초록 ▼

This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for aircraft collision avoidance with speed-based collision alert time thresholds. In one example, a system is configured to determine predicted trajectories for an own aircraft and a target aircraft. The system is further configured to determine wh

This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for aircraft collision avoidance with speed-based collision alert time thresholds. In one example, a system is configured to determine predicted trajectories for an own aircraft and a target aircraft. The system is further configured to determine whether a violation of protected airspace is predicted between the own aircraft and the target aircraft. The system is further configured to determine whether a predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than an alert threshold time based on a speed of the own aircraft. The system is further configured to generate an alert output, in response to determining that a violation of protected airspace is predicted and that the predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the alert threshold time based on the speed of the own aircraft.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system comprising one or more processors that implement: a trajectory propagation unit configured to determine predicted trajectories for an own aircraft and a target aircraft;a conflict search engine configured to determine whether a violation of protected airspace is predicted between the own

1. A system comprising one or more processors that implement: a trajectory propagation unit configured to determine predicted trajectories for an own aircraft and a target aircraft;a conflict search engine configured to determine whether a violation of protected airspace is predicted between the own aircraft and the target aircraft;a speed-based threshold unit configured to determine whether a predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than an alert threshold time based on a speed of the own aircraft; andwherein the one or more processors are configured to generate an alert output, in response to determining that a violation of protected airspace is predicted and that the predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the alert threshold time based on the speed of the own aircraft. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the speed-based threshold unit comprises a speed-based threshold table that designates a set of alert times and corresponding speed ranges to which the alert times are applicable. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the alert time is 15 seconds for a lowest speed range designated in the speed-based threshold table. 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the alert time is 35 seconds for a highest speed range designated in the speed-based threshold table. 5. The system of claim 2, wherein the speed-based threshold table includes five speed ranges, and alert times of 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 seconds respectively corresponding to each of the five speed ranges. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the speed-based threshold unit applies a ground speed of the own aircraft as the speed of the own aircraft. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the speed-based threshold unit applies an air speed of the own aircraft as the speed of the own aircraft. 8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an altitude-based threshold unit configured to determine whether a predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than an alert threshold time based on an altitude of the own aircraft, wherein the system enables the alert threshold time to be selectably based on either the speed or the altitude of the own aircraft. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the speed-based threshold unit is configured to select a sensitivity level based on the speed of the own aircraft, and wherein the system is configured to generate the alert output based on the selected sensitivity level. 10. The system of claim 9, further configured to generate the alert output via an alert output node in