Systems and methods for improving situational awareness in aviation

Abstract

A method and system for providing the status of other aircraft in the vicinity of an operator-controlled aircraft. The method for providing the status of other aircraft in the vicinity of an operator-controlled aircraft includes displaying an icon of the operator-controlled aircraft on a display to represent a positioning of the operator-controlled aircraft. Radio transmissions from the other aircraft are processed to generate corresponding text. The text is processed to determine at least one of an identifier of the other aircraft, a position of the other aircraft, or an intent of the other aircraft. An aircraft icon representing the other aircraft is displayed on the display, indicating at least one of the position of the other aircraft, the identifier of the other aircraft, or the intent of the other aircraft.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 444,194, filed February 8, 2023, entitled "System and Techniques for Improved Situational Awareness," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0002] Remotely piloted and autonomous aerial vehicles may operate in congested airspace, such as in airport environments. Operators monitoring or controlling multiple air vehicles at a given time may need to maintain situational awareness of other aircraft in the vicinity. At uncontrolled airfields (e.g., airports without control towers or with enclosed towers), pilots typically transmit their aircraft position and / or pilot intent over radio frequencies to help maintain safe separation between nearby aircraft. When an operator monitors and / or controls more than one air vehicle, the increased workload may increase the risk that the operator will become overtasked and lose situational awareness of one or more of the nearby aircraft. Additionally, multiple radio frequencies may need to be monitored simultaneously, which may be difficult for a single operator to manage while attending to other tasks.

[0003] Traditional aviation relies heavily on verbal radio communications to broadcast pilot intent, monitor the position and intentions of nearby aircraft, broadcast air traffic control (ATC) or control tower communications, request clearance, receive authorization, and receive new orders to comply. Radio communications improve situational awareness by expanding what can be visually seen from the cockpit or, if equipped, from Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) on an ADS-B receiver display. ADS-B is an advanced surveillance technology that combines aircraft positioning sources with aircraft avionics and ground infrastructure to provide a precise surveillance interface between the aircraft and air traffic control (ATC). However, pilots of traditional aircraft are only required to monitor one frequency at a time and fly only one aircraft at a time.

[0004] In contrast, a Multi Vehicle Supervisor (MVSor) may be required to listen to multiple (e.g., up to three or more) simultaneous radio frequencies and interpret that information for situational awareness of surrounding traffic in multiple different areas of operation, all while monitoring multiple aircraft systems. The workload on an MVSor may increase significantly in an emergency or contingency situation, leaving the MVSor with significantly reduced mental capacity and attention to process and interpret such multiple radio transmissions.

[0005] One of the greatest challenges for an MVSor is monitoring the multiple different common traffic advisory frequencies (CTAFs) or universal communication (UNICOM) voice communication frequencies used to declare position and intention information by pilots in a geographic area, some of whom may not be under ATC control and may not be equipped with cooperative equipment such as ADS-B transmitters or Mode C transponders. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It does not identify key / critical elements of the invention or delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0007] Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems and methods for improving situational awareness for aircraft operators. In many embodiments, the position of at least one aircraft controlled by an aircraft operator and the positions, identities, and / or intentions of other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft are displayed (e.g., using suitable icons and / or text) on a display viewable by the aircraft operator. In many embodiments, radio transmissions broadcast by the other aircraft are processed to generate corresponding text, and the corresponding text is processed to determine status information about the other aircraft (e.g., the identities of the other aircraft, the positions of the other aircraft, and / or the operator's intentions of the other aircraft). In some embodiments, the status information about the other aircraft is supplemented via air traffic control information about the other aircraft. In many embodiments, the status information about the other aircraft is used to construct the icons and / or text displayed on the display. In some embodiments, filtering and / or decluttering is used to de-emphasize or not display status information about other aircraft in the vicinity that currently has a low probability of affecting the continued safe flight and / or landing of the operator-controlled aircraft. Displaying status information about other aircraft may significantly increase an aircraft operator's situational awareness and / or reduce the aircraft operator's workload, especially when the aircraft operator is simultaneously controlling multiple remotely piloted or autonomous aircraft.

[0008] Thus, in one aspect, a computer-implemented method for providing status information of other aircraft in the vicinity of an operator-controlled aircraft is provided. The method includes displaying an icon of the operator-controlled aircraft on a display to represent a positioning of the operator-controlled aircraft within the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft. Radio transmissions broadcast by other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft are received. The radio transmissions are processed to generate one or more text strings corresponding to audio content of the radio transmissions. The one or more text strings are processed to determine, for each of one or more of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, at least one of an identifier of the other aircraft, a location of the other aircraft, or an intent of the other aircraft. One or more other aircraft icons are displayed on the display. Each of the other aircraft icons indicates at least one of a location of one of the other aircraft, an identifier of one of the other aircraft, or an intent of one of the other aircraft.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method further includes supplementing status information about nearby aircraft. For example, the method may further include receiving air traffic information about at least one of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft obtained from an air traffic information source (e.g., an air traffic information database) via the first wireless transceiver, an internet connection, and / or a surveillance data provider. The air traffic information may indicate positioning of at least one of the other aircraft over a period of time. The method may further include correlating one of the other aircraft icons with one of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft by comparing the position of the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon with position data from the air traffic information. The method may further include displaying on the display at least one of a position track for the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon, a symbol indicating the correlation between the other aircraft icon and the position track, or intent information for the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon. The air traffic information may include Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data or other surveillance / position system data. The ADS-B data may include at least one of a global positioning system (GPS) location, an altitude, or a ground speed. The correlating may be performed by matching at least a portion of an identifier of the other aircraft in the one or more text strings with the air traffic information. The method may further include accessing aircraft performance data for one of the other aircraft based on the air traffic information, determining a movement of the one of the other aircraft based on the aircraft performance data, determining an updated position of the one of the other aircraft based on the movement, and displaying the updated position of the one of the other aircraft on a display.

