Airport traffic control system

Abstract

A method and/or system for improving safety of airport ground traffic (i.e., airplanes taxiing on the ground at airports). In certain example embodiments, an air traffic controller (ATC) instructs a particular airplane as to which runway(s)/taxiway(s) to use during either taxiing procedures to a gate, or taxiing procedures to a takeoff runway. The instructions associated with this plane are entered (e.g., by the ATC) into an ATC computer. As the plane is taxiing at the airport, it continuously or periodically sends its position data (obtained via GPS) in a wireless manner to an ATC computer. Utilizing the plane's position data in combination with the taxiway/runway directions given to that plane, traffic light(s) at airport intersection(s) are controlled. Thus, for example, when this plane approaches a particular airport intersection, a traffic light at the intersection indicates to the plane which direction it is to go (i.e., stop, go straight ahead, turn right, or turn left). In such a manner, the likelihood of airplanes colliding with one another while they are taxiing at an airport can be significantly reduced.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.