Airport control/management system using GNSS-based methods and equipment for the control of surface and airborne traffic

An improved airport control/management system for controlling and managing surface and airborne movements of vehicles and aircraft operating within a selected airport space envelope, the airport control/management system comprising:

• (a) means for establishing a precise 3-dimensional digital man of the selected airport space envelope, the map containing GNSS reference points,
• (b) a computer with a monitor screen for receiving and displaying the 3-dimensional map,
• (c) means located on at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts in the airport space envelope to generate and transmit continuous GNSS-based location reports,
• (d) a radio receiver interfaced to the computer to receive said reports from said at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts,
• (e) means for processing within the computer to use said reports to superimpose a 3-dimensional image corresponding to a path of said at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts on the 3-dimensional map,
• (f) means for using the 3-dimensional map display for generating airport control and management signals as a function of said path to control the traffic in an airport,
• (g) means for manipulation of the 3-dimensional map and the 3-dimensional image of said at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts and said path to a desired apparent line of observation, to control the traffic in the airport,
• (h) means for defining GNSS compatible zones using the 3-dimensional map,
• (i) means for establishing the GNSS compatible zones, each of the GNSS compatible zones identified according to function selected from a group of zones consisting of forbidden zones, NOTAMS, areas off limits, zones around potentially colliding aircraft and vehicles, and air traffic controller areas of responsibility, and
• (j) means for storing the GNSS compatible zones in a GNSS compatible zone database.

An improved airport control/management system for controlling and managing surface and airborne movements of vehicles and aircraft operating within a selected airport space envelope, the airport control/management system comprising:

• (a) means for establishing a precise 3-dimensional digital map of the selected airport space envelope, the map containing GNSS reference points,
• (b) a computer with a monitor screen for receiving and displaying the 3-dimensional map,
• (c) means located on at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts in the airport space envelope to generate and transmit continuous GNSS-based location reports,
• (d) a radio receiver interfaced to the computer to receive said reports from said at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts,
• (e) means for processing within the computer to use said reports to superimpose a 3-dimensional image corresponding to a path of said at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts on the 3-dimensional
• (f) means for using the 3-dimensional map display for generating airport control and management signals as a function of said path to control the traffic in an airport,
• (g) means for manipulation of the 3-dimensional map and the 3-dimensional image of said at least one of said vehicles and aircrafts and said path to a desired apparent line of observation, to control the traffic in the airport;
• (h) means for establishing precise multi-monumented survey points within the airport space envelope, and
• (i) means for performing local coordinate conversions using said survey points to support display of the 3-dimensional image corresponding to the vehicle path on to the 3-dimensional map.

A method used by a controller to monitor, control and manage vehicles including surface and airborne vehicles operating in a selected 3-dimensional space, the method combing the steps of:

• (a) using GNSS, derived data based upon an earth centered earth fixed coordinate system, establishing a precise 3-dimensional digital map of the selected 3-dimensional space, in combination with at least one GNSS-compatible database;
• (b) receiving GNSS position reports data from the vehicles within the selected 3-dimensional space and storing the GNSS position reports data in the GNSS-compatible databases, at least one of the vehicles having a means to receive GNSS signals and determine GNSS position, generate and transmit, by digital data, continuous GNSS-based position reports, and identification data to the controller;
• (c) processing data received from the vehicles with the 3-dimensional digital map of the selected 3-dimensional space and the GNSS-compatible database creating a displayable map showing location and movement of at least one of the vehicles within the selected 3-dimensional space;
• (d) providing to the controller, based on the processed data, commands for communication to at least one of the vehicles thereby monitoring, controlling and managing the movements of at least one of the vehicles within the selected 3-dimensional space;
• (e) identifying GNSS compatible zones of interest within the selected 3-dimensional space,
• (f) creating a 3-dimensional digital map of the GNSS compatible zones and the selected 3-dimensional space,
• (g) establishing at least a map and zone database compatible with computer processing, the map and said zone database maintaining the GNSS compatible zones and the 3-dimensional digital map coordinate information,
• (h) processing data received from the vehicles with the map and the zone database creating a displayable map showing location and movement of the vehicles with respect to the 3-dimensional digital map of the GNSS compatible zones and the selected 3-dimensional space,
• (i) identifying potential for incursion of the vehicles into any of the GNSS compatible zones, the potential for incursion determined from the processed data received from the vehicles and criteria selected from the group consisting of NOTAMS, areas off limits, zones around potentially colliding vehicles, air traffic controller stations, and
• (j) generating control and management signals as a function of the vehicle path and the potential for incursion into zones to assist the controller to monitor, control and manage said selected 3-dimensional space.

A method used by a controller to monitor, control and manage vehicles including surface and airborne vehicles operating in a selected 3-dimensional space, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) using GNSS, derived dam based upon an earth centered earth fixed coordinate system, establishing a precise 3-dimensional digital map of the selected 3-dimensional space, in combination with at least one GNSS-compatible database;
• (b) receiving GNSS position reports data from the vehicles within the selected 3-dimensional space and storing the GNSS position reports data in the GNSS-compatible databases, at least one of the vehicles having a means to receive GNSS signals and determine GNSS position, generate and transmit, by digital data, continuous GNSS-based position reports, and identification data to the controller;
• (c) processing data received from the vehicles with the 3-dimensional digital map of the selected 3-dimensional space and the GNSS-compatible database creating a displayable map showing location and movement of each vehicle within the selected 3-dimensional space;
• (d) providing to the controller, based on the processed data, commands for communication to at least one of the vehicles thereby monitoring, controlling and managing the movements of at least one of the vehicles within the selected 3-dimensional space;
• and
• (e) layering the 3-dimensional map creating a layered map having at least one layer, the layering thereby permitting sorting and tracking of each at least one of the vehicles, the layers selected from the group determined by function consisting of traffic control phase, notams, forbidden zone identification, the selected and defined 3-dimensional space operations, vehicle identification, airline operations and airport operations.

A system based within at least one vehicle/aircraft for controlling and managing the vehicle's/aircraft's movement within a defined and selected airport space envelope of an airport, said system comprising:

• means for adopting a common coordinate reference for each said at least one vehicle/aircraft, said common coordinate reference being GNSS compatible;
• a GNSS receiver on said at least one vehicle/aircraft to receive GNSS signals and calculate GNSS based position data;
• a computer interfacing with said GNSS receiver and said position data;
• means for identification of forbidden zones within said defined and selected airport space envelope of an airport, said zones selected from the group determined by function consisting of notams, areas off limits, and zones around potentially colliding vehicles/aircraft;
• and
• means for generating warnings using said computer, based upon encroachment by the vehicle/aircraft of said forbidden zones where said encroachment is determined using said position data and said identified forbidden zones.