[0010] The method may employ any suitable technique for processing one or more text strings, for example, processing one or more text strings may include performing a keyword search.

[0011] The method may employ displaying other information that may improve the situational awareness of the aircraft operator. For example, the method may include displaying one or more aircraft pattern segments on the display for the airport.

[0012] The method may include displaying any suitable information regarding the intentions of other aircraft in the vicinity. For example, the displayed intentions of the other aircraft may be to complete a full stop landing, a touch-and-go landing, or a go-around. The displayed intentions of the other aircraft may be to complete an entry into an airport traffic pattern or a departure from an airport traffic pattern. The displayed intentions of the other aircraft may include at least one of a position report, a hold, a maneuver, a slow flight, or other communication of an intention to inform local air traffic, the airport tower, or air traffic control.

[0013] In some embodiments of the method, the display of status information about other aircraft in the vicinity is filtered and / or organized to de-emphasize other aircraft in areas with a low risk of interfering with the continued safe flight and / or landing of the operator-controlled aircraft. For example, in some embodiments, the method may further include quantifying, for each other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, a relative chance that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered based on the determined flight trajectory and / or intent of the other aircraft. The method may further include determining, for each other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, whether the relative chance that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered is below a threshold. Displaying other aircraft icons for other aircraft for which the relative chance that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered is below a threshold may be achieved to focus attention on other aircraft for which the relative chance that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered is above a threshold.

[0014] In another aspect, a system for providing status information of other aircraft in the vicinity of an operator-controlled aircraft includes a radio receiver, a display, at least one processor, and a tangible memory device, wherein the radio receiver is operable to receive radio transmissions broadcast on one or more aviation communication frequencies. The tangible memory device stores non-transitory instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to: (a) display an icon of the operator-controlled aircraft on a display to represent a positioning of the operator-controlled aircraft within a vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft; (b) receive wireless transmissions broadcast by other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft; (c) process the wireless transmissions to generate one or more text strings corresponding to audio content of the wireless transmissions; (d) process the one or more text strings to determine, for each of one or more of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, at least one of an identifier of the other aircraft, a location of the other aircraft, or an intent of the other aircraft; and (e) display one or more other aircraft icons on the display, each of the other aircraft icons indicating at least one of the location of the other aircraft, an identifier of the other aircraft, or an intent of the other aircraft.

[0015] In some embodiments, the system is configured to capture status information about nearby aircraft. For example, the instructions may be further executable by the at least one processor to (a) receive air traffic information about at least one of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft obtained from an air traffic information source (e.g., an air traffic information database) via the first wireless transceiver, an internet connection, and / or a surveillance data provider, the air traffic information indicating positioning of at least one of the other aircraft over a period of time, (b) correlate one of the other aircraft icons with one of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft by comparing the position of the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon with position data from the air traffic information, and (c) display on the display at least one of a position track for the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon, a symbol indicating the correlation between the other aircraft icon and the position track, or intent information for the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon. The air traffic information may include Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data or other surveillance / positioning system data. The ADS-B data may include at least one of Global Positioning System (GPS) location, altitude, or ground speed. Correlating one of the other aircraft icons with one of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the correlating operator-controlled aircraft is accomplished via matching at least a portion of the other aircraft's identifier in one or more text strings with the air traffic information.The instructions may be further executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to (a) access aircraft performance data for one of the other aircraft based on the air traffic information; (b) determine a movement of one of the other aircraft based on the aircraft performance data for the other aircraft; (c) determine an updated position of one of the other aircraft based on the movement; and (d) display the updated position of one of the other aircraft on a display.

[0016] The system may employ any suitable technique for processing one or more text strings, for example, the system may be configured to process one or more text strings using keyword searching.

[0017] The system may display other information that may improve the situational awareness of the aircraft operator. For example, the system may be configured to display one or more aircraft pattern segments on the display for an airport.

[0018] The system may be configured to display any suitable information regarding the intentions of other aircraft in the vicinity. For example, the displayed intentions of the other aircraft may be to complete a full-stop landing, a touch-and-go landing, or a go-around. The displayed intentions of the other aircraft may be to complete an approach to an airport traffic pattern or a departure from an airport traffic pattern. The displayed intentions of the other aircraft may include at least one of a position report, a hold, a maneuver, a slow flight, or other communication of an intention to inform local air traffic, the airport tower, or air traffic control.

