Method and assistance system for guiding traffic by a road user

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for guiding traffic of a road user within a traffic area controlled by a traffic control center by transmitting at least one traffic guidance instruction from an operator of the traffic control center controlling the traffic area to the road user in question, wherein the transmitted traffic guidance instruction contains instructions that the road user in question is to implement in a corresponding movement maneuver, comprising the following steps performed by an assistance system: - providing a time- and / or position-related maneuver target resulting from the traffic guidance instruction, which must be reached by the road user at a minimum after completion of the movement maneuver, - continuously providing traffic data of the road user in question to the assistance system after the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction.wherein the traffic data includes at least position and / or movement data of the road user in question, and - monitoring the movement maneuver by continuously determining, through the assistance system after the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction, whether, based on the traffic data provided by the road user in question, the time- and / or position-related maneuver goal resulting from the traffic guidance instruction can still be achieved or not.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for guiding traffic of a road user within a traffic area controlled by a traffic control center by transmitting at least one traffic guidance instruction from an operator of the traffic control center controlling the traffic area to the road user in question, wherein the transmitted traffic guidance instruction contains instructions that the road user in question is to implement in a corresponding movement maneuver.

[0002] The invention also relates to an assistance system for this purpose.

[0003] To secure and control traffic areas, especially airspace around airports or sea areas around ports, traffic control centers (often colloquially referred to as centers, towers, or control rooms) typically exist. These centers monitor and control the traffic within their area of ​​influence by transmitting instructions to vehicle crews and drivers. The human factor plays a significant role in this process, as even today a large proportion of traffic management tasks are still carried out by the traffic control center.

[0004] An operator (also called a traffic controller) regulates traffic within their assigned area of ​​responsibility, typically through direct traffic guidance and control. Direct instructions to a specific vehicle, intended solely for that vehicle, initiate actions by the driver of that vehicle, thus regulating and controlling all traffic within the area. An operator generally possesses a significantly higher level of situational awareness regarding the overall traffic situation than the individual drivers of the vehicles in that area alone.

[0005] If the traffic area is, for example, airspace, such as in the vicinity of an airport, then the operator is an air traffic controller who is responsible for air traffic within their assigned area of ​​responsibility and must ensure that aircraft are guided safely and, where applicable, economically through their assigned area. Landing at and taking off from an airport, as well as the subsequent guidance of the aircraft through the airspace, play a particularly important role in this.

[0006] However, even today, the instructions required for air traffic control are still predominantly transmitted to the pilots of a given aircraft using traditional voice communication (e.g., VHF radio). These instructions are received by the aircraft via antennas and relayed to the pilots through appropriate output devices (usually headphones). The pilots receive the voice messages spoken by the air traffic controller, extract the flight instructions they contain, and then implement these instructions through appropriate actions to execute the corresponding flight maneuver. To ensure correct reception of the instructions, the pilots repeat the spoken instructions so that the air traffic controller can verify whether the pilots have understood them correctly.

[0007] While direct data connections now exist to transmit relevant data to the aircraft via this electronic communication channel, this is limited to a very restricted amount of information and mostly non-safety-critical instructions.

[0008] To monitor the traffic area and prevent excessive mental strain on the traffic controller, even during heavy traffic, assistance systems are typically used. These systems display a graphical representation of the traffic area and its road users, creating a kind of traffic situation display. Based on the traffic situation shown on this display, appropriate traffic guidance instructions are generated and transmitted to the relevant road user, prompting them to execute the corresponding maneuver.

[0009] The flight maneuvers resulting from traffic control instructions must be continuously monitored by the controller to ensure that the aircraft in question executes the instructions. However, this continuous monitoring of flight maneuvers in response to instructions and their execution leads to an increased workload for air traffic controllers and reduced operational efficiency. Slow pilot reaction times can result in significant positional inaccuracies during flight maneuvers, compromising the airspace situation. In the medium and long term, untimely flight maneuvers can lead to an even higher workload if the maneuver becomes more difficult and the air traffic controller has to issue additional instructions to correct a previously failed maneuver.

[0010] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and assistance system for traffic guidance of a road user within a controlled traffic area, with which the monitoring of a movement maneuver in response to a traffic guidance instruction by an operator can be simplified.

[0011] The problem is solved by the method for guiding traffic of a road user according to claim 1, as described in the invention. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the corresponding dependent claims.

