control a touch screen display device 14 to generate a variety of graphical user interface (GUI) objects or elements described herein, including, for example, buttons, sliders, and the like, which are used to prompt a user to interact with the human-machine interface to provide user input; and for the controller circuit 12 to activate respective functions and provide user feedback, responsive to received user input at the GUI element.
• GUI graphical user interface
• the system 10 may also include a dedicated communications circuit 24 configured to provide a real-time bidirectional wired and/or wireless data exchange for the controller 12 to communicate with the external sources 50 (including, each of: traffic, air traffic control (ATC), satellite weather sources, ground stations, and the like).
• the communications circuit 24 may include a public or private network implemented in accordance with Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol architectures and/or other conventional protocol standards. Encryption and mutual authentication techniques may be applied, as appropriate, to ensure data security.
• the communications circuit 24 is integrated within the controller circuit 12, and in other embodiments, the communications circuit 24 is external to the controller circuit 12.
• controller circuit 12 and the other components of the system 10 may be integrated within or cooperate with any number and type of systems commonly deployed onboard an aircraft including, for example, an FMS 21.
• the disclosed algorithm is embodied in a hardware program or software program (e.g. program 30 in controller circuit 12) and configured to operate when the aircraft is in any phase of flight.
• the provided controller circuit 12, and therefore its program 30 may incorporate the programming instructions for: receiving traffic data associated with an intruder aircraft via a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), the traffic data including a position of the intruder aircraft; receiving an aircraft position of the aircraft from a geospatial sensor system of the aircraft; determining whether the position of the intruder aircraft is within a pre-defined distance of the non-towered airport; and generating a landing assistance display including a graphical representation of a traffic pattern, the aircraft position of the aircraft, and the position of the intruder aircraft with respect to the traffic pattern for display on a display device onboard the aircraft based on the determination.
• CAF traffic advisory frequency
• FIG. 2 a block diagram representation of a controller 200 including a non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 in accordance with at least one embodiment is shown.
• the controller 200 is similar to the controller circuit 12 described with reference to FIG. 1 .
• the controller 200 is configured to be communicatively coupled to a display device 14, a pilot interface unit 18, geospatial sensor(s) 22, and a communication circuit 24 of an aircraft 5.
• the controller 200 is configured to be communicatively coupled to a flight control system (FCS) 21 of the aircraft 5.
• FCS flight control system
• the controller 200 includes at least one processor 204 and at least one memory 206.
• the memory 206 is similar to the memory 16 described with reference to FIG. 1 .
• the processor(s) 204 is communicatively coupled to the at least one memory 206.
• the processor(s) 204 is a programable device that includes one or more instructions stored in or associated with the at least one memory 206.
• the at least one memory 206 includes instructions that the processor(s) 204 is configured to execute.
• the at least one memory 206 includes the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202.
• the controller 200 may include additional components that facilitate operation of the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202. The operation of the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 will be described in further detail below.
• FIG. 3 a flowchart representation of a method 300 of providing landing assistance at a non-towered airport in accordance with at least one embodiment is shown.
• the method 300 will be described with reference to an exemplary implementation of a non-towered airport landing assistance system 202.
• the order of operation within the method 300 is not limited to the sequential execution as illustrated in FIG. 3 but may be performed in one or more varying orders as applicable and in accordance with the present disclosure.
• a pilot of that aircraft begins to broadcast traffic data associated with the aircraft on the CTAF.
• traffic data include, but are not limited to, an aircraft identifier, an aircraft type, an aircraft position, and an aircraft intention.
• aircraft intention include, but are not limited to, an intention to enter a traffic pattern associated with a landing runway at the non-towered airport, an intention to continue flying within the traffic pattern associated with the landing runway, and an intention to fly over the traffic pattern.
• Aircraft traffic, such as other aircraft approaching the non-towered airport will be referred to as intruder aircraft.
• a non-towered airport is an airport without an air traffic control (ATC).
• the non-towered airport is an airport where ATC is closed or unavailable. Pilots operating aircraft in a traffic pattern in non-towered airports have to be alert at all times to other aircraft executing straight in approaches to the landing runway.
• common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) voice communication including traffic data from one or more intruder aircraft is received at the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 of the aircraft 5 via the communication circuit 24 of the aircraft 5.
• the aircraft 5 is the ownship and the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 is operating onboard the ownship.