[0019] In some embodiments of the system, the display of status information about other aircraft in the vicinity is filtered and / or organized to de-emphasize other aircraft in areas with a low risk of interfering with the continued safe flight and / or landing of the operator-controlled aircraft. For example, the instructions may be further executable by the at least one processor to (a) quantify, for each other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, a relative likelihood that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered based on the other aircraft's determined flight trajectory and / or intent, and (b) determine, for each other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, whether the relative likelihood that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered is below a threshold. The display of other aircraft icons for other aircraft for which the relative likelihood that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered is achieved to focus attention on other aircraft for which the relative likelihood that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered is above the threshold.

[0020] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the one or more processors to perform the operations of any of the methods described above. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary display for a technique for improving situational awareness, according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a system logic flow diagram for a technique for improved situational awareness, according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system for providing status information of other aircraft in the vicinity of an operator-controlled aircraft, according to an embodiment. [Figure 4]1 is a flowchart of a method for providing status information of other aircraft in the vicinity of an operator-controlled aircraft. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart of an approach that may be used in the method of FIG. 4 to filter and / or organize status information of other aircraft in the vicinity to de-emphasize other aircraft in areas that pose a low risk of interfering with the continued safe flight and / or landing of the operator-controlled aircraft. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary computing system for the system of FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The techniques and systems described herein enable improved situational awareness, particularly in airport environments. A computing system can receive input (e.g., one or more text strings) from a wireless transmission from an aircraft. In various embodiments, an adapter can be plugged into the wireless port, which can convert speech to digital. The speech-to-text conversion is completed by any suitable application. The computing system can process the one or more text strings to determine one or more of an aircraft identifier, a location of the aircraft, and the intent of the aircraft's pilot. The computing system can display an icon representing the aircraft's location on a display. Along with the icon, the computing system can display an indication of the aircraft's pilot's intent.

[0023] 1 shows an example diagram of a graphical representation 100 for improving situational awareness. The graphical representation 100 can be a dedicated display or an overlay on another display.

[0024] The graphical representation 100 may include a diagram of one or more runways 102. The graphical representation 100 may show one or more areas 104 around the runway 102. The areas 104 may include an upwind orientation, a crosswind orientation, a downwind orientation, a base orientation, and a final orientation of the aircraft relative to the given runway 102.

[0025] Graphical representation 100 may include multiple fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, and autonomous air vehicle aircraft. Pilots for fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft may make radio transmissions to notify other pilots, airport control towers, or air traffic control of the pilot's aircraft's position and intentions. The following numbering and description of aircraft radio transmissions are examples only and are not limitations on the scope of the present disclosure.

[0026] For example, the pilot of the first aircraft 106 may transmit the following: "Clearwater Traffic, November 1-1-0-Victor-Papa is at 2500 over the stadium." The system may receive the transmission and convert it into text data such as tail number: N110VP, altitude: 2500 mean sea level (MSL), location: stadium waypoint, intent: unknown, etc.

[0027] The transmission may be made to a non-controlled field, such as a call typically made to an air traffic control facility (e.g., a tower). The first part ("Clearwater Traffic") identifies which airport the first aircraft 106 is near. Here, the first aircraft 106 is near Clearwater Airport. The aircraft's call sign is: "N110VP" is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) registration number, also known as the tail number, for the aircraft. It is usually written in large letters on the aircraft's fuselage. Pilots and air traffic controllers often shorten the call sign to the last three characters of the registration number. Thus, "N110VP" may be shortened to "0VP." Voice recognition also helps process updates following calls not identified by a full tail number. For example, while transcribing a transmission showing "0VP," the system may identify the full tail number as "N110VP" based on the tail numbers of nearby aircraft and show the full tail number in the transcript.

[0028] The system can check the ADS-B data feed for its tail number and location. If there is no tail number match or partial match and no target track is found, the system can display an aircraft type icon based on the tail number registration, along with a shaded radius of location uncertainty in the waypoint area (e.g., "stadium" in this exemplary transmission).

[0029] The "stadium" portion of the transmission identifies the known geographic location 108 that the first aircraft 106 is near. Because this location may not be precise, the system may indicate the location with visual cues such as a shaded or particular color area 112.

[0030] Finally, the last portion of the transmission, "2500," indicates the aircraft's altitude 110. The altitude 110 is typically reported relative to mean sea level (MSL) using the local altimeter setting. In some cases, the altitude may be reported as above ground level altitude. The altitude 110 may be shown with a symbol (e.g., in parentheses) to indicate that it may not be precise.

[0031] A timer 114 may display the number of seconds since the last transmission update from the first aircraft 106, which may indicate the reliability of the displayed information. For example, information with a more recent time indication may be more reliable than information with an earlier time indication. After a predetermined amount of time without a subsequent transmission, the first aircraft 106 may be removed from the graphical representation 100.

[0032] In the exemplary transmission, the pilot of the first aircraft 106 does not state an intent. Some potential intents may include, but are not limited to, "inbound for landing," "practice maneuver," or "leave area."

[0033] Figure 1 shows a second aircraft 116 with registration number "N8245C." The pilot of the second aircraft 116 transmitted a voice call on the local air traffic control shared frequency (CTAF). The call may be "Clearwater Traffic, 4 5 Charlie, go around."