[0012] According to claim 1, a method for guiding traffic within a traffic area controlled by a traffic control center is proposed, involving the transmission of at least one traffic guidance instruction from an operator of the traffic control center controlling the traffic area to the respective road user, wherein the transmitted traffic guidance instruction contains instructions that the respective road user is to implement in a corresponding movement maneuver. The method, which is executed by an assistance system, comprises the following steps according to the invention: Providing a time- and / or position-related maneuver target resulting from the traffic guidance instruction, which must be reached by the road user after completion of the movement maneuver; continuously providing traffic data of the road user in question to the assistance system after transmission of the traffic guidance instruction, wherein the traffic data includes at least position and / or movement data of the road user in question; and monitoring the movement maneuver by continuously determining, through the assistance system after transmission of the traffic guidance instruction, whether, based on the traffic data provided by the road user in question, the time- and / or position-related maneuver target resulting from the traffic guidance instruction can still be reached or not.

[0013] Accordingly, the assistance system is first provided with a maneuver target via a maneuver target interface. This target is derived from the traffic guidance instructions and must be reached by the road user after completion of the maneuver. Such a maneuver target can, for example, be a spatial or area-based zone within the traffic space, within which the road user must be located at the end of the maneuver. A time limit can also be specified, indicating when the road user must reach this zone or complete the maneuver.

[0014] This maneuver target can, for example, be provided to the assistance system by the air traffic controller himself via a start device.

[0015] It is also conceivable that the maneuver objective is automatically determined by the assistance system and provided via the maneuver objective interface. This can be achieved, for example, by linguistically analyzing the spoken traffic guidance instruction, as is known from DE 10 2011 107 934 A1. In this process, the spoken traffic guidance instruction is first converted into textual form using speech recognition and then examined using context analysis to determine the context of the individual parts of the instruction. This ultimately yields the maneuver objective, which is intended by the traffic controller and should be achieved by the road user.

[0016] A traffic information interface continuously informs the assistance system about the traffic situation, specifically by providing traffic data for the relevant road user for whom the traffic guidance instruction is intended. This traffic data includes, in particular, position information and can also contain information about movement, such as direction, speed, and / or attitude, e.g., flight attitude.

[0017] The traffic data can originate, for example, from ADS-B or similar broadcast systems transmitted by an aircraft. Alternatively or additionally, the traffic data can also come from radar surveillance.

[0018] Using a monitoring device within the assistance system, the maneuver initiated by the traffic guidance instruction is continuously monitored. Based on the maneuver's objective and the continuously updated traffic data of the relevant road user, it is constantly assessed whether the road user can still reach the objective.

[0019] As long as it is determined that the road user in question can reach the maneuver's destination based on the available and current traffic data, no action is required from the operator's perspective. In this case, the assistance system can signal that everything is fine for this road user.

[0020] However, if the assistance system detects through continuous monitoring of the movement maneuver that the maneuver goal can no longer be reached, the assistance system issues a corresponding warning or notification to an operator indicating that further action is required in guiding the road user.

[0021] The invention thus makes it possible to reduce the mental strain involved in monitoring the maneuvers of road users, as the assistance system automatically monitors the road user after the instruction is transmitted. The operator only needs to focus their attention on the road user in question when the assistance system determines that the maneuver objective can no longer be achieved based on the road user's current traffic data. Continuous monitoring of the maneuver by the operator throughout its entire duration is therefore no longer necessary. Particularly in traffic situations where numerous road users receive instructions to perform maneuvers, this can increase the operator's situational awareness, reduce mental workload, and thereby improve safety.

[0022] According to one embodiment, for the purpose of air traffic control, the traffic participant is an air traffic participant, the traffic space is an air traffic space, the traffic control center is an air traffic control center, the operator is a pilot, and the movement maneuver is a flight maneuver.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the maneuver target includes a planar or spatial target area within which the road user in question must be positioned at the end of the maneuver in order to reach the maneuver target.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the maneuver objective also includes a time limit by which the road user in question must have arrived within the target area in order to achieve the maneuver objective.

[0025] According to one embodiment, it is provided that movement specifications are made available which define permissible movements of the road user, whereby during the monitoring of the movement maneuver it is further determined whether, based on the traffic data of the road user in question and the movement specifications provided, the time and / or position-related maneuver objective resulting from the traffic guidance instruction can still be achieved or not.

