Air Traffic Guidance Device Parallel Processing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional air traffic control systems face challenges with real-time image processing and data transmission for high-resolution video projection, leading to reduced visibility and safety during poor weather conditions, and require frequent attention switching between monitors and radar displays.

Innovation Solution

An air traffic control device with a video compression unit, signal splitter, and data transmission line for parallel image compression and evaluation, allowing real-time processing and optimized data transmission, along with a video projection device for enhanced visibility using semi-transparent displays and automatic object recognition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If high-resolution video data is transmitted from observation cameras to the control center, then image quality and visibility are improved, but data transmission rate and processing complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevideo qualityVSAvoiddata transmission rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the video processing workflow into separate functional modules: observation cameras capture images, signal splitters distribute signals to multiple processing paths, video compression units compress the data, and image evaluation units analyze traffic parameters. This segmentation allows high-resolution image capture while managing data transmission through specialized compression pathways.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a signal splitter as an intermediary device between the observation cameras and the processing units. This splitter distributes the video signal to multiple destinations simultaneously (video compression unit and image evaluation unit), enabling parallel processing without requiring the cameras to directly handle all processing loads, thus reducing transmission complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If real-time image evaluation is performed on uncompressed high-resolution video data, then object recognition accuracy is improved, but processing time and computational load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject recognition accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by capturing images at high resolution and immediately splitting the signal to parallel processing paths. The uncompressed data is sent to the image evaluation unit for accurate object recognition while simultaneously being compressed for transmission. This preliminary separation allows both high accuracy and efficient transmission without sequential processing delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from sequential processing to parallel processing by introducing multiple processing dimensions. The video signal is distributed to both compression and evaluation units simultaneously, creating a parallel processing architecture that reduces overall processing time while maintaining high-resolution analysis capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Productivity

If video compression is applied to reduce data transmission rate, then data transmission efficiency is improved, but image quality and evaluation reliability may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission efficiencyVSAvoidimage evaluation reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the video data stream into two separate paths: one for compression (to transmission line) and one for evaluation (to image evaluation unit). This segmentation ensures that the evaluation process receives uncompressed, high-quality data for reliable object recognition, while the compression path handles data transmission efficiently. The two paths operate independently without compromising either reliability or efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The signal splitter acts as an intermediary that divides the video signal before any compression or evaluation occurs. This early splitting ensures that the evaluation unit receives pristine, uncompressed data while the compression unit receives a copy for efficient transmission. The intermediary prevents any quality loss from affecting the evaluation process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If multiple processing units (compression and evaluation) are connected in parallel to observation cameras, then processing reliability is improved, but device complexity and connection requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing reliabilityVSAvoidconnection requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a signal splitter as a central intermediary that simplifies the connection architecture. Instead of requiring multiple complex connections from each camera to multiple units, the splitter provides a single point of distribution that connects to both the compression unit and evaluation unit. This reduces connection complexity while maintaining parallel processing reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The signal splitter serves multiple functions simultaneously: it distributes video signals to both compression and evaluation units, provides signal isolation between units, and enables flexible routing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated connections for each unit, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining processing reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP1791364B1Air traffic guidance device
Publication Date: 2009.01.14 DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FÜR LUFT UND RAUMFAHRT E V
  • EP1791364B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1791364B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1791364B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The device has a video projection device (9) for representing information as a video panorama, and an image evaluation unit (5) for extraction of object and position related traffic parameters from an image data. A video compression unit (4) compresses the image data, and a signal divider (3) extracts a traffic parameter from the uncompressed image data and compresses the image data. A giga bit Ethernet cable (7) is provided between the projection device and the evaluation and the compression devices to transmit the compressed image data and the extracted traffic parameter to the projection device.