# US 10,373,506 B2 · Method and system for pilot target aircraft and target obstacle alertness and awareness > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,373,506 B2 - Document ID: US10373506B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/166,069 - Filed: 2018-10-20 - Published: 2019-04-25 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-10 - Assignees: Beeper Avionics Inc. - Applicants: Beeper Avionics Inc. - Inventors: Christopher Schupp; Jay David Marks - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373506B2 ## CPC - G08G 5/80: Anti-collision systems - G01S 13/933: of aircraft or spacecraft - G01S 19/03: Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers - G01S 19/13: Receivers - G08G 5/21: located onboard the aircraft - G08G 5/25: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft - G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations - G08G 5/723: {from the aircraft} - G01S 19/14: specially adapted for specific applications - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract There is provided systems and methods for pilot alertness and awareness of target aircraft and target obstacle that are flying within a proceeding flight path collision. Transmitted guiding sound signals consisting of three dimensional effects and tonal sounds are generated by a flight unit, and sent to the pilot's headset for the desired purpose of directing the pilot's head position to locate the target aircraft and target obstacle. The flight unit processes time of collision from received target aircraft broadcast, and contain at least GPS data and target obstacle information from stored navigational maps. The flight unit further receives the pilot's head position through means of a head tracker. Furthermore, the flight unit is able to perform the functions of, storing piloted flight information, voice language instruction, flight assisted notification, and communicating with one or multiple mobile devices such for the information to be displayed visually, and is upgradable remotely. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of aircraft traffic awareness and alertness performed by a first aircraft, the method comprising: determining, by a flight unit of the first aircraft, that a target aircraft is on a collision path with the first aircraft; measuring, by a head tracker unit affixed to a headset, a head position; transmitting, by the head tracker unit and to the flight unit, the head position; deriving, by the flight unit, and based on positional information of the target aircraft and the head position, a direction of the target aircraft relative to the head position; and transmitting, by the flight unit, a guiding sound signal to the headset, the guiding sound signal indicating the position of the target aircraft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the guiding sound signal is a three dimensional sound effect. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the guiding sound signal is a tone modulation effect. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a broadcast signal from the target aircraft that is formatted according to a protocol selected from the group consisting of ADS-B, ADS-R, TIS-B, Mode 3A or A, Mode C, Mode S, and Wi-fi. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising estimating, by the flight unit, a time of collision between the first aircraft and the target aircraft by a linear interpolation of a flight path of the target aircraft based on positional information of the target aircraft. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the flight unit, a guiding visual signal to a mobile electronic device, wherein the guiding visual signal is a three dimensional indicator of a position of the target aircraft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring a head position includes receiving a compass measurement from a compass sensor integral to the head tracker unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring a head position includes receiving an inertial measurement from an inertial measurement unit integral to the head tracker unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the flight unit, a voice command; and performing a task, by the flight unit, based on the voice command. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving positional information of the target aircraft including a location of the target aircraft, a heading of the target aircraft, and a velocity of the target aircraft. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising estimating a time of collision between the first aircraft and the target aircraft based on positional information of the first aircraft. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the guiding sound signal includes an indication of an identity of the target aircraft. ### Claim 13 An aircraft comprising: a first aircraft; a system for aircraft traffic awareness and alertness associated with the first aircraft; a head tracker unit affixed to a headset; and a flight unit associated with the first aircraft, the flight unit including one or more processors and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the flight unit to: determine that a target aircraft is on a collision path with the first aircraft; receive a head position from the head tracker unit; derive, based on positional information of the target aircraft and the head position, a direction of the target aircraft relative to the head position; and transmit a guiding sound signal to the headset, the guiding sound signal indicating a collision warning. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The aircraft of claim 13, further comprising: a positional sensor configured to generate positional information of the first aircraft, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the flight unit to: estimate, based on the positional information of the target aircraft and the positional information of the first aircraft, a time of collision between the first aircraft and the target aircraft. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the head tracker unit includes an inertial measurement unit, and the head position includes inertial measurement data received from the inertial measurement unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The aircraft of claim 13, further comprising a wireless communications unit for receiving instructions from a mobile electronic device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the flight unit to receive a broadcast signal from the target aircraft formatted according to a protocol selected from the group consisting of: ADS-B, ADS-R, TIS-B, Mode 3A or A, Mode C, Mode S, and Wi-Fi. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the guiding sound signal is a three dimensional sound effect indicating a position of the target aircraft. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the guiding sound signal is a tone modulation effect. ### Claim 20 A method of aircraft traffic awareness and alertness performed by a first aircraft, the method comprising: predicting, based on a flight path of the first aircraft and a flight path of an obstacle, a collision between the first aircraft and the obstacle; receiving a pilot head position from a head tracker affixed to a headset, the pilot head position being relative to the position of the first aircraft; determining, based on an obstacle position, a position of the first aircraft, and the pilot head position, a relative direction of the obstacle relative to the pilot head position; synthesizing a guiding signal indicating the relative direction of the obstacle relative to the pilot head position; and causing an output device to output the guiding signal. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the obstacle is a second aircraft, and the obstacle position is received from the second aircraft. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the obstacle is a stationary object, and the obstacle position is received from a navigational map. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the guiding signal is a sound signal and the output device is the headset. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the guiding signal is a visual signal and the output device is a mobile electronic device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the guiding signal includes an indication of an identity of the obstacle. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the guiding signal includes a suggested corrective action to avoid the predicted collision. ### Claim 27 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising: receiving, by the flight unit, a second obstacle position indicating a location, heading, and velocity of a second obstacle; and prior to causing the output device to output the guiding signal, modifying the guiding signal to further include an indication of the relative direction of the second obstacle relative to the pilot head position.