DE102013102073A1 - Method and device arrangement for the individual automated traffic guidance of road users at an airport - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for individual automated traffic guidance of road users (12) at an airport comprises the following steps: providing position information of at least one road user (12); Providing traffic parameters concerning the traffic situation at the airport; Creating an individual route for the road user (12) in a central guidance unit including the position information and the traffic parameters; and signaling instructions relating to the individual route to the road user (12). An apparatus arrangement for individual automated traffic guidance of road users at an airport comprises means for providing position information of at least one road user (12), means for providing traffic situation at the airport traffic parameters, and a central guidance unit for processing the position information and the traffic parameters (12). The central guidance unit is set up so that it can create an individual route for the road user (12), taking into account the position information and the traffic parameters. There are means associated with the central guidance unit for individual signaling of individual route instructions to the road user (12).

Description

The invention relates to a method for the individual automated routing of road users at an airport. The invention further relates to a device arrangement for the individual automated routing of road users at an airport.

In the document "AMCP Working Group F Meeting - Use of Ground Marker Beacons to Reduce Runway Incursions", accessed on the Internet at http://legacy.icao.int/anb/panels/acp/WG/F/WGF9/WP/WGF917.doc , a system for reducing runway incidents is proposed, in which position-based voice messages are output to the road users. For this purpose, so-called ground markers are distributed on the runway, which automatically emit a prepared voice message on a frequency of 75 MHz when an aircraft is detected. Since all instrument-flying aircraft have a receiver tuned to this frequency, the so-called "marker beacon receiver", the messages can in principle be heard in all aircraft located near the ground marker.

In the EP 1 234 293 A1 the technical details of such a system are described. The automatically sent voice messages are to inform the pilot whether he is moving on the right runway and whether he has taken the right direction. For the detection of the presence of an aircraft antenna cables are provided, which are embedded at certain points of the runway in the ground. The system can be extended by additionally providing data from in-aircraft systems, such as heading, ground speed, GPS position data, and aircraft type.

The WO 2006/070207 A1 shows a further development of the known system, in which a central control unit of the ground marker system is coupled to the usual at larger airports ground radar system (SMR). Once the radar system foresees a dangerous situation based on the current aircraft movements at the airport, a warning voice message corresponding to the respective hazard level is sent from a selection of prepared messages to 75 MHz, from the ground marker closest to the aircraft involved. Since all nearby aircraft receive the message, the pilots of these aircraft still have to decide for themselves whether the message is intended for them or not. The voice messages available for retrieval may be adapted to particular circumstances, e.g. B. to announce the closure of a runway or runway. For this purpose, new messages are received and kept ready by air traffic control.

The object of the invention is to improve the guidance of road users in an airport in order to avoid incidents and to enable a more efficient ground control.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 and by a device arrangement having the features of claim 12. Advantageous and expedient embodiments of the method according to the invention and of the device arrangement according to the invention are specified in the associated subclaims.

• – Bereitstellen von Positionsinformationen wenigstens eines Verkehrsteilnehmers;
• – Bereitstellen von die Verkehrssituation am Flughafen betreffenden Verkehrsparametern;
• – Erstellen einer individuellen Route für den Verkehrsteilnehmer in einer zentralen Führungseinheit unter Einbeziehung der Positionsinformationen und der Verkehrsparameter; und
• – Signalisieren von die individuelle Route betreffenden Anweisungen an den Verkehrsteilnehmer.

The inventive method for the individual automated routing of road users at an airport comprises the following steps:

• Providing position information of at least one road user;
• - providing traffic parameters concerning the traffic situation at the airport;
• - Creating an individual route for the road user in a central management unit, including the position information and the traffic parameters; and
• Signaling instructions relating to the individual route to the road user.

Road users at an airport are primarily airplanes that move or park after landing or taking off at the airport. However, road users may also be vehicles used at the airport whose position can be determined externally or otherwise made available in real time. A route is to be understood here as a route to be specified, at least within a zone. The term "instructions" should not only include guidance instructions but also warnings or other information concerning the route, in particular those which are usually communicated to the road user by an air traffic controller. The instructions may also include sequence position at take-off, weather and runway condition information, A-CDM target times, required frequency changes due to change of responsibility of the ANSP / airport operator, orders for drivers, tow orders, Releases, etc.