[0026] Such movement guidelines can define which movements of road users are permitted. These can include, in particular, information on maximum and minimum speeds, maximum permissible turning radii, and, in the case of aircraft, potentially also maximum permissible rates of descent and ascent.

[0027] Based on these movement specifications and the current traffic data of the road user in question, it is determined whether the maneuver objective can still be achieved if the information contained in the movement specifications regarding permissible movements of the road user is adhered to and the definitions are not violated.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the movement instructions are provided depending on the road user in question.

[0029] The movement instructions provided can differ, for example, depending on the type of road user. For instance, in air traffic control, initial movement instructions can be provided for one type of aircraft, while for a different second type of aircraft, further movement instructions, which may differ partially from the initial instructions, are provided.

[0030] According to one embodiment, it is provided that, starting from the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction, it is determined at each of a large number of successive discrete time steps whether the maneuver objective can still be reached or not.

[0031] The interval between two time steps can be, for example, 1 second or less. For each time step, it is determined whether the maneuver objective can still be achieved or not, so that failure to achieve the maneuver objective can be detected early.

[0032] According to one embodiment, after the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction, a plurality of potential movement trajectories are determined along which the road user in question can move, and each potential movement trajectory is assigned whether it leads to reaching the maneuver goal or not, wherein, depending on the traffic data provided for the road user in question, it is then determined on which potential movement trajectory the road user is located, and depending on this determined potential movement trajectory and the previous assignment of whether this movement trajectory leads to reaching the maneuver goal or not, it is determined whether the maneuver goal can still be reached or not.

[0033] Starting from the initial state of the road user at the time the traffic control instruction was transmitted and the maneuver was to be initiated, potential movement trajectories of the road user in question are calculated. These trajectories represent possible movements the road user could execute, taking into account any movement requirements. Each of these potential movement trajectories is then examined to determine whether it will lead to the desired maneuver. This information—whether the movement trajectory will lead to the desired maneuver—is then assigned to the movement trajectory.

[0034] Based on current traffic data, it is now possible, for example, to examine for each time step whether the road user is moving along one of these movement trajectories. Once a movement trajectory has been identified, the associated information—whether this trajectory leads to reaching the maneuver's objective or not—can be determined. This allows us to ascertain for the corresponding time step whether the road user can reach the maneuver's objective or not. If the road user is on several movement trajectories that overlap, at least partially, it is sufficient that at least one of these trajectories leads to reaching the maneuver's objective. Only when all movement trajectories indicate that the maneuver's objective can no longer be reached is it necessary to conclude that the road user will not reach the maneuver's objective.

[0035] Moreover, the problem is also solved according to the invention with the assistance system for traffic guidance of at least one road user according to claim 9.

[0036] For this purpose, an assistance system for the traffic guidance of at least one road user within a traffic area controlled by a traffic control center is proposed, by transmitting at least one traffic guidance instruction from an operator of the traffic control center controlling the traffic area to the road user in question, wherein the transmitted traffic guidance instruction contains instructions that the road user in question is to implement in a corresponding movement maneuver, wherein the assistance system is configured to carry out the procedure described above with a maneuver target interface, which is set up to provide a time- and / or position-related maneuver target resulting from the traffic guidance instruction, which must be reached by the road user at a minimum after completion of the movement maneuver; a traffic situation interface, which is set up to continuously provide traffic data of the road user in question to the assistance system after the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction, wherein the traffic data includes at least position and / or movement data of the road user in question; and a monitoring device, which is set up to monitor the movement maneuver by continuously determining, after the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction,Whether, based on the traffic data provided by the relevant road user, the time- and / or position-related maneuver objective resulting from the traffic guidance instructions can still be achieved or not.

[0037] The invention is explained by way of example with reference to the attached figures. They show: Figure 1 schematic representation of the assistance system according to the invention; Figure 2 exemplary flight maneuver in a first embodiment; Figure 3 exemplary flight maneuver of a second embodiment;

[0038] Figure 1Figure 10 shows a schematic representation of an assistance system 10 designed to support an air traffic controller 12 in managing traffic within their airspace. For this purpose, the air traffic controller 12 has a traffic situation display 14, which shows the traffic situation with a large number of aircraft. A traffic guidance instruction is then spoken by the air traffic controller 12 via a microphone 16 and transmitted to the relevant aircraft (not shown).