• the CTAF voice communication is received at the communication circuit 24 via CTAF.
• the traffic data associated with each intruder aircraft includes an aircraft identifier, an aircraft type, an aircraft position, and an aircraft intention.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 receives aircraft positions of one or more intruder aircraft via a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).
• TCAS Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System
• a text version of the CTAF voice communication is generated by the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 include a voice to text transcription engine.
• the voice to text transcription engine is configured to receive the CTAF voice communication and generate the text version of the CTAF voice communication.
• a landing runway at the non-towered airport based is identified based on wind direction.
• a non-towered airport may include a windsock.
• a windsock provides a pilot with a visual indication of wind direction.
• the pilot of the aircraft 5 identifies a downwind leg based on the wind direction.
• the pilot identifies a landing runway at the non-towered airport based on the downwind leg.
• the downwind leg is parallel to the identified landing runway and has a direction opposite the landing direction on the landing runway.
• the landing runway is associated with a traffic pattern.
• the entry point into the traffic pattern is typically at a 45° angle with respect to the downwind leg.
• the pilot provides the identified landing runway to the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 via a pilot interface unit 18 of the aircraft 5.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 receives the wind direction from one of a geospatial sensor 22 and an external source of wind direction.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 is configured to maintain a list of the landing runways at the non-towered airport and identifies a landing runway from the list of landing runways based on the downwind leg.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 identifies a traffic pattern associated with the identified landing runway.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 is configured to maintain a list of the landing runways at the non-towered airport and the traffic patterns associated with each of the landing runways in the list of landing runways.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 is configured to identify the traffic pattern associated with the landing runway selected for landing at the non-towered airport.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines whether any intruder aircraft are present within a pre-defined distance of the non-towered airport.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 receives aircraft positions of the aircraft broadcasting on CTAF.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 retrieves the aircraft positions from the text version of the CTAF voice communications.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 receives the aircraft positions of one or more aircraft via TCAS.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 identifies aircraft having aircraft positions within the pre-defined distance of the non-towered airport as intruder aircraft.
• the pre-defined distance is 10 miles. In many instances, pilots of aircraft begin broadcasting traffic data on CTAF when the aircraft is within 10 miles of a non-towered airport.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines that there are no intruder aircraft present within the pre-defined distance of the non-towered airport, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 generates a straight-in approach recommendation for display on a display device 14 of the aircraft 5 at 312. When a pilot guides the aircraft 5 in the straight-in approach to the landing runway, the aircraft 5 does not enter the traffic pattern associated with the landing runway.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines whether any of the intruder aircraft have entered the traffic pattern associated with the landing runway at 314.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 uses the aircraft positions of the intruder aircraft to determine whether one or more intruder aircraft have entered the traffic pattern. In at least one embodiment, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 uses the aircraft intentions of the intruder aircraft received via the CTAF voice communication to determine whether one or more of the intruder aircraft have entered the traffic pattern. In at least one embodiment, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 uses the aircraft positions of the intruder aircraft and the aircraft intention of the intruder aircraft received via the CTAF voice communication to determine whether one or more of the intruder aircraft have entered the traffic pattern.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 uses the text version of the CTAF voice communication to identify the aircraft positions of the intruder aircraft and/or the aircraft intentions of the intruder aircraft to determine whether one or more of the intruder aircraft have entered the traffic pattern.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines that at least one intruder aircraft has entered the traffic pattern, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 generates a "traffic in pattern" alert for display on the display device 14 of the aircraft 5 at 316.
• the "traffic in pattern" alert provides the pilot with situational awareness that intruder aircraft is present in the traffic pattern prior to flying the aircraft into the traffic pattern.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines that at least one intruder aircraft has entered the traffic pattern, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 generates an advisory against a straight-in approach to the landing runway for display on the display device 14 of the aircraft 5.
