Ground Hazard Data Aggregation for Aircraft Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing on-ground aircraft collision avoidance systems are costly and technologically challenging to retrofit, especially since the risk of on-ground collisions is relatively low, and current systems require expensive installation of sensors on each aircraft.
Innovation Solution
A ground-based hazard data aggregation system that shares aircraft hazard sensor data wirelessly among vehicles, allowing aircraft without onboard collision avoidance sensors to utilize aggregated hazard position data for collision avoidance, reducing the need for individual sensor equipping and leveraging diverse sensor technologies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each aircraft is equipped with onboard collision avoidance sensors, then collision detection capability is improved, but system cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple aircraft hazard sensor systems are merged into a single ground-based aggregation system. The patent combines hazard position data from multiple contributing aircraft into one centralized database, allowing all subscriber aircraft to access aggregated hazard information without each needing independent sensor systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground-based hazard data aggregation system serves multiple functions: it collects data from contributing aircraft, processes and aggregates hazard position information, stores data in a centralized database, and distributes warnings to subscriber aircraft. This single system replaces multiple individual onboard systems across the fleet.
2Reliability
If onboard collision avoidance systems are installed on all aircraft, then safety is improved, but the cost burden on airlines increases
Solution Approach 1:
A ground-based hazard data aggregation system acts as an intermediary between hazard sources (contributing aircraft with sensors) and users (subscriber aircraft needing hazard information). This mediator collects, processes, and distributes hazard data, eliminating the need for each aircraft to have its own expensive onboard system.
3Reliability
If aircraft are retrofitted with collision avoidance sensors, then collision avoidance capability is improved, but technical difficulty and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing sensor systems on each aircraft (aircraft-to-aircraft approach), the system inverts the architecture by placing the aggregation and processing infrastructure on the ground (ground-to-air approach). Contributing aircraft transmit hazard data to ground stations, which then distribute processed information to all subscriber aircraft.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for on-ground vehicle collision avoidance utilizing shared vehicle hazard sensor data are provided. In one embodiment, a system comprises: a ground based hazard data aggregation system comprising at least one memory storing a hazard position database; and at least one vehicle-ground communications electronics system coupled to the aggregation system; wherein the aggregation system is communicatively coupled to an onboard ground hazard collision avoidance system of at least a first on-ground subscriber vehicle through a wireless datalink established via the vehicle-ground communications electronics system; wherein the hazard position database stores vehicle collected hazard position data generated by a first on-ground contributing vehicle; and wherein the ground based hazard data aggregation system transmits to the first on-ground subscriber vehicle aggregated hazard position data from the hazard position database, the aggregated hazard position data including the vehicle collected hazard position data generated by the first on-ground contributing vehicle.