Communications: electrical – Aircraft alarm or indicating systems – Docking guidance
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-08
2003-04-01
Swarthout, Brent A. (Department: 3662)
Communications: electrical
Aircraft alarm or indicating systems
Docking guidance
C244S11400R, C701S003000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06542086
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a docking system for airport terminals. More particularly, the invention relates to a docking system for airport terminals having a positioning apparatus by which an aircraft can be guided to a parking position appropriate for its type, a video device by which the aircraft can be detected as it approaches the airport terminal, and an evaluation unit by which it is possible to evaluate data which are supplied to the evaluation unit by the video device and which relate to the form and the movement of the aircraft.
German Patent DE 40 09 668 A1 discloses a procedure in which a video camera is used to detect a two-dimensional image, which is passed to an evaluation unit.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to further develop the known docking system. A further object is to develop the known system in such a manner that it can be used even in adverse environmental and weather conditions with an extremely high operational reliability, sufficient for the operation of airports.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects are achieved according to one formulation of the invention in that a template set for each different type of aircraft is stored in the evaluation unit, which set contains at least three, preferably five, specific templates for all types of aircraft or outline sections of the relevant type, and in that the at least three, preferably five, specific outline sections of the aircraft which is approaching the airport terminal can be determined and compared with the stored template sets, in the evaluation unit, from the input signals from the video device.
According to another aspect of the invention, a docking system is provided for airport terminals, which has a comparatively low level of installation complexity and, furthermore, allows the airport terminals to be operated in a safe and, for the most part, automated fashion. Precise detection of the type of aircraft approaching the airport terminal is ensured even if the entire contour of the approaching aircraft cannot be detected by the video device, for example because there are obstructions in the parking area or ramp area of the airport terminal.
A monochrome camera has been found to be a particularly suitable video device for implementing the docking system according to the invention and its positioning apparatus.
The objective focal lengths of the video device should advantageously be 16 or 25 mm.
Adequate detection of the aircraft approaching the airport terminal is ensured if the video device is arranged such that it is approximately aligned with the center line of the airport gate, preferably at a height of approximately 9 m.
The type of aircraft approaching the airport terminal can be detected with a comparatively low level of complexity if a sequence of gray tone images produced by the monochrome camera can be read to the evaluation unit, the individual gray tone images in the sequence can be spatially filtered in order to extract gray tone edges, the sequence of gray tone images can be filtered in the time domain in order to produce moving images, and a mask can be produced from the moving images defining areas for subsequent segmentation.
The evaluation unit should expediently have a Sobel filter for spatial filtering of the gray tone images, and for filtering the gray tone images in the time domain.
Two engines, the windshield and two landing gear legs have been found to be outline sections which are particularly specific to the aircraft contour of each type. These five specific outline sections or templates expediently form a template set. This template set is defined for the respective aircraft type and stored in the evaluation unit.
Trajectories of the templates or specific outline sections of the aircraft contour can be used as a basis to determine the present position of the aircraft as it approaches the airport terminal.
When the docking system according to the invention, in particular its positioning apparatus, is implemented and installed completely, it is possible to allow all the processes required for docking of the aircraft, in particular the docking of the bridge to the aircraft, to be carried out automatically. In this case, it is possible for the video device to have only one video camera.
In a particularly advantageous manner, the pixel processing described above as well as the detection of the type of aircraft approaching the gate of the airport terminal can be used for a docking system for airport terminals wherein each gate has a docking station subsystem. The docking station subsystem is connected via a communication network to a central control device. In addition, it has an airfield situation monitoring and processing segment, at least one advisor and guidance display segment, a data and status handler segment having at least one video camera for each center line of the gate, and at least one gate operator panel segment. An auxiliary subsystem is connected to the docking station subsystem, by which information relating to aircraft models and the gate can be entered into the docking station subsystem.
The docking station subsystem expediently has an advisor and guidance display segment for each center line of its gate.
A particularly advantageous embodiment of this advisor and guidance display segment is achieved if a microprocessor is provided which controls the display elements and converts display commands into indications of the display elements.
An embodiment of the docking station subsystem according to the invention and of the docking system according to the invention which is less complex in terms of equipment and design is achieved if the data and status handler segment of the docking station subsystem runs on the same hardware as the airfield situation monitoring and processing segment. Also, in this embodiment, the communication between the docking station subsystem and the central control device takes place via the communication network, and the processes within the docking station subsystem are coordinated by the data and status handler segment.
In a further development of the docking system according to the invention, the data and status handler segment and the airfield situation monitoring and processing segment of the docking station subsystem may be arranged in one housing.
Expediently, the data and status handler segment and the airfield situation monitoring and processing segment may run on a hardware basis comprising a PC motherboard and video signal processing equipment.
If the design of the docking station subsystem for the docking system according to the invention provides for the data and status handler segment and the airfield situation monitoring and processing segment to be arranged outside the actual gate, it is possible to additionally arrange the advisor and guidance display segment in the housing common to the two components mentioned above.
In a further specific embodiment of the docking system according to the invention, the docking station subsystem is designed such that it allows advisor and guidance displays to be transmitted to a screen in the cockpit of an aircraft which is approaching the gate. This mode of operation may be used instead of operating the advisor and guidance display segment, or may be provided in addition to operating this advisor and guidance display segment.
It is also possible to arrange the airfield situation monitoring and processing segment in a housing with the video camera.
For transmission of data between the airfield situation monitoring and processing segment and the data and status handler segment of the docking station subsystem, it is expedient for the airfield situation monitoring and processing segment to have an associated digital signal processor. In the digital signal processor, the originally analog video signals are converted into digital signals before they are passed to the input line to the data and status handler segment.
The auxiliary subsystem which is associated with the docking station
Baumgartner Klaus
Brennfleck Martin
Konerth John
Link Norbert
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