Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Relative location – Collision avoidance
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-15
2004-01-06
Black, Thomas G. (Department: 3663)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Relative location
Collision avoidance
C701S001000, C701S200000, C342S029000, C342S357490, C340S436000, C340S961000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06675095
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a field of collision avoidance systems, and more specifically, to a field of navigating an aircraft around a restricted air space (RAS).
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Many commercial aircraft systems include avionics systems that prevent the pilot from instructing the plane to do maneuvers that are outside of its design envelope. For instance, Krumes et al in the U. S. Pat. No. 5,465,142, discloses “a system for sensing objects in the flight path of an aircraft and alerting the pilot to their presence including a laser radar subsystem for emitting a beam of laser energy, receiving returns from objects, and processing the returns to produce range data related to the range of the objects from the aircraft. A scanning subsystem scans the beam and produces directional information related to the instantaneous direction of the beam relative to the aircraft. Processor circuitry controls operation, processes the range data and directional information with instrumentation data from the avionics system, produces video information related to the range, direction, and type of the objects, and interfaces the video information to the video display system. The processor circuitry may be programmed to (1) overlay video information on existing aircraft video display system, (2) provide acoustical warnings on an aircraft intercom, (3) analyze returns by subdividing the field of regard into a series of analysis windows, performing a statistical analysis of the returns related to each of the analysis windows, and identifying returns that fall into a common range interval, (4) transforming coordinates of objects measured relative to the aircraft to a horizon-stabilized, north-oriented coordinate system which is independent of the attitude of the aircraft, (5) inserting the coordinates of identified objects into a data base so that the coordinates may be used for constructing a video display at a later time and updating the data base to correct for movements of the aircraft, and (6) constructing a window-of-safety display of objects currently within the field of regard by adjusting the displayed position of the objects to compensate for avoidance maneuvers the pilot may execute.” In addition, the U. S. Pat. No. 6,161,063, issued to Deker, describes “a method of automatically controlling an aircraft to avoid a vertical zone including several steps. The aircraft first acquires limits of the zone to be avoided. The zone is modeled by a cylindrical volume which is limited by a horizontal contour with upper and lower altitudes of the zone. The cylindrical volume associated with a scheduled route of the aircraft is located and points of entry and exit in the cylindrical volume are determined. A new flight altitude is calculated in order to avoid the zone. A point of change of altitude is calculated to reach an avoidance altitude. The new flight altitude is updated and the point of change of altitude is input into an automatic pilot.”
However, it is become useful for an aircraft to have an on-board navigational system that would prevent the aircraft from entering a predetermined restricted airspace (RAS) in the event that the pilot could not take an appropriate evasive action on his own, for whatever reason. For example, a restricted airspace (RAS) can include a mile horizontal, and a thousand feet vertical of previously-defined spaces. The properly designed on-board navigation-control system should also limit the velocity and acceleration vectors of an aircraft when the aircraft is within a prescribed range to the RAS.
It is become also very useful to have an on-board tamper-proof or tamper-resistant navigational system that would prevent the pilot from entering a predetermined RAS, and that is very difficult to tamper with, or circumvent. However, a pilot with a valid identity authentication should be able to override the on-board tamper-proof or tamper-resistant navigational system in certain emergency cases. Thus, the on-board tamper-proof navigational system should be able to operate in at least two modes: (a) non-overriding mode, when the pilot can not override the on-board tamper-proof/tamper-resistant navigational system that would prevent the pilot from entering a predetermined RAS; (b) overriding mode, when the pilot upon proper authentication of his identity, is able to override the on-board tamper-proof/tamper-resistant navigational system and take control of the aircraft despite there being a possibility of entering a restricted airspace, presumably with the goal of flying around it himself instead of letting the navigational system fly the plane.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address the shortcomings of the available art, the present invention provides a tamper-proof/tamper-resistant apparatus located on board of an aircraft for avoiding a restricted air space (RAS). Tamper-proof and tamper-resistant are used interchangeably as the term might apply to each component in the system. Some components may be truly tamper-proof, while others can only achieve tamper-resistance. That is, the component cannot ever be made truly tamper-proof.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a tamper-proof apparatus located on board of an aircraft for avoiding a restricted air space (RAS) comprises: (1) a tamper-proof restricted air space (TAP-RAS) database configured to include a set of coordinates that determines the RAS; and (2) a navigational processor configured to navigate the aircraft around the RAS, if a valid overriding command is not generated. If a valid overriding command is generated, the navigational processor is configured to navigate the aircraft in an overriding mode. In one embodiment when the valid overriding command is implemented, the navigational processor can continue to fly the plane to avoid the RAS; the pilot can make minor adjustments as he sees fit, or can take over control entirely, at his discretion. Alternatively, while being in the overriding mode, the navigational processor can be configured to navigate the aircraft in such a way as to penetrate the RAS. This event cannot be avoided if a valid overriding authorization is entered by an authentic and approved pilot.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the navigational processor further comprises: (a) a Satellite Positioning System (SATPS) configured to substantially continuously obtain a set of real time position coordinates of the aircraft; (b) a restricted airspace controller configured to receive and analyze a set of real time data including the set of coordinates that determines the RAS and the set of real time position coordinates in order to substantially continuously generate a real time set of commands; and (c) an aircraft controller configured to navigate the aircraft utilizing the real time set of commands around the RAS.
In one embodiment, the restricted airspace controller is configured to receive and analyze a set of real time data including the set of coordinates that determines the RAS and the set of real time position coordinates in order to substantially continuously generate the likelihood of penetration of the RAS based on the current flight path, RAS position, and the current speed and acceleration of the aircraft. In this embodiment, the restricted airspace controller generates a set of real time commands for executing evasive maneuvers to avoid the RAS, and an estimate of the flight time until such execution should begin.
The Satellite Positioning System (SATPS) further includes: a Global Positioning System (GPS), a Global Navigational System (GLONASS), or a combined GPS/GLONASS system.
In one embodiment, the Global Positioning System (GPS) further includes a differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) configured to receive a set of differential corrections in order to substantially continuously obtain a set of real time position coordinates of the aircraft with increased accuracy. In one embodiment, the differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) further includes a velocity block configured to substantially
Bird David Glenn
Janky James M.
Mancho Ronnie
Tankhilevich Boris G.
Trimble Navigation LTD
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