• the method 300 proceeds to 318. If the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines that there are no intruder aircraft present in the traffic pattern, the method proceeds to 318.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines whether an intruder aircraft intends to enter the traffic pattern. In at least one embodiment, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 uses the aircraft positions of the intruder aircraft to determine whether one or more intruder aircraft intends to enter the traffic pattern. In at least one embodiment, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 uses the aircraft intentions of the intruder aircraft received via the CTAF voice communication to determine whether one or more intruder aircraft intends to enter the traffic pattern. In at least one embodiment, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 uses the aircraft positions of the intruder aircraft and the aircraft intentions of the intruder aircraft to determine whether one or more intruder aircraft intends to enter traffic pattern.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 uses the text version of the CTAF voice communication to identify the aircraft positions of the intruder aircraft and/or the aircraft intentions of the intruder aircraft to determine whether one or more intruder aircraft intends to enter the traffic pattern.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines that none of the intruder aircraft intend to enter the traffic pattern, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 generates a enter traffic pattern recommendation for display on the display device 14 of the aircraft 5 at 320. If the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determined that there is at least one intruder aircraft present in the traffic pattern, generated the "traffic in pattern alert", determined that none of the intruder aircraft intend to enter the traffic pattern, and generated the enter traffic pattern recommendation, the pilot is provided with guidance to enter the traffic pattern while being cognizant of intruder aircraft being present in the traffic pattern.
• the pilot can enter the traffic pattern without have to worry about the presence of intruder aircraft in the traffic pattern or intruder aircraft intending to enter the traffic pattern.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines whether the intruder aircraft has the right of way to enter the traffic pattern at 322. In at least one embodiment, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines whether the intruder aircraft has the right of way based on the aircraft position of the intruder aircraft with respect to the traffic pattern. In at least one embodiment, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines whether the intruder aircraft has the right of way based on the aircraft type of the intruder aircraft. In at least one embodiment, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines whether the intruder aircraft has the right of way based on the aircraft position of the intruder aircraft with respect to the traffic pattern and the aircraft type of the intruder aircraft.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines that the intruder aircraft has the right of way to enter the traffic pattern, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 generates a "traffic right of way" alert for display on the display device 14 of the aircraft 5 at 324 indicating that the aircraft 5 has to yield to the intruder aircraft when entering the traffic pattern.
• the method 300 proceeds to 328. If the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines that the aircraft 5 has the right of way to enter the traffic pattern, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 generates a right of way recommendation for display on the display device 14 of the aircraft 5 at 326 indicating that the intruder aircraft has to yield to the aircraft 5 when entering the traffic pattern.
• the method 300 proceeds to 328.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 generates a landing assistance display for display on the display device 14 of the aircraft 5.
• the landing assistance display includes a graphical representation of the landing runway, the traffic pattern associated with the landing runway, the position of the aircraft 5, and the positions of intruder aircraft that are within the pre-defined distance of the non-towered airport.
• an intruder aircraft that has entered the traffic pattern is depicted using a first format and an intruder aircraft that intends to enter the traffic pattern is depicted using a second format. The first format is different from the second format.
• an intruder aircraft that has the right of way to enter the traffic pattern is depicted using a format that is different from an intruder aircraft that does not have the right of way to enter the traffic pattern.
• the landing assistance display includes one or more of the straight-in approach recommendation, the "traffic in pattern” alert, the enter traffic pattern recommendation, the "traffic right of way” alert, and a right of way recommendation.
• the graphical depiction of that intruder aircraft is presented in a format on the landing assistance display that indicates that the intruder aircraft is the annunciating aircraft.
• the aircraft type of each of the intruder aircraft is specified on the landing assistance display.
• the aircraft intention associated with each of the intruder aircraft is displayed on the landing assistance display.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 tracks the position of the aircraft 5 based on aircraft position data received from the geospatial sensor(s) 22. The non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines whether the tracked positions of the aircraft 5 indicate that the aircraft 5 heading away from the traffic pattern. If the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines that the tracked positions of the aircraft 5 indicates that the aircraft 5 heading away from the traffic pattern, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 generates a "wrong turn" alert for display on the display device 14 of the aircraft. In at least one embodiment, the "wrong turn" alert is generated for display on the landing assistance display. The "wrong turn” alert warns the pilot that the aircraft 5 is leaving the traffic pattern and heading in a direction away from the traffic pattern. Heading away from the traffic pattern could potentially lead to an adverse aircraft event.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines whether a position of an intruder aircraft is within a pre-defined distance of the position of the aircraft 5. If the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 determines that a position of an intruder aircraft is within the pre-defined distance of the position of the aircraft 5, the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 generates a prompt to implement an evasive maneuver for display on the display device 14 of the aircraft 5. Upon activation of the prompt via the pilot interface unit 18, a flight control system (FCS) of the aircraft 5 implements the evasive maneuver to avoid a potential adverse event with the intruder aircraft.