The invention is based on the recognition that it is not possible at many airports due to the high density of intersections, junctions, etc., a road user with a The method known in the prior art to conduct reasonable without the involvement of an air traffic controller. The sensory detection of road users by induction loops, photoelectric sensors or the like is far too expensive, and the full announcement of the many changes of direction could not be triggered quickly enough in succession. On the other hand, the method according to the invention makes it possible to automatically detect the position of a road user at any time, to create an optimum route for him and to inform him completely about it at once. In addition, a lot of other information can be conveyed automatically, which is not possible today due to the high workload of air traffic controllers.

The information about the position of the road users is preferably determined based at least on radar and / or multilateration. Most major airports have a ground radar system for airfield surveillance. Such radar systems automatically detect the position and movements of all road users. Modern multilateration systems not only provide position data (after appropriate evaluation of the signals emitted by a road user), but also further information that serves to identify a road user. By communicating with a database of the airport then hereby further information can be linked to the sensorially detected road users, such. B. the target of the rolling motion or loading data. Basically, one of the two systems will last as long as it covers the relevant areas, but preference is given to sensor data fusion based on both radar and multilateration systems.

If an automatically generated route is communicated to a particular road user, the corresponding instructions should include an identification of the road user. The explicit mention of the road user avoids that other nearby road users, who can also follow the instructions, feel wrongly addressed.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the instructions are transmitted in digital form from the central management unit via a data link to at least one local radio transmitter, and the radio transmitter sends individual voice messages corresponding to these instructions to the road user, preferably at a uniform frequency of 75 MHz. Since the instructions are initially transmitted only in digital form to the local radio transmitters, the amount of data to be transmitted is low. In accordance with the invention, it is intended to convey to the road user not only a single instruction but a reasonable plurality of instructions at a time as a voice message. This has a positive effect on the utilization of other speech radio frequencies.

Synthetic voice messages are automatically generated and sent from the instructions received from the central management unit only in the local radio transmitters. In this way, it is possible to produce tailor-made announcements for a road user, without the need for an air traffic controller to be switched on.

In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the instructions which are transmitted from the central management unit to the local radio transmitter installation include an indication which determines the transmission power for the voice message. This determines the range within which the voice message can be received. In special cases, if, for example, all road users in a certain area are to be addressed as quickly as possible, the appropriate transmission power can automatically be specified.

The instructions do not necessarily have to be communicated to the road user in the form of voice messages. Alternatively or additionally, the instructions can also be transmitted in digital form from the local radio transmitter to the road user and / or they can be signaled to the road user at least partially by visually perceptible information.

Thus, for the visual presentation of the instructions, a local taxiway center line lighting may be included, especially in an intersection area of the airport.

At least a portion of the visually perceptible information may also be displayed using dynamic light signals and / or dynamic signage and / or at least one traffic light.

It is also conceivable to signal the instructions on a display system of the road user. In the case of an aircraft, this may be the so-called electronic flight bag or, in the case of a vehicle, a navigation display.

The invention also provides a device arrangement for the individual automated routing of road users at an airport. The device arrangement according to the invention comprises means for providing Position information of at least one road user, means for providing the traffic situation at the airport traffic parameters, and a central management unit for processing the position information and the traffic parameters. According to the invention, the central guidance unit is arranged to be able to create an individual route for the road user using the position information and the traffic parameters, and means associated with the central guidance unit are provided for individual signaling of individual route instructions to the road user ,

The central management unit of the device arrangement according to the invention is connectable to central units of other systems used at an airport, such. As disposition tools, tractor control, deicing control, etc., to facilitate the transmission of further information. As already mentioned, the instructions may also include sequence position at take-off, weather and runway condition information, A-CDM target times, required frequency changes due to change of responsibility of the ANSP / airport operator, orders for drivers, towing contracts , Releases, etc.

With regard to further advantages of the device arrangement according to the invention and some embodiments, reference is made to the corresponding advantages of the method according to the invention.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the device arrangement comprises a local radio transmitter adapted to receive digital instructions from the central guidance device, to provide individual voice messages corresponding to the instructions and to send the individual voice messages to the road user, preferably at a uniform frequency of 75 MHz.

It makes sense to provide several distributed at the airport local radio transmitters. Preferably, at least some of the local radio transmitters are operable with variable transmission power. In principle, of course, all local radio transmitters can be operated with increased transmission power, but this would have a negative impact on the overall cost of the system.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention. Reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure shows a conceptual representation of the particular embodiment.

