Cloud-based aircraft surveillance apparatus and methods

Abstract

A cloud-based aircraft surveillance system builds a database and a comprehensive picture of objects flying in a region by combining the surveillance from a number of individual radar systems. The acquired surveillance data supports missions including air traffic control, military, and homeland security. The object being tracked may be a passenger or commercial aircraft, military aircraft, or a drone. An improved method includes the steps of defining a sequence of adjoining virtual cells through which an object travels along a flight path within the airspace. Each virtual cell uses a different subset of the spaced-apart radar sensors, with the sensors being selected to optimize tracking geometry. Information associated with the tracking of the object may then be displayed for air traffic control and other purposes. Sensors may be selected in accordance with overall availability, dilution of precision (DOP), positional error, object identification, or to optimize back-up data.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.