ATC Radar Bias Calibration Using Commercial ADS-B Aircraft Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high operational and maintenance costs associated with conventional radar calibration for air traffic control, particularly due to the use of dedicated calibration aircraft, and the inefficiencies in bias recalibration of radar systems, pose challenges in ensuring accurate and safe air traffic management.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing commercial aircraft equipped with ADS-B transponders to provide data for bias estimation and recalibration of ATC radar systems, leveraging AI to learn from their flight data and reduce the need for specialized calibration flights, thereby reducing operational costs and enhancing radar performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dedicated calibration aircraft are used for radar calibration, then measurement precision is improved, but operational cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes commercial aircraft serve dual purposes: their primary commercial flight function and their secondary function as calibration targets for radar systems. By equipping commercial aircraft with transponders that broadcast position and velocity data, the system eliminates the need for dedicated calibration aircraft while maintaining calibration accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Commercial aircraft self-provide calibration data through their existing navigation systems (GPS, inertial sensors) and transponders. The aircraft automatically broadcast their precise position and velocity information, which the radar system uses for self-calibration, eliminating the need for external calibration services.
2Measurement precision
If dedicated calibration aircraft are used for radar calibration, then measurement precision is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration process becomes continuous rather than periodic. Commercial aircraft are constantly flying and broadcasting calibration data, allowing the radar system to continuously update its calibration parameters during normal operations, eliminating the need for scheduled calibration flights that take the radar offline.
Solution Approach 2:
Commercial aircraft prepare calibration data in advance through their onboard navigation systems (GPS, inertial sensors) that continuously track position and velocity. This preliminary preparation of accurate position data enables immediate use for calibration when the aircraft enter the radar coverage area.
3Reliability
If conventional bias recalibration is performed periodically, then radar system reliability is maintained, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback by comparing radar-measured aircraft positions and velocities with the precise data broadcast by the aircraft's own navigation systems. This real-time feedback enables automatic detection and correction of radar biases, maintaining reliability without periodic interruptions for recalibration.
4Device complexity
If commercial aircraft data is used for bias estimation, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameters used for calibration from simple position data to a comprehensive set of parameters including position, velocity, acceleration, and their derivatives. This multi-parameter approach using commercial aircraft data compensates for any individual parameter uncertainties, maintaining overall measurement precision while simplifying the calibration system.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for reducing cost of airflight, the method comprising reducing cost of Air Traffic Control (ATC) and/or reducing maintenance cost of the Air Traffic Control (ATC)'s radar system. Reducing of maintenance cost may include reducing operational cost of estimation, based on data, of bias (e.g.) in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar system including at least once, basing the estimation of bias (e.g.) at least partly on data from commercial aircraft/s, to reduce or eliminate need for flying dedicated calibration aircraft to provide a source of data for the bias estimation and/or parameter Calibration.