[0034] The system can convert this to text data, tail number: ending in 45C. The altitude: is unknown, but likely lies between AGL and air traffic pattern altitude (typically 1,000 feet AGL). The position can be determined as on final approach or as being on active runway "16," shown in Figure 1 as runway 102. The system can determine the active runway based on reported winds. Automated weather reports can provide this information. Aircraft generally take off and land into the wind, and active runways have the best headwind component, or in some cases minimize crosswind components. The system can also determine the active runway based on a previous traffic call announcing the active runway. For example, another pilot may announce, "Clearwater Traffic, N4922D, on final approach for landing, full stop at 16." This "16" from the previous transmission can indicate an active runway, specifically runway "16." Also, modern ADS-B trucks can indicate active runways in use.

[0035] After checking the ADS-B data feed for the registration number for the second aircraft 116, the system can determine a location for the second aircraft 116 and locations for aircraft matching the registration number. The system can display a general aviation aircraft icon based on the tail number registration along with the ADS-B GPS location and precise altitude, and annotate the track with the intent "go around." In various embodiments, radar data can also be used to correlate location in addition to or instead of ADS-B when available. An icon 118 (e.g., a crosshair icon) can indicate that the associated ADS-B track matches this audio transmission and that the system is providing precise position and altitude 110 information. The intent 120, "go around," can be displayed as a timer 114 indicating the last transmission.

[0036] The system can also display one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles. A first air vehicle 122, bearing the registration number N43WSK, can be displayed using position telemetry for one of the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft the MVSor is monitoring. All aircraft under the MVSor's control can be displayed using position telemetry. In this way, the MVSor can identify aircraft under the user's control at a glance on the display. Fusing this information with the surrounding air traffic picture can provide superior situational awareness, allowing the MVSor to focus on nearby traffic of interest with automatic threshold-based alerts. The altitude 110 of the first air vehicle 122 can be displayed.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a third aircraft 124 displayed on the graphical representation 100. The third aircraft 124 has registration number N432MT. The pilot may send the following transmission: "Clearwater Traffic, helicopter 2 Mike Tango is crossing midfield toward 16." The system may convert this into text data including: registration number: ending in 2MT; altitude: unknown; position: crossing midfield toward runway "16"; and intent: implied downwind pattern approach after crossing midfield. After checking the ADS-B data feed for its tail number and location and finding a matching track for N432MT, the system may display a helicopter icon based on the tail number registry information and traffic call, along with the ADS-B information. Icon 118 may indicate that the associated ADS-B track matches this audio transmission and that the system is providing precise location and altitude 110 information.

[0038] Using the GPS location and precise altitude information, the system can plot the position of the third aircraft 124. The system can annotate its track with the intent 120 to "cross midfield." A timer 114 can be displayed, indicating the last transmission by the third aircraft 124.

[0039] FIG. 1 further shows a fourth aircraft 126 on the graphical representation 100, with registration number N3003Q. The pilot for the fourth aircraft 126 can transmit, "Clearwater traffic, 03Q, downwind to 16." The system can convert this transmission into text data including: registration number: ending in 03Q; altitude: unknown, implied pattern altitude; location: downwind leg to runway "16"; and intent: pattern approach to land on runway "16." After checking the ADS-B data feed for the registration number and location and finding no target track, the system displays the aircraft icon with a shaded area 104 for the downwind pattern leg to runway "16." The altitude 110 is shown in parentheses because the altitude information may not be precise.

[0040] If precise location information is not available, the system can estimate the ground speed for the fourth aircraft 126 in the traffic pattern using information in the aircraft registry and correlating with the appropriate pilot operating handbook. For example, a Cessna 172 may have a downwind speed between 80 and 90 knots. In contrast, a Cirrus SR22T aircraft may be flown downwind at a faster speed of 100 knots. The runway length for the aircraft is known. Therefore, the runway length may be divided by the aircraft ground speed downwind to determine the potential time the fourth aircraft 126 will spend downwind. For example, for an aircraft with a ground speed of 90 knots, the aircraft will take approximately 32 seconds downwind for a runway with a length of 1,524 m (5,000 ft). A shorter runway, a faster aircraft, can reduce the time the fourth aircraft 126 will spend downwind. After a predetermined amount of time, the system may indicate that the fourth aircraft 126 is heading to the base leg.

[0041] Figure 1 further shows a fifth aircraft 128 on the graphical representation 100, with registration number N421CH. The pilot of the fifth aircraft 128 can transmit, "Arcadia Traffic, November 4, 2, 1 Charlie Hotel, on base to 14." The system can convert this into text data including registration number: N421CH, altitude: unknown, implied pattern altitude, position: base leg to runway "14," and intent: pattern approach to land on runway "14" in the city of Arcadia. The aircraft icon will not be displayed in this view because it is not in the operating environment relevant to the MVSor's current operation. This information may be received because another airport environment happens to share the CTAF frequency and is within range of radio transmissions. This position data and logs may be part of a back-end database for use with other MVSors, ​​if necessary and relevant, but will be filtered from the display at this level of zoom and display.

[0042] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system logic flow diagram illustrating a process 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] At block 202, process 200 may include receiving an audio transmission on an aeronautical communication frequency. The transmission may be in the Very High Frequency (VHF) band. The aeronautical communication frequency may be a CTAF frequency. The aeronautical communication frequency may be a tower frequency after normal operating hours for an airport control tower. The aeronautical communication frequency may be an approach frequency. The aeronautical communication frequency may be a center frequency. The aeronautical communication frequency may be a departure frequency. The audio transmission may be captured as an audio file.