[0039] The spoken traffic control instruction is now examined with regard to the instruction it contains, whereby the individual parts of instruction 18 are provided to the assistance system. Simultaneously, the maneuver objective 20 is provided to the assistance system, whereby the maneuver objective 20 is derived from at least one part of the instruction components of traffic control instruction 18 as well as from the planned flight route 22 or the flight plan.

[0040] Furthermore, the assistance system 10 is continuously provided with traffic data 24 of the road user concerned, which may result, for example, from radar monitoring and / or the reception of ADS-B signals of the road user concerned.

[0041] Taking into account movement guidelines that define permissible movements of the road user, and based on maneuver objective 20 and, where applicable, information from traffic guidance instructions 18, corresponding trajectories are generated in step 26 that the road user in question can execute, considering the movement guidelines. These trajectories are then classified in step 28 to determine which trajectories lead to achieving maneuver objective 20 and which do not.

[0042] Furthermore, trajectories can also be identified where there is uncertainty as to whether the maneuver objective will be reached or not.

[0043] Based on the provided traffic data 24, and taking into account the classified trajectories in step 30, it can now be determined whether the traffic participant in question can still reach its maneuvering target or not, and how long it will remain within a valid area. This information is then displayed to the air traffic controller 12 on their traffic information display. The information transmitted includes not only whether the traffic participant can still reach its maneuvering target or not, but also how long the traffic participant will remain within a valid area within which the maneuvering target can still be reached.

[0044] The assistance system 10 can be provided with further information 32, such as flight performance data of the relevant traffic participant, information about other traffic participants within the traffic area, current weather conditions, a collection of pilot responses to comparable instructions, and information about the latest traffic guidance instructions. Information about previous trajectories and / or flight maneuvers can also be taken into account. Sector information, such as terrain, no-fly zones, etc., can also be included in the calculations.

[0045] Figure 2 The following is a simple embodiment intended to reflect the core idea of ​​the present invention. The road user 100, who in the embodiment of the Figure 2An aircraft is instructed by a traffic control instruction to perform a flight maneuver such that it ultimately lies within the designated area as maneuver target 110. In this embodiment, maneuver target 110 is a geographical area (planar or spatial) within which the aircraft 100 must be located to reach the maneuver target.

[0046] For this purpose, a series of possible flight paths (trajectories) are calculated, representing potential trajectories starting from the aircraft's initial position. The individual trajectories are then classified. The first group (120) contains those trajectories that definitely lead to reaching the maneuver objective (110). The second group (130) contains those trajectories where reaching the maneuver objective is not certain, but cannot be completely ruled out. These trajectories in the second group (130) are therefore subject to a certain degree of uncertainty. Finally, the third group (140) contains those trajectories that definitely lead to not reaching the maneuver objective (110).

[0047] As long as aircraft 100 is moving along at least one trajectory belonging to the first group 120, it can be assumed that aircraft 100 can reach maneuver objective 110. Based on this, a validity period 150 can be calculated, indicating how long the instruction to reach maneuver objective 110 remains valid. A display that shows the three defined groups of trajectories 120, 130, and 140 is suitable for this purpose.

[0048] As long as the validity period 150 is within the first group 120, the aircraft 100 can still reach the maneuver objective. Therefore, at least one trajectory exists that leads to the desired maneuver objective 110.

[0049] Figure 3The diagram then shows an example in which aircraft 100 is to climb from flight level FL 280 to flight level XFL 340. However, aircraft 100 is to reach flight level 340 before it reaches sector boundary 200. The maneuver objective here is not only to reach the new flight level, but also to reach the flight level before sector boundary 200, thus incorporating a temporal aspect into the maneuver objective. The aircraft is also cleared for a climb rate of 1000 feet / min to reach flight level 340 before the sector boundary.

