Systems and methods for monitoring airborne objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9310477-B1
Application number	US-201313752705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 29, 2013
Priority date	Jan 29, 2013
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring airborne objects are described herein. An air traffic management (ATM) system is provided that includes a memory device for storing data and a processor coupled to the memory device. The processor is programmed to receive object data associated with each of a plurality of airborne objects transmitted by at least one remote sensor device and generate an air traffic map to display a present location and a flight path for each airborne object based on the received object data. The object data includes situational awareness information for each airborne object and real-time position information for the at least one remote sensor device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air traffic management (ATM) system comprising:
a memory device for storing data; and
a processor coupled to said memory device, said processor programmed to:
receive object data associated with each of a plurality of airborne objects transmitted by at least one first remote sensor device, wherein the object data includes situational awareness information for each airborne object and real-time position information for the at least one first remote sensor device;
receive second object data from at least one second remote sensor device, the second object data associated with at least one non-transmitting airborne object of the plurality of airborne objects, wherein the second remote sensor device includes a handheld mobile device associated with an independent, ground-based user, the mobile device including a social network application that processes and transmits geopositional information of the mobile device and situational awareness information for the non-transmitting airborne object to said ATM system; and
generate an air traffic map to display a present location and a flight path for each of the plurality of airborne objects based on the received object data and the at least one non-transmitting airborne object based on the received second object data.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises a communications module, said processor is further programmed to receive object data transmitted by said communications module via a network that includes the Internet.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises a sensor module, said processor is further programmed to receive real-time position information for the mobile device determined by the sensor module.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one first remote sensor device comprises at least one of a radar system, an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) receiver, or an airline fleet network.

5. A system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the at least one second remote sensor device further comprises the mobile device as an additional source of information, the mobile device configured to at least one of identify a non-transmitting object of the plurality of airborne objects or provide an alternate source of information when at least one other first remote sensor device at least one of malfunctions or transmits false information.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said processor is further programmed to transmit a reroute command to at least one of the plurality of airborne objects based on the object data.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said processor is further programmed to generate a predicted flight path for each of the plurality of airborne objects based on the object data and the at least one non-transmitting airborne object based on the received second object data.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the situational awareness information includes at least one of aircraft identification information, aircraft position information, flight plan information, traffic information, weather information, terrain information, location of wildlife, or location of turbulence.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of airborne objects include at least one of an airplane, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a missile, a glider, a helicopter, a balloon, wildlife, or a weather system.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the non-transmitting airborne object does not transmit a detectable position and timing signal or is not detectable on a radar system.

11. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second object data includes at least one of an altitude, a speed, and a direction of the non-transmitting airborne object.

12. A computer-implemented method of monitoring an airborne object using an air traffic management (ATM) system, wherein the ATM system includes a memory device in communication with a processor, said method comprises:
receiving, by the processor, object data associated with each of a plurality of airborne objects transmitted by at least one first remote sensor device, wherein the object data includes situational awareness information for each airborne object and real-time position information for the at least one first remote sensor device;
receiving, by the processor, second object data from at least one second remote sensor device, the second object data associated with a non-transmitting airborne object of the plurality of airborne objects, wherein the second remote sensor device includes a handheld mobile device associated with an independent, ground-based user, the mobile device including a social network application that processes and transmits geopositional information of the mobile device and situational awareness information for the non-transmitting airborne object to said ATM system; and
generating an air traffic map to display a present location and a flight path for each of the plurality of airborne objects based on the received object data.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the mobile device includes a communications module, said method further comprising receiving object data transmitted by the communications module over a network, the network including the Internet.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the mobile device includes a sensor module, said method further comprising receiving real-time position information determined for the mobile device by the sensor module.

15. A method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the at least one second remote sensor device includes a mobile device as an additional source of information, the mobile device configured to at least one of identify a non-transmitting object of the plurality of airborne objects or provide an alternate source of information when at least one other remote sensor device at least one of malfunctions or transmits false information.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for monitoring an airborne object using an air traffic management (ATM) system, wherein the ATM system includes a memory device in communication with a processor, wherein when executed by said processor, said computer-executable instructions cause said processor to:
receive object data for each of a plurality of airborne objects transmitted by at least one first remote sensor device, the object data including situational awareness information for each airborne object and real-time position information for the at least one first remote sensor device;
receive second object data from at least one second remote sensor device, the second object data associated with a non-transmitting airborne object of the plurality of airborne objects, wherein the second remote sensor device includes a handheld mobile device associated with an independent, ground-based user, the mobile device including a social network application that processes and transmits geopositional information of the mobile device and situational awareness information for the non-transmitting airborne object to said ATM system; and
generate an air traffic map to display a present location and a flight path for each of the plurality of airborne objects based on the received object data.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 16 , wherein said computer-executable instructions further cause said processor to transmit a reroute command to an airborne object based on the objec

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Sampigethaya Radhakrishna G

Classifications

• G08G5/727

  from a ground station · CPC title

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G08G5/74

  for monitoring terrain · CPC title

• G08G5/26

  Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations · CPC title

• G08G5/22

  located on the ground · CPC title