Method and apparatus for correlating flight identification data with secondary surveillance radar data

Abstract

A system for correlating secondary surveillance radar (SSR) data and ACARS data which results in a real time correlation of data which are unique to the separate existing systems. More specifically, a method is provided to attach flight identification data from ACARS signals to real time SSR data from Mode S transponders. Aircraft Mode S addresses are decoded and then converted to aircraft registration numbers using an algorithm or lookup table. Registration numbers are then correlated with registration numbers from decoded ACARS signals. The result is a real-time system which may provide an aircraft's registration information, including registration number, owner, make, and model, as well as its current flight identification number, and ACARS messages. As part of an aircraft multilateration system, the system provides an independent air traffic control picture complete with aircraft position and identification by flight number without the use of active radar equipment.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application is a Reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,783 which in turns claims priority from Provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60 / 113,169, filed Dec. 21, 1998, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CORRELATING FLIGHT IDENTIFICATION DATA WITH SECONDARY SURVEILLANCE RADAR DATA” and incorporated herein by reference.[0002]The present applicationU.S. Pat. No. 6,384,783 issued from an application which is a Continuation-In-Part (CIP) of application Ser. No. 09 / 432,757, filed Nov. 3, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,211,811, which in turn is a Divisional Application of Ser. No. 09 / 114,921, filed Jul. 14, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,116.[0003]The subject matter of this application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08 / 891,227, filed Jul. 10, 1997, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING THE ACCURACY OF RELATIVE POSITION ESTIMATES IN A SATELLITE-BASED NAVIGATION SYSTEM” and co-pending U.S. Pat. application S...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]The present invention provides for linking (correlation) of flight identification data from ACARS messages with the data from Mode S transponder transmissions, which are more frequent and provide for real time position and altitude determination. The effect of which is to provide the same data as an air traffic controller would see on his or her screen without the need for active interrogation or connection to any Air Traffic Control equipment.

Problems solved by technology

None of the currently used or planned Mode S downlink formats provides for the transmission of flight identification data.

ACARS transmissions, while capable of encoding aircraft position and altitude, are not typically used for position determination as the frequency of ACARS transmissions is too infrequent to allow one to accurately and timely determine the exact position of an aircraft.

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