Method and vehicle traffic control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10068474-B2
Application number	US-201615283414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2016
Priority date	Oct 2, 2016
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle and method of operating a vehicle in a vehicle traffic control system includes receiving a grid projection from a grid generator, generating a navigation output, transmitting the navigation output to the vehicle traffic control system, receiving the vehicle traffic control plan from the vehicle traffic control system, and operating the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a vehicle in a vehicle traffic control system, comprising:
receiving, by at least one detector module, a relative navigation grid projection from a set of grid generators;
generating, via a controller module, at least one navigation output based upon the received relative navigation grid projection;
transmitting, via the controller module, the at least one navigation output to a vehicle traffic control system;
receiving a vehicle traffic control plan from the vehicle traffic control system; and
controllably operating, via the controller module, at least one manned vehicle based on the vehicle traffic control plan;
wherein operating the at least one manned vehicle includes operating the at least one manned vehicle to execute the vehicle traffic control plan to control at least one movement of the at least one of the manned vehicle and to avoid collisions with another vehicle or a structure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling the at least one movement is configured to be within at least one of a vehicle traffic zone or a vehicle parking zone.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling the at least one movement is configured to avoid restricted zones.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving includes simultaneously receiving the relative navigation grid projection by at least two detector modules arranged on the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein generating the navigation output includes determining at least one of a vehicle orientation or a vehicle heading based upon the receiving the relative navigation grid projection by the at least two detector modules.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the navigation output includes determining a grid location.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting at least one of vehicle type or vehicle configuration information to the vehicle traffic control system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving a vehicle traffic control plan includes receiving at least one of guidance or holding information, based on the vehicle configuration information, and information related to known physical features of a vehicle traffic zone or a vehicle parking zone.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a vehicle traffic control plan includes receiving at least one of guidance or holding information for the vehicle.

10. A vehicle, comprising:
at least two detector modules arranged to simultaneously receive a relative navigation grid projection from a set of grid generators and generate corresponding detector module outputs based upon the received relative navigation grid projection;
a controller module communicatively coupled with the at least two detector modules and configured to generate a navigation output based upon the corresponding generated detector module outputs; and
a communication link communicatively coupled with the controller module and configured to transmit the navigation output to a traffic control system and receive plan information for the vehicle, wherein the controller module controllably operates the vehicle based on the plan information to execute the plan information by controlling movements of vehicle related to the received plan information and to avoid collisions with another vehicle or structure; wherein the vehicle is a manned vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the navigation output is one of a vehicle location, vehicle orientation, a vehicle heading, a vehicle type, or vehicle configuration information.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the at least one of vehicle type or vehicle configuration information includes at least one of model number, serial number, make, characteristics, current weight, cargo capacity, cargo content, wheel configuration, maintenance records, pilot or driver presence, physical adjustments of the vehicle, or plan information for the vehicle.

13. A method of operating multiple vehicles in a vehicle traffic control system, comprising:
receiving, by a set of manned vehicles, a relative navigation grid projection from a set of grid generators;
generating, via a controller module, navigation outputs from the set of manned vehicles based upon the received relative navigation grid projection;
transmitting, via the controller module, the navigation outputs to a vehicle traffic control system;
receiving, by at least one of the set of manned vehicles, a vehicle traffic control plan from the vehicle traffic control system; and
controllably operating, via the controller module, the at least one of the set of manned vehicles based on the vehicle traffic control plan;
wherein operating the at least one of the set of manned vehicles includes operating the at least one of the set of manned vehicles to execute the vehicle traffic control plan to control at least one movement of the at least one of the set of manned vehicles and to avoid collisions with another vehicle or a structure.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein operating the at least one of the set of vehicles based on the vehicle traffic control plan includes controlling movement of a first vehicle and operating a second vehicle to be stationary.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving the vehicle traffic control plan from the vehicle traffic control system includes receiving a traffic control plan based on at least structural obstacles and vehicle information of at least two vehicles.

Assignees

• Ge Aviation Systems Llc
• Ge Aviation Systems Llc

Inventors

• Turner Mark Lawrence

Classifications

• B64F1/221

  for handling seaplanes · CPC title

• G01S2201/01

  adapted for specific applications or environments · CPC title

• G01S1/7034

  Mounting or deployment thereof · CPC title

• B64F1/002

  Taxiing aids · CPC title

• G01S2013/916

  Airport surface monitoring [ASDE] · CPC title