• FCS flight control system
• the landing assistance display 400 includes a landing runway 402 that has been identified for landing of the aircraft 5 based on wind direction.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 of the aircraft 5 has identified a traffic pattern 404 associated with the landing runway 402.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 is receiving traffic data in the form of CTAF voice communication from intruder aircraft 406, 408, 410 via CTAF.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 has determined that there are three intruder aircraft 406, 408, 410 disposed within a pre-defined distance of the non-towered airport based on traffic data received from each of the intruder aircraft 406, 408, 410 via CTAF.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 has determined that intruder aircraft 410 has entered the traffic pattern 404 and generated a "Traffic in Pattern" alert for display on the landing assistance display 400.
• the intruder aircraft 410 disposed within the traffic pattern 404 is represented using a specific format that indicates that the intruder aircraft 410 is flying in the traffic pattern 404.
• the intruder aircraft 406 is currently broadcasting traffic data on CTAF and is represented in a format that indicates that the intruder aircraft 406 is the annunciating aircraft.
• the intruder aircraft 408 is currently not broadcasting traffic data on CTAF and is represented in a format that indicates that the intruder aircraft 408 is a non-annunciating aircraft.
• the format used to represent each of the intruder aircraft 406, 408, 410 is in accordance with the status of the intruder aircraft 406. 408, 410 described above.
• a non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 onboard an aircraft 5 identifies intruder aircraft within a traffic pattern and correlates the position of the intruder aircraft on the traffic pattern.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 provides an advisory alert when intruder aircraft is present within the traffic pattern.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 provides right of way guidance when an intruder aircraft is preparing to enter the traffic pattern.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 alerts the pilot when engaging in a wrong turn while flying the aircraft 5 in the traffic pattern.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 also interprets the intent of intruder aircraft and position of intruder aircraft as reported by the pilot of the intruder aircraft on CTAF and identifies them on the landing assistance display.
• the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 provides a pilot of an aircraft with situational awareness regarding the presence of intruder aircraft within a vicinity of a non-towered airport as well as in the traffic pattern to enable the pilot to execute a safe approach to the landing runway.
• Use of the non-towered airport landing assistance system 202 reduces pilot workload when operating an aircraft in a non-towered airport especially when multiple intruder aircraft are preparing to land at the non-towered airport using the same landing runway.
• Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.
• an embodiment of a system or a component may employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices.
• integrated circuit components e.g., memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices.
• DSP digital signal processor
• ASIC application specific integrated circuit
• FPGA field programmable gate array
• a general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine.
• a processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.
• a software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art.
• An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium.
• the storage medium may be integral to the processor.
• the processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC.
• an embodiment of a system or a component may employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices.
• integrated circuit components e.g., memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices.
• various elements of the systems described herein are essentially the code segments or instructions that perform the various tasks.
• the program or code segments can be stored in a processor-readable medium or transmitted by a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave over a transmission medium or communication path.
• the "computer-readable medium”, “processor-readable medium”, or “machine-readable medium” may include any medium that can store or transfer information. Examples of the processor-readable medium include an electronic circuit, a semiconductor memory device, a ROM, a flash memory, an erasable ROM (EROM), a floppy diskette, a CD-ROM, an optical disk, a hard disk, a fiber optic medium, a radio frequency (RF) link, or the like.
• RF radio frequency
• the computer data signal may include any signal that can propagate over a transmission medium such as electronic network channels, optical fibers, air, electromagnetic paths, or RF links.
• the code segments may be downloaded via computer networks such as the Internet, an intranet, a LAN, or the like.
• modules Some of the functional units described in this specification have been referred to as "modules" in order to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence.
• functionality referred to herein as a module may be implemented wholly, or partially, as a hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components.
• a module may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, or the like. Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by various types of processors.
• An identified module of executable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical modules of computer instructions that may, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function.
• the executables of an identified module need not be physically located together, but may comprise disparate instructions stored in different locations that, when joined logically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purpose for the module.
• a module of executable code may be a single instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices.
• operational data may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and may exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.

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• 2025
  • 2025-05-02 EP EP25173934.8A patent/EP4657408A1/de active Pending

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