UTM-ATC Interface for Manned-Unmanned Air Traffic Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air traffic control systems are not integrated with unmanned traffic management systems, making it difficult to monitor and manage both manned and unmanned aircraft effectively, as they use different data formats and communication protocols, which poses challenges in ensuring safe and efficient air traffic flow.
Innovation Solution
A common interface is developed that allows an air traffic control (ATC) system to receive and transmit data in different formats from unmanned traffic management (UTM) networks and traditional communications systems, enabling the display of positions and flight paths of both unmanned and manned aircraft, and allowing control signals to be relayed to the appropriate systems for collision avoidance and airspace management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional air traffic control systems are used to monitor manned aircraft, then safety and coordination of manned aircraft are ensured, but unmanned aircraft cannot be monitored
Solution Approach 1:
The air traffic control system is enhanced with a universal interface that can handle both traditional manned aircraft data and unmanned aircraft data from UTM systems. The interface is designed to accept multiple data formats and protocols, allowing the same ATC infrastructure to serve both aircraft types without requiring separate monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
A data interface module acts as an intermediary between the UTM system and the ATC system. This intermediary component translates and adapts data from different sources and formats, enabling seamless integration without directly modifying the core ATC or UTM systems, thus reducing integration complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate UTM systems are used to monitor unmanned aircraft, then unmanned aircraft traffic can be managed, but integration with traditional ATC systems is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The data interface module is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple data formats simultaneously. It can receive data in various formats from both UTM and ATC systems, convert them to a common internal format, and distribute the processed data to appropriate destinations, eliminating the need for separate conversion systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes data parameters including format, protocol, and structure based on the source system. The interface module automatically detects the incoming data format and applies appropriate transformation rules to convert UTM data format to ATC-compatible format and vice versa, managing complexity through automated parameter adaptation.
3Ease of operation
If data from multiple sources is integrated into a common format, then unified air traffic management is achieved, but data format conversion complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The data interface module serves as an intermediary that handles all format conversion complexities internally. Air traffic controllers interact only with the unified interface, which automatically manages the conversion between different data formats from UTM and ATC systems, shielding users from conversion complexity while enabling unified operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates standardized copies of incoming data in a common internal format. Rather than requiring direct compatibility between different systems, the interface module generates normalized data representations that can be uniformly processed and displayed, simplifying the user interface while managing conversion complexity in the background.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus may receive first data, in a first data format, from one or more unmanned aircraft system service suppliers comprising first positions of one or more unmanned aircraft systems, receive second data, in a second data format, from one or more communications systems comprising second positions of one or more manned aircraft, transmit third data, in a third data format, comprising the first positions of the one or more unmanned aircraft systems and the second positions of the one or more manned aircraft, receive a first control signal comprising a control command associated with one or more of the unmanned aircraft systems or one or more of the manned aircraft, and transmit a second control signal comprising the control command to one or more of the unmanned aircraft system service suppliers or to one or more of the communications systems.