[0044] At block 204, process 200 may include converting the voice transmission or audio file into one or more blocks of text, which may be stored in memory.

[0045] At block 206, process 200 may include parsing one or more blocks of text to identify one or more of the aircraft's call sign (e.g., all or part of the registration number), the aircraft's altitude, the aircraft's location, the airport name, and the pilot's intent. The parsed information may be stored in a memory of the computing system. Metadata may be used to link the one or more parsed blocks of text or aircraft information to the audio transmission.

[0046] At block 208, process 200 may include receiving an air traffic data feed. In various embodiments, the aircraft data feed may include ADS-B data.

[0047] At block 210, process 200 may include correlating the aircraft's call sign with aircraft information in the air traffic data feed. A matching algorithm may be used to match the call sign (e.g., all or part of a registration number) with aircraft in the local area of ​​the airport. Process 200 may include storing an association between the aircraft's call sign and one of the tracks in the air traffic data feed.

[0048] At block 212, process 200 may include determining whether the aircraft's call sign pertains to the airport being used for operation. Because air traffic control shared frequencies or UNICOM frequencies may be used by aircraft at different airports, traffic calls made by aircraft for other airports may not pertain to the aircraft being monitored by the MVS or. At block 214, process 200 may filter non-pertinent aircraft from the display. The filtered aircraft information may be stored in a memory or database. The filtered information may be displayed on another MVS or, if desired. In some embodiments, the filtered information may be displayed on demand.

[0049] At block 216, the process 200 may include determining whether the aircraft call sign matches an aircraft track near the airport.

[0050] In block 218 (e.g., "Yes" in step 216 indicating that the aircraft call sign matches an aircraft track in the vicinity of the airport), process 200 may include augmenting the air traffic feed data for the aircraft's location, altitude, and full call sign (registration number) with the intent from the voice transmission. If the aircraft matches an aircraft track in the aircraft data feed, a symbol may be displayed to indicate that the precise position and altitude from the air traffic feed is being used.

[0051] At block 220 (e.g., a "No" at step 216 indicating that the aircraft call sign does not match the track of an aircraft near the airport), process 200 may include displaying a target with a shaded location estimated based on the voice transmission location and / or stated intent. A timer may be displayed to show the seconds since the last voice transmission.

[0052] 3 illustrates an exemplary system 300 for improving situational awareness. The system may include various components, which may include a computing system 302, a radio receiver 304, an air traffic information database 308, a first wireless transceiver or internet connection 310, and a second wireless transceiver or internet connection 316. The radio receiver 304 may receive radio transmissions in the VHF frequency band. The radio receiver 304 may store the radio transmissions as audio files.

[0053] The audio-to-text converter 306 may be a routine that can convert an audio file into a text file, which may be stored in the memory of the computing system 302.

[0054] The air traffic information database 308 can store information for multiple aircraft. One such air traffic information database 308 can be Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). ADS-B is an automatic service because it periodically transmits information without the need for pilot or operator involvement. ADS-B can rely on GPS or other suitable navigation systems, such as a Flight Management System (FMS), for position and ground speed, and is considered surveillance because of the way it determines the 3D position and identification of aircraft and other objects. Information the system transmits, such as aircraft position, altitude, ground speed, and call sign, is available to anyone with suitable receiving equipment or an internet connection to a provider. This makes it a useful tool for aircraft operators and air traffic controllers globally in navigating increasingly congested airspace.

[0055] ADS-B provides aircraft surveillance data that can be used by air traffic control and other aircraft to track the position of aircraft in the airspace at a given time. ADS-B tracking relies on Mode S 1090ES transponders, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and the deployment of ground- or satellite-based surveillance systems.

[0056] Aircraft equipped with the ADS-B OUT system transmit data using the 1090 MHz frequency via squitters, burst transmissions sent periodically by Mode S transponders. This data can be received by air traffic controllers and other aircraft fitted with ADS-B IN-capable transponders.

[0057] 1090 MHz is an internationally approved frequency for transmitting Mode S replies and ADS-B data. In some airspace, particularly U.S. airspace, aircraft flying below 5486.4 m (18,000 FT) MSL can broadcast data using the 978 MHz Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) frequency. This is largely due to the high volume of general aviation aircraft flying in U.S. airspace compared to other regions. Both the 1090 MHz and 978 MHz channels can receive traffic (TIS-B) and weather (FIS-B) data.

[0058] The first wireless transceiver or internet connection 310 may be configured to receive aircraft data streams from the air traffic information database 308. The first wireless transceiver or internet connection 310 may operate on the 978 MHz to 1090 MHz frequency band. The first wireless transceiver or internet connection 310 may also send aircraft registration numbers, GPS location, and velocity data to the air traffic information database 308. The first wireless transceiver or internet connection 310 may send and receive data from the computing system 302.

[0059] The second wireless transceiver or internet connection 316 can send and receive data from multiple air vehicles (e.g., air vehicle #1 312 and air vehicle #2 314). The data can include control data for the air vehicles. The data can include position, velocity, and acceleration data from the multiple air vehicles. The second wireless transceiver or internet connection 316 can send and receive data from the computing system 302. Although ADS-B is described as one source of aircraft information, this disclosure is not limited to the use of ADS-B. Other air data systems in use or developed for future use can be used to provide aircraft information.

