Using aircraft trajectory data to infer atmospheric conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9507053-B2
Application number	US-201314105766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2013
Priority date	Dec 14, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of inferring data relating to atmospheric conditions within an airspace of interest using observations of aircraft trajectories. Information relating to aircraft intent may also be inferred. Aircraft flying within the airspace are identified, and their trajectories and aircraft type are determined. Aircraft performance data relating to that type of aircraft is retrieved from memory, along with any filed aircraft intent data. Then, the atmospheric conditions data and, optionally, any missing aircraft intent data that, in combination with the filed aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data, would give rise to the determined trajectory for each processed aircraft are inferred. The atmospheric data and optionally the missing aircraft intent data are provided as an output.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of providing data relating to atmospheric conditions in an airspace using observations of aircraft trajectories through the airspace, the method comprising a computer system:
(a) identifying aircraft flying within the airspace;
(b) for at least some of the aircraft identified,

processing the aircraft by
 determining an observed trajectory of the aircraft,
 determining initial conditions of the aircraft,
 determining the type of the aircraft and retrieving from memory aircraft
 performance data relating to that type of aircraft, and
 retrieving from memory aircraft intent data relating to the aircraft stored therein, wherein the aircraft intent data provides an unambiguous description of the aircraft's trajectory through the airspace expressed using a formal language;
(c) using as inputs the observed trajectories, the initial conditions, the aircraft performance data, and the aircraft intent data for the processed aircraft;
(d) inferring from the inputs atmospheric conditions data that, in combination with the aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data, would give rise to the observed trajectory for each of the processed aircraft; and
(e) providing as an output the inferred atmospheric conditions data for the airspace.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the computer system:
(f) calculating from the inferred atmospheric conditions data, the aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data, a calculated trajectory for each of the processed aircraft;
(g) comparing the calculated trajectory to the observed trajectory for each processed aircraft and determining those processed aircraft with calculated trajectories that match the observed trajectories within a predetermined threshold;
(h) discarding the observed trajectories, the aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data for each processed aircraft with a calculated trajectory that does not match its observed trajectory within the predetermined threshold while retaining the observed trajectories, the aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data for each processed aircraft with a calculated trajectory that matches its observed trajectory within the predetermined threshold;
(i) determining from the observed trajectories, the initial conditions, the aircraft performance data, and the aircraft intent data for the retained aircraft, the atmospheric conditions data that, in combination with the aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data, would give rise to the observed trajectory for each retained aircraft.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the computer system:
in step (g), further calculating an overall measure of how well the calculated trajectories match the observed trajectories.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the computer:
performing steps (h) and (i) based upon the overall measure.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising the computer system:
(j) for each aircraft, comparing the trajectory calculated at step (i) to the observed trajectory, and further calculating an overall measure of how well the calculated trajectories at step (i) match the observed trajectories; and wherein providing as an output the calculated atmospheric conditions data in the airspace in step (e) comprises providing the atmospheric conditions data with the better overall measure determined in steps (g) and (j).

6. A computer-implemented method of providing data relating to atmospheric conditions in an airspace and aircraft intent of aircraft flying through the airspace using observations of the aircraft trajectories through the airspace, the method comprising a computer system:
(i) identifying aircraft flying within the airspace;
(ii) for at least some of the aircraft identified, processing the aircraft by
determining a trajectory of the aircraft,
determining initial conditions of the aircraft,
determining the type of the aircraft and
retrieving from memory aircraft performance data
relating to that type of aircraft, and
retrieving from memory any filed aircraft intent data relating to the aircraft stored therein,
wherein the aircraft intent data provides an unambiguous description of the aircraft's trajectory through the airspace expressed in a formal language;

(iii) using as inputs the trajectories, the initial conditions, the filed aircraft intent data, and the aircraft performance data for the processed aircraft;
(iv) inferring from the inputs the atmospheric conditions data and missing aircraft intent data that, in combination with the filed aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data, would give rise to the determined trajectory for each processed aircraft; and
(v) providing as an output data corresponding to the description of the atmospheric conditions for the airspace and, optionally, the missing aircraft intent data.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising the computer system:
in step (iii), for processed aircraft not having filed aircraft intent data stored in the memory, comparing the observed trajectory of that aircraft with reference trajectories and/or profiles to identify a match between trajectories and/or profiles, and
if a match is found, generating the missing aircraft intent data from a template associated with the matching reference trajectory and/or profile such that the processed aircraft is retained,

or
if no match is found, discarding the observed trajectory, the filed aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data for that processed aircraft such that the processed aircraft is discarded; and

then using as inputs the trajectories, the initial conditions, combined aircraft intent data including the filed aircraft intent data and the generated missing aircraft intent data, and the aircraft performance data for the retained aircraft to determine the atmospheric conditions data that, in combination with the combined aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data, would give rise to the determined trajectory for each retained aircraft.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the computer system:
(vi) calculating from the inferred atmospheric conditions data, the combined aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data, a calculated trajectory for each retained aircraft;
(vii) comparing the calculated trajectory to the observed trajectory for each retained aircraft and determining those retained aircraft with calculated trajectories that match the observed trajectories within a first predetermined threshold;
(viii) discarding the observed trajectories, the aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data for each formerly retained aircraft with a calculated trajectory that does not match its observed trajectory within the predetermined first threshold while retaining the observed trajectories, the aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data for each aircraft with a calculated trajectory that matches its observed trajectory within the first predetermined threshold; and
(ix) determining from the observed trajectories, the initial conditions, the aircraft performance data, and the combined aircraft intent data for the twice retained aircraft, the atmospheric conditions data that, in combination with the combined aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data, would give rise to the observed trajectory for each twice retained aircraft.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the computer system:
(vi) calculating from the inferred atmospheric conditions data, the combined aircraft intent data and the aircraft performance data, a calculated trajectory for each retained aircraft;
(vii) comparing the calculated traje

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Navarro Francisco A
• Gallo Eduardo

Classifications

• G01W1/00 Primary

  Meteorology · CPC title