At an airport, using a ground radar system (SMR) and / or a multilateration system (MLAT) as part of a sensor data fusion 10 the positions of road users 12 certainly. Additional detection systems can contribute to this, if available. In addition, a range of other information about a road user is provided, such as aircraft identification, flight number, arrival or departure (inbound / outbound), etc., as far as possible with existing systems.

The position information and the further information, if relevant, become a guidance system 14 provided with a central management facility. Furthermore, the central management facility is provided with up-to-date information about the traffic situation at the airport, such as traffic conditions, weather, driving conditions (smoothness, etc.), open or closed runways and taxiways, which are generally referred to as traffic parameters. This information comes from established air traffic management systems, eg. As by a so-called arrival and departure manager and the like, with the help of forecasts can be created.

The central management facility is at workplaces 16 The air traffic controllers connected, so can be operated and monitored by air traffic controllers or other authorized personnel. Physically, the central leadership unit is in the tower 18 of the airport. In principle, however, it can also be arranged elsewhere ("Remote Tower"). The same applies to the connected jobs 16 the air traffic controllers. The tower or air traffic controllers should always include the apron control.

Over the runway 20 of the airport are distributed several local radio transmitters 22 (Ground marker) installed, especially at critical points such as crossing areas. The radio transmitters 22 are wired or wirelessly connected to the central routing facility and adapted to broadcast voice messages at a uniform frequency of 75 MHz. This frequency is tuned to special receivers, the so-called "marker beacon receivers", which can be found in any instrument-flying aircraft, as well as the local radio transmitters 22 via means for generating synthetic voice messages.

The local radio transmitters 22 But they can also be used to provide information as voice messages, but in digital form to the road user to transfer. Such information can z. These include: D-Taxi (Datalink Taxi) clearances, layout information (airport maps such as AMMs), layers such as Ground Traffic Displays (GTDs), etc., or special instructions such as Single Engine Taxi (turning off an engine on the taxiway).

The position information and the traffic parameters are processed in the central management unit. Based on this processing will be for a road user 12 automatically created instructions for his further behavior at the airport. More specifically, based on the position information and the other traffic parameters, the central guidance unit creates an individual route for the road user 12 , This route may extend to a larger area, e.g. B. the optimal route in the given circumstances from the parking position to the intended runway or from the runway to the intended parking position, or only to a smaller area such as a zone with multiple intersections. The corresponding instructions are transmitted in digital form from the central management device to one, several selected or all local radio transmitters 22 transmitted.

In the radio transmitter (s) 22 Synthetic voice messages corresponding to the digital instructions are automatically generated. The instructions contain in particular the identification of the addressed road user 12 as well as guidance instructions that the road user 12 to lead. These instructions go beyond simple commands such as "left" or "right". They contain a sequence of instructions that relate to the entire route created by the central management unit. As already mentioned, a route does not necessarily mean the entire route from a parking position to the runway or from a runway to the parking position, but may also only relate to a specific zone, for example a section with several intersections. In addition, the created route is usually a currently valid recommendation ("expected route"), which may change during the movement of the road user.

A part of a voice message could for example be: "Lufthansa 400, turn left on Alpha 4." Every voice message is for one or only a few road users 12 determined, which are preferably addressed directly, and contains individual instructions. Thus, based on the previous example, the next aircraft at the same location would receive a different information intended specifically for this taxi event, such as: "Speedbird 1502, hold short of Alpha 4."

The voice messages can be from the road users 12 located near the local radio transmitters 22 which broadcast the voice message with whose 75 MHz receivers are being heard. Due to the clear identification of the addressed road user 12 is for the pilot or driver immediately recognizable whether the voice message is intended for him or not.

The route creation and voice message output are triggered primarily by the processing of the position information of the road users obtained by means of the sensor data fusion 12 and the other traffic parameters in the central management unit. In principle, however, is also triggered by a local detection of the road user 12 using sensors on the runway 20 possible.

Due to the inclusion of other traffic parameters and the position information of other road users 12 It is also possible to generate conditional instructions in the central management unit which are used by the road user 12 then signaled in the manner described above. For example, a release for pushback may be tied to a condition or other rolling motion, or a pilot is automatically told to follow a particular road user. For example, a voice message might read: "Lufthansa 390, taxi behind Aer Lingus A320 on Alpha, turn left on daddy 16."