[0060] 4 is a flow chart of a process 400 according to one example of the present disclosure. According to one example, one or more process blocks of FIG. 4 may be implemented by a computing system.

[0061] At block 405, process 400 may include capturing an audio transmission broadcast over an aeronautical communication frequency. For example, the computing system may capture an audio transmission broadcast over an aeronautical communication frequency, as described above.

[0062] At block 410, process 400 may include converting the audio transmission into one or more text strings. For example, the computing system may convert the audio transmission into one or more text strings as described above.

[0063] At block 415, process 400 may include determining one or more of an aircraft identifier, an aircraft location, and an aircraft intent from the one or more text strings. For example, the computing system may determine one or more of an aircraft identifier, an aircraft location, and an aircraft intent from the one or more text strings, as described above.

[0064] At block 420, process 400 may include displaying on a display device an icon representing one or more of the aircraft's location, the aircraft's identifier, and the aircraft's intent. For example, the computing system may display icons representing the aircraft's location, the aircraft's identifier, and the aircraft's intent on a graphical representation provided on the display device, as described above.

[0065] In various embodiments, a computing system may include one or more memories and one or more processors in communication with the one or more memories, the one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored in the one or more memories to perform the operations of process 400 as described above.

[0066] In various embodiments, a computer-readable medium stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the one or more processors to perform any of the operations of the method of process 400 as described above.

[0067] It should be noted that while Figure 4 illustrates example blocks of process 400, in some implementations process 400 may include additional, fewer, different, or differently ordered blocks than those shown in Figure 4. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 400 may be performed in parallel.

[0068] In various embodiments, process 400 can include receiving aircraft information for one or more aircraft from a receiver, where the aircraft information can generate aircraft tracks on a display. Process 400 can include correlating an icon with at least one of the aircraft tracks by comparing position data from the aircraft information. When the icon and at least one of the aircraft tracks match, process 400 can include displaying the track information, a symbol indicating the track is correlated, and aircraft intent information on the display.

[0069] In various embodiments, the aircraft information includes broadcast automatic dependent surveillance data. The broadcast automatic dependent surveillance data may include one or more of the GPS location of the aircraft, the altitude of the aircraft, and the ground speed of the aircraft. In various embodiments, the technique may also utilize other traffic data feeds, such as telemetry from radar, UAS, or AAM aircraft, etc.

[0070] In various embodiments, determining at least the aircraft identifier, the aircraft location, and the aircraft intent from one or more text strings is performed by keyword searching.

[0071] In various embodiments, correlating is performed by matching at least a portion of the aircraft identifier in one or more text strings with the aircraft information. In various embodiments, correlating is performed by matching at least a portion of the aircraft identifier with spoken locations in the voice transmission and with the aircraft information.

[0072] In various embodiments, the process 400 may include displaying one or more aircraft pattern segments on a display for the airport.

[0073] In various embodiments, the aircraft intent includes at least one of a full-stop landing, a touch-and-go landing, or a go-around. In various embodiments, the aircraft intent includes at least one of an approach to an airport traffic pattern or a departure from an airport traffic pattern.

[0074] In various examples, process 400 can include accessing aircraft performance data for the aircraft based on the aircraft information. Process 400 can include determining a movement of the aircraft based on the aircraft performance data. Process 400 can include displaying an updated position of the aircraft based on the movement.

[0075] 5 shows a flowchart of a process 500 that may be used in conjunction with process 400 to filter and / or organize status information of other aircraft in the vicinity to de-emphasize other aircraft in areas that pose a low risk of interfering with the continued safe flight and / or landing of the operator-controlled aircraft. De-emphasizing other aircraft in the vicinity that pose a low risk can help reduce human factors task workload and distractions.

[0076] In block 510, the relative risk of needing to change the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft is quantified based on the status information of the other aircraft. Any suitable technique may be used to quantify the relative risk. For example, the relative risk may be based on any suitable combination of: (a) the current position of the other aircraft relative to the operator-controlled aircraft; (b) the current direction of the other aircraft relative to the operator-controlled aircraft; (c) the current altitude and / or rate of change of altitude of the other aircraft relative to the operator-controlled aircraft; (d) the current closing rate between the other aircraft and the operator-controlled aircraft; and (e) the expected future position of the other aircraft relative to the operator-controlled aircraft. The intent of the other aircraft may be used to improve prediction of the future position of the other aircraft. Each of the considered parameters may be used to generate a risk number for use in determining whether to de-emphasize the other aircraft if the relative risk is low.

[0077] In block 520, the relative risk determined in block 510 is compared to a suitable threshold to identify a subset of other aircraft that present a low near-term risk of interfering with the continued safe flight and / or landing of the operator-controlled aircraft. In some embodiments, the threshold may be adjusted to some extent based on the number of other aircraft in the vicinity to limit the total number of other aircraft icons displayed while still displaying other aircraft icons for all of the other aircraft for which the aircraft operator should be informed of corresponding status information about the safe operation of the operator-controlled aircraft.

