Advisor system and method
An automatic, autonomous, and aircraft-centric interference advisory method is executed entirely on a first aircraft operating on a movement area of a runway, the movement are including ramps, taxiways, and runways. The method includes a processor onboard the first aircraft computing a first movement projection for the first aircraft using first aircraft data received at the first aircraft; the processor computing additional second movement projections for multiple second aircraft operating on the movement area of the airport using second data regarding each of the multiple second aircraft; the processor detecting a threat to the first aircraft on approach to a defined intersection of the movement area from any of the multiple second aircraft based on a corresponding second movement projection within a configurable time limit of entry into the defined intersection by the first aircraft; and providing on the first aircraft, a threat advisory for a detected threat.
1. An aircraft-centric runway advisory method executed with hardware components onboard a first aircraft operating on a movement area of an airport, comprising:
initializing, by a processor, a runway advisory system installed on a first aircraft, comprising:
controlling application of a power-on signal to the hardware components,
performing a system self-check, and
controlling display of a system power on light in a cockpit area of the first aircraft;
determining first aircraft state information, using:
a first sequence of first aircraft positions, and first aircraft speed, heading, and acceleration;
determining second aircraft state information for one or more second aircraft, comprising:
receiving, for a second aircraft, a series of signals, the series of signals providing data in a form of a first sequence of second aircraft geographical location, speed, heading, and acceleration, and
determining a quality factor associated with each signal of the series of signals exceeds a threshold value, and for signals at or above the threshold, analyzing the data from to determine the second aircraft state information;
determining an existence of a threat to the first aircraft from one or more of the second aircraft, comprising:
computing a first aircraft movement projection from the first aircraft state information,
relating the first aircraft movement projection to a moving map of an airport,
computing a second aircraft movement projection from the second aircraft state information,
relating the second aircraft movement projection to the moving map, and
identifying an intersection of the first and second aircraft movement projections on a portion of the moving map; and
displaying a first aircraft threat advisory in a cockpit area of the first aircraft, comprising:
displaying the portion of the moving map on a cockpit display of the first aircraft, and
providing one or more of an audible and a visual threat display in the cockpit area of the first aircraft.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hardware components comprise a software defined radio (SDR).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hardware components comprise existing hardware components of the first aircraft.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the existing hardware components are permanently installed in the first aircraft, and wherein the runway advisory system comprises a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having encode thereon, machine instructions executable by the processor.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least some of the existing hardware components are instantiated in an electronic flight bag.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein initializing the advisory system further comprises:
executing an advisory system health check,
loading an airport moving map for the airport,
updating the airport moving map, and
providing a system online signal for display in the cockpit area of the first aircraft.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining first aircraft state information comprises:
receiving a sequence of first aircraft GPS position information for the first aircraft, and
using the received sequence of first aircraft GPS position information, computing first aircraft speed, heading, and acceleration.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining second aircraft state information comprises:
receiving at an ADS-B In receiver at the first aircraft, ADS-B Out information broadcast by the second aircraft; and
identifying second aircraft position and velocity from the received ADS-B Out information.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the existence of a threat comprises:
comparing the first aircraft state information to the second aircraft state information; and
determining from the comparison that the intersection of the second aircraft movement projection and the first aircraft movement projection occurs while the first and second aircraft are projected to enter a same movement area of the airport.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system periodically and regularly recomputes the second aircraft movement projection and redetermines the existence of a threat as long as the second aircraft maintains a speed above a minimum value.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the minimum value is zero.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system periodically and regularly recomputes the second aircraft movement projection and redetermines the existence of a threat as long as the second aircraft is projected to enter a movement area intersection within a specified time of a projected entry of a same movement area intersection by the first aircraft.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the threat comprises determining a threat only for a movement area intersection approached by the first aircraft.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying a first aircraft threat advisory comprises:
displaying on the portion of the moving map, the first and second aircraft movement projections and a movement area intersection.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, for the second aircraft, second aircraft altitude; and
computing the second aircraft movement projection using the second aircraft altitude.
16. An aircraft-centric runway advisory system, comprising:
on a first aircraft operating on a movement area of an airport, a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon machine instructions for issuing an aircraft advisory; and
a data store comprising data for the airport and first aircraft information for the first aircraft, wherein a processor accesses the data store and executes the machine instructions to:
cause initialization of the runway advisory system installed on a component of the first aircraft,
determine first aircraft state information, using:
a first sequence of first aircraft positions; and
first aircraft speed, heading, and acceleration;
determine second aircraft state information for one or more second aircraft, comprising:
receiving, for a second aircraft, a series of signals, the series of signals providing data in a form of a first sequence of second aircraft geographical location, speed, heading, and acceleration, and
determine a quality factor associated with each signal of the series of signals exceeds a threshold value, and for signals at or above the threshold, analyze the data from to determine the second aircraft state information;
determine an existence of a threat to the first aircraft from one or more of the second aircraft, comprising:
computing a first aircraft movement projection from the first aircraft state information;
relating the first aircraft movement projection to a moving map of an airport;
computing a second aircraft movement projection from the second aircraft state information;
relating the second aircraft movement projection to the moving map; and
identifying an intersection of the first and second aircraft movement projections on a portion of the moving map, and
displaying a first aircraft threat advisory in a cockpit area of the first aircraft, comprising:
displaying the portion of the moving map on a cockpit display of the first aircraft; and
providing one or more of an audible and a visual threat display in the cockpit area of the first aircraft.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein identifying the intersection comprises determining the second aircraft is projected to enter an intersection being approached by the first aircraft within a configurable time limit of the projected entry by the first aircraft.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein determining the existence of a threat comprises:
determining second aircraft state information for multiple second aircraft operating at the airport and on approach to the airport; and
determining threats from each of the multiple second aircraft.
19. The system of claim 16 ,
wherein the processor further receives, for the second aircraft, second aircraft altitude, and
wherein the processor computes the second aircraft movement projection from the using the second aircraft altitude.
20. An automatic, autonomous, and aircraft-centric interference advisory method executed entirely on a first aircraft operating on a movement area of a runway, the movement area comprising ramps, taxiways, and runways, the method comprising:
a processor onboard the first aircraft computing a first movement projection for the first aircraft using first aircraft data received at the first aircraft, comprising determining first aircraft state information, using a first sequence of first aircraft positions and first aircraft speed, heading, and acceleration;
the processor computing additional second movement projections for multiple second aircraft operating on the movement area of an airport using second data regarding each of the multiple second aircraft, comprising receiving, for a second aircraft, a series of signals, the series of signals providing data in a form of a first sequence of second aircraft geographical location, speed, heading, and acceleration, and determining a quality factor associated with each signal of the series of signals exceeds a threshold value, and for signals at or above the threshold, analyzing the data from to determine the second aircraft state information;
the processor detecting a threat to the first aircraft on approach to a defined intersection of the movement area from any of the multiple second aircraft based on a corresponding second movement projection within a configurable time limit of entry into the defined intersection by the first aircraft; and
providing on the first aircraft, a threat advisory for a detected threat.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein providing the threat advisory comprises:
displaying in a cockpit area of the first aircraft, a portion of a moving map for the airport;
displaying the first aircraft movement projection; and
displaying second aircraft movement projections that enter the defined intersection within the configurable time limit.
22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
the processor computing a third movement projection for a third aircraft operating on a landing approach to the airport using third data regarding the third aircraft; and
determining a threat to the first aircraft based on the landing approach of the third aircraft.