In special cases, the central management unit may provide the instructions with a code which determines the transmission power with which the corresponding voice message is transmitted by the radio transmitter (s). 22 should be issued. This is z. For example, if all aircraft in a particular area should stop immediately. Prerequisite for this is that at least some of the local radio transmitters 22 can transmit with variable transmission power. These facilities are strategically located on the tarmac 20 to place.

Alternatively or in addition to the voice messages, the instructions may be provided to the road user 12 also be signaled visually, at least part of the instructions. This can be done in particular by appropriate control of a local taxiway center line firing, dynamic light signals, dynamic signage and / or at least one traffic light. Another addition is the presentation of instructions on a so-called Electronic Flight Bag an aircraft, on a separate display system in a vehicle or on an existing display (eg of a navigation device) of the road user 12 ,

Due to the initially described position detection, which is continuously continued, and the other traffic parameters that are always currently available, compliance with the given route can be monitored by the central management unit. Under certain conditions, eg. For example, if an unexpected event is an obstacle to the previously created route, the route in the sequence can be dynamically adjusted and the road user 12 be signaled in accordance with adapted form.

Not only aircraft can be considered with the automatically generated individual instructions, but in principle any vehicle whose position information can be fed to the central management unit. To receive individual voice messages, however, a 75 MHz receiver in the vehicle is required.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 1234293 A1 [0003]
• WO 2006/070207 A1 [0004]

Cited non-patent literature

• http://legacy.icao.int/anb/panels/acp/WG/F/WGF9/WP/WGF917.doc [0002]

Claims (17)

Method for individual automated traffic management of road users ( 12 ) at an airport, comprising the following steps: providing position information of at least one road user ( 12 ); and - providing traffic parameters concerning the traffic situation at the airport; characterized by the following steps: - creating an individual route for the road user ( 12 ) in a central management unit including the position information and the traffic parameters; and signaling to the road user instructions relating to the individual route ( 12 ). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the position information is determined from a sensor system based at least on radar and / or multilateration, preferably from a central sensor data fusion ( 10 ) based on radar and multilateration systems. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the instructions include an identification of the road user ( 12 ). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the instructions in digital form from the central management unit via a data link to at least one local radio transmitter ( 22 ) and that the radio transmitter ( 22 ) individual voice messages corresponding to the instructions to the road user ( 12 ), preferably at a uniform frequency of 75 MHz. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the individual voice messages are automatically generated before sending as synthetic voice messages. Method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the instructions transmitted from the central management unit to the local radio transmitter ( 22 ), include an indication that determines the transmission power for the voice message. Method according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the instructions from the local radio transmitter ( 22 ) in digital form to the road user ( 12 ) be transmitted. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the road user ( 12 ) the instructions are at least partially signaled by visually perceptible information. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that at least a part of the visually perceptible information is displayed by means of at least one local taxiway centerline firing, in particular in an intersection area of the airport. A method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that at least part of the visually perceptible information is displayed by means of dynamic light signals and / or a dynamic signage and / or at least one traffic light. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the instructions on a display system of the road user ( 12 ) are signaled. Device arrangement for the individual automated traffic management of road users ( 12 ) at an airport, in particular according to a method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising means for providing position information of at least one road user, means for providing traffic situation at the airport traffic parameters, and a central guide unit for processing the position information and the traffic parameters, characterized in that the central guidance unit is arranged to be able to create an individual route for the road user using the position information and the traffic parameters, and means ( 22 ) for the individual signaling of instructions concerning the individual route to the road user ( 12 ) are provided. A device arrangement according to claim 12, characterized in that the means for providing position information comprise a ground radar system and / or a multilateration system. Device arrangement according to Claim 12 or 13, characterized by a local radio transmitter ( 22 ) arranged to receive digital instructions from the central guidance device, to provide individual voice messages corresponding to the instructions, and to send the individual voice messages to the road user ( 12 ), preferably at a uniform frequency of 75 MHz. A device arrangement according to claim 14, characterized by means for automatically generating individual synthetic voice messages based on the digital instructions. Device arrangement according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that a plurality of local radio transmitters distributed at the airport ( 22 ), wherein preferably at least some of the local radio transmitters ( 22 ) are operable with variable transmission power. A device arrangement according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that one or more devices connected to the central guide device are provided for visually displaying at least part of the instructions, in particular at least one local taxiway center line lighting, and / or dynamic light signals and / or dynamic signage and / or at least one traffic light.

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