[0078] At block 530, the display of icons for other aircraft with relative risks below the threshold is dimmed or suspended to focus attention on other aircraft with relative risks above the threshold. Any suitable technique may be used to dim the display of other aircraft icons for other aircraft with relative risks below the threshold. Alternatively, the display of other aircraft icons for other aircraft with relative risks above the threshold may be emphasized (e.g., higher brightness, bold text, blinking, etc.).

[0079] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary computing system 302 that can be used to implement various embodiments described herein. The computing system 302 is illustrated as including one or more processors 604, a system memory 606 (which may comprise any combination of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as, for example, buffer memory, RAM, DRAM, ROM, flash, or any other suitable memory device), and a network interface (e.g., an external communication interface). Moreover, one or more of the modules may be disposed within one or more of the components of the system memory 606 or may be disposed externally. The software and hardware modules illustrated in FIG. 6 are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the configuration is not limiting. The processor 604, the system memory 606, and / or the external communication interface 608 may implement one or more of the methods described above.

[0080] External communication interface 608 may be configured or programmed to receive and generate electronic messages containing information transmitted to and from multiple autonomous air vehicles through computing system 302. When an electronic message is received by computing system 302 via external communication interface 608, it may be processed and the associated information (e.g., graphical representation 100) may be displayed on display device 610 via graphical user interface (GUI) 614.

[0081] The electronic components of the described embodiments may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or may comprise one or more general-purpose computers selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such computer programs may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium 612, such as any type of disk including, but not limited to, a floppy disk, optical disk, DVD, CD-ROM, magneto-optical disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic or optical card, application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, each coupled to a computer system bus.

[0082] In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to numerous specific details that may vary from implementation to implementation. Accordingly, the specification and drawings should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The sole and exclusive indication of the scope of the present disclosure, and what is intended by the applicant to be the scope of the present disclosure, is the full literal and equivalent scope of the claims issuing from this application, including the specific form in which such claims issue and any subsequent amendments. Specific details of particular embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0083] Additionally, spatially relative terms such as "bottom," "top," or "side" may be used to describe the relationship of an element and / or feature to other element(s) and / or feature(s), for example, as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device during use or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, an element described as being on the "bottom" surface may be oriented "above" the other element or feature. The device may be oriented differently (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or to another orientation), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0084] The methods, systems, and devices described herein are examples. Various embodiments may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. For example, features described with respect to some embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in a similar manner. Also, technology evolves, and therefore, many of the elements are examples that do not limit the scope of the disclosure to those particular examples.

[0085] As used herein, the terms "and," "or," and "and / or" may include a variety of meanings that are expected to depend, at least in part, on the context in which such terms are used. In general, when used to associate a list, such as A, B, or C, "or" shall mean A, B, and C as used herein in an inclusive sense, as well as A, B, or C as used herein in an exclusive sense. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "one or more" may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in the singular, or it may be used to describe any combination of features, structures, or characteristics. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example, and claimed subject matter is not limited to this example. Furthermore, the term "at least one of," when used to associate a list, such as A, B, or C, may be interpreted to mean any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, AA, AAB, ABC, AABBCCC, etc.

[0086] References throughout this specification to "one example," "an example," "certain examples," or "exemplary implementations" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described with respect to a feature and / or example may be included in at least one feature and / or example of the claimed subject matter. Thus, appearances of the phrase "in one example," "an example," "in certain examples," "in certain implementations," or other similar phrases in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same features, examples, and / or limitations. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more examples and / or features.

[0087] For simplicity, various active and passive circuit components are not shown in the figures. In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to numerous specific details that may vary from implementation to implementation. Accordingly, the specification and drawings should be considered in an illustrative and not a limiting sense. The sole and exclusive indication of the scope of the present disclosure, and what is intended by the applicant to be the scope of the present disclosure, is the full text and equivalent scope of the claims issuing from this application, including the specific form in which such claims issue and any subsequent amendments. Specific details of particular embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0088] While the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art having access to this disclosure will appreciate that variations and modifications will be possible.

[0089] It should be understood that all numerical values ​​used herein are for illustrative purposes and may vary. In some instances, ranges are specified to provide a sense of scale, but do not exclude values ​​outside the disclosed ranges.

[0090] It should also be understood that all figures herein are intended as schematic diagrams. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the drawings do not imply a particular physical arrangement of elements shown therein, or that all elements shown are required. Those skilled in the art with access to this disclosure will understand that elements shown in the drawings or otherwise described in this disclosure may be modified or omitted, and that other elements not shown or described may be added.

[0091] The above description is illustrative and not limiting. Many variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of this disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of patent protection should not be determined with reference to the above description, but instead with reference to the following claims along with their full scope or equivalents.

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented method for providing status information of other aircraft in the vicinity of an operator-controlled aircraft, the method comprising: displaying an icon of the operator-controlled aircraft on a display to represent the positioning of the operator-controlled aircraft within the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft; receiving a radio transmission broadcast by the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft; processing the wireless transmission to generate one or more text strings corresponding to audio content of the wireless transmission; processing the one or more text strings to determine, for each of one or more of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, at least one of an identifier of the other aircraft, a location of the other aircraft, or an intent of the other aircraft; displaying one or more other aircraft icons on a display, each of the other aircraft icons indicating at least one of the location of one of the other aircraft, the identifier of one of the other aircraft, or the intent of one of the other aircraft; 11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

2. receiving air traffic information about at least one of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft obtained from an air traffic information source via a first wireless transceiver, an internet connection, or a surveillance data provider, the air traffic information indicating position fixes of the at least one of the other aircraft over a period of time; correlating one of the other aircraft icons with one of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft by comparing a position of the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon with position data from the air traffic information; displaying on the display at least one of a position track for the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon, a symbol indicating a correlation between the other aircraft icon and the position track, or intent information for the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the air traffic information includes Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data or other surveillance / location system data.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the ADS-B data includes at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location, an altitude, or a ground speed.

5. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein correlating is performed by matching at least a portion of the identifiers of the other aircraft in the one or more text strings with the air traffic information.

6. accessing aircraft performance data for one of the other aircraft based on the air traffic information; and determining a movement of the one of the other aircraft based on the aircraft performance data; determining an updated position of the one of the other aircraft based on the movement; and displaying the updated position of the one of the other aircraft on the display; and The method of claim 2 further comprising:

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the one or more text strings comprises performing a keyword search.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying one or more aircraft pattern segments on the display for an airport.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the other aircraft's intent includes at least one of a full-stop landing, a touch-and-go landing, or a go-around.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the other aircraft's intent includes at least one of entering an airport traffic pattern or leaving an airport traffic pattern.

11. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the intent of the other aircraft includes at least one of a position report, a hold, a maneuver, a slow flight, or other communication of an intent to inform local air traffic, an airport tower, or air traffic control.

12. For each of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, quantifying a relative likelihood that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered based on the determined flight trajectory and / or intent of the other aircraft; determining, for each of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, whether the relative likelihood that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered is below a threshold; further comprising 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the other aircraft icons for the other aircraft for which the relative likelihood of needing to change the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft is below the threshold is accomplished to focus attention on the other aircraft for which the relative likelihood of needing to change the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft is above the threshold.

13. 1. A system for providing status information of other aircraft in the vicinity of an operator-controlled aircraft, the system comprising: a radio receiver operable to receive radio transmissions broadcast on one or more aeronautical communication frequencies; The display and at least one processor; a tangible memory device for storing non-transitory instructions; wherein the non-transient instructions cause the at least one processor to: displaying an icon of the operator-controlled aircraft on the display to represent a positioning of the operator-controlled aircraft within the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft; receiving a radio transmission broadcast by the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft; processing the wireless transmission to generate one or more text strings corresponding to audio content of the wireless transmission; processing the one or more text strings to determine, for each of one or more of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, at least one of an identifier of the other aircraft, a location of the other aircraft, or an intent of the other aircraft; displaying one or more other aircraft icons on a display, each of the other aircraft icons indicating at least one of the location of the other aircraft, the identifier of the other aircraft, or the intent of the other aircraft; 2. A system comprising: a processor configured to:

14. The instructions cause the at least one processor to: receiving air traffic information for at least one of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft obtained from an air traffic information source via a first wireless transceiver or an internet connection, the air traffic information indicating position fixes of the at least one of the other aircraft over a period of time; correlating one of the other aircraft icons with one of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft by comparing a position of the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon with position data from the air traffic information; displaying on the display at least one of a position track for the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon, a symbol indicating a correlation between the other aircraft icon and the position track, or intent information for the other aircraft represented by the other aircraft icon; 14. The system of claim 13, further executable by the at least one processor to:

15. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the air traffic information includes Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data or other surveillance / location system data.

16. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the ADS-B data includes at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location, an altitude, or a ground speed.

17. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the correlating one of the other aircraft icons with one of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the correlating operator-controlled aircraft is accomplished via matching at least a portion of an identifier of the other aircraft in the one or more text strings with the air traffic information.

18. The instructions cause the at least one processor to: accessing aircraft performance data for one of the other aircraft based on the air traffic information; and determining a movement of the one of the other aircraft based on aircraft performance data for the other aircraft; determining an updated position of the one of the other aircraft based on the movement; and displaying the updated position of the one of the other aircraft on the display; and 15. The system of claim 14, further executable by the at least one processor to:

19. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein processing the one or more text strings comprises performing a keyword search.

20. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to display one or more aircraft pattern segments on the display for an airport.

21. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the other aircraft's intent includes at least one of a full stop landing, a touch-and-go landing, or a go-around.

22. The system of claim 13 , wherein the intent of the other aircraft includes at least one of entering an airport traffic pattern or leaving an airport traffic pattern.

23. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the intent of the other aircraft includes at least one of a position report, a hold, a maneuver, a slow flight, or other communication of an intent to inform local air traffic, an airport tower, or air traffic control.

24. The instructions cause the at least one processor to: For each of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, quantifying a relative likelihood that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered based on the determined flight trajectory and / or intent of the other aircraft; determining, for each of the other aircraft in the vicinity of the operator-controlled aircraft, whether the relative likelihood that the current flight path of the operator-controlled aircraft will need to be altered is below a threshold; and further executable by the at least one processor to cause 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the display of the other aircraft icons for the other aircraft for which the relative likelihood of the operator-controlled aircraft needing to change the current flight path is below the threshold is accomplished to focus attention on the other aircraft for which the relative likelihood of the operator-controlled aircraft needing to change the current flight path is above the threshold.

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