[0050] The first group of trajectories (210) definitely leads to reaching the maneuver objective. The second group of trajectories (220) involves a degree of uncertainty, as neither reaching nor not reaching the maneuver objective can be determined with certainty. The third group of trajectories (230), however, definitely leads to not reaching the maneuver objective and necessitates that the pilot intervene with a new instruction. Reference symbol list

[0051] 10 Assistance system 12 Operator / Controller 14 Traffic situation display 16 Microphone unit 18 Traffic guidance instruction 20 Maneuver target 22 Flight route / flight plan 24 Traffic data 26 Potential trajectories 28 Classification 30 Determination of maneuver target achievement 32 Additional information 100 Traffic participant / aircraft 110 Maneuver target 120 First group of trajectories 130 Second group of trajectories 140 Third group of trajectories 200 Sector boundary 210 First group of trajectories 220 Second group of trajectories 230 Third group of trajectories

Claims

1. A method for guiding traffic from a road user (100) within a traffic area controlled by a traffic control center by transmitting at least one traffic guidance instruction (18) from an operator (12) of the traffic control center controlling the traffic area to the road user (100), wherein the transmitted traffic guidance instruction (18) contains instructions that the road user (100) is to implement in a corresponding movement maneuver, comprising the steps performed by an assistance system (10): - providing a time- and / or position-related maneuver target (20, 110) resulting from the traffic guidance instruction (18), which must be reached at least after completion of the movement maneuver by the road user (100),- continuously providing traffic data (24) of the relevant road user (100) to the assistance system (10) after the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction (18), wherein the traffic data (24) includes at least position and / or movement data of the relevant road user (100), and - monitoring the movement maneuver by continuously determining, through the assistance system (10) after the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction (18), whether, based on the provided traffic data (24) of the relevant road user (100), the time- and / or position-related maneuver objective (20, 110) resulting from the traffic guidance instruction (18) can still be achieved or not.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized by the fact thatfor air traffic management - the traffic participant (100) is an air traffic participant, - the traffic area is an air traffic area, - the traffic control center is an air traffic control center, - the operator (12) is a pilot (12), and - the movement maneuver is a flight maneuver.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that the maneuver objective (20, 110) contains a planar or spatial target area within which the road user (100) in question must be positioned at the end of the movement maneuver in order to achieve the maneuver objective (20, 110).

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the maneuver objective (20, 110) further includes a time limit by which the road user in question (100) must have arrived within the target area in order to achieve the maneuver objective (20, 110).

5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatMovement specifications are provided that define permissible movements of the road user (100), whereby during the monitoring of the movement maneuver it is further determined whether, based on the traffic data (24) provided of the road user in question (100) and the movement specifications provided, the time and / or position-related maneuver objective (20, 110) resulting from the traffic guidance instruction (18) can still be achieved or not.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that The movement guidelines are provided depending on the road user concerned (100).

7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that Starting from the transmission of the traffic control instruction (18) for a large number of successive discrete time steps, it is determined in each case whether the maneuver objective (20, 110) can still be reached or not.

8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatAfter the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction (18), a plurality of potential movement trajectories (120, 130, 140, 210, 220, 230) are determined along which the road user (100) in question can move, and each potential movement trajectory (120, 130, 140, 210, 220, 230) is assigned whether it leads to reaching the maneuver goal (20, 110) or not, whereby subsequently, depending on the traffic data (24) provided for the road user (100) in question, it is determined on which potential movement trajectory (120, 130, 140, 210, 220, 230) the road user (100) in question is located, and depending on this potential movement trajectory determined (120, 130, 140, 210, 220, 230) and the previous assignment, whether this movement trajectory (120, 130, 140, 210, 220, 230) leads to reaching the maneuver objective (20, 110) or not, it is determined whether the maneuver objective (20, 110) can still be reached or not.

9. Assistance system (10) for guiding at least one road user (100) within a traffic area controlled by a traffic control center by transmitting at least one traffic guidance instruction (18) from an operator (12) of the traffic control center controlling the traffic area to the road user (100) concerned, wherein the transmitted traffic guidance instruction (18) contains instructions that the road user (100) concerned is to implement in a corresponding movement maneuver, wherein the assistance system (10) for carrying out the method according to one of the preceding claims is configured with a maneuver target interface which is configured to provide a time- and / or position-related maneuver target (20, 110) resulting from the traffic guidance instruction (18), which must at least be reached by the road user (100) after completion of the movement maneuver.- a traffic situation interface that is configured to continuously provide traffic data (24) of the relevant road user (100) to the assistance system (10) after the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction (18), wherein the traffic data (24) includes at least position and / or movement data of the relevant road user (100), and - a monitoring device that is configured to monitor the movement maneuver by continuously determining, after the transmission of the traffic guidance instruction (18), whether, based on the provided traffic data (24) of the relevant road user (100), the time- and / or position-related maneuver objective (20, 110) resulting from the traffic guidance instruction (18) can still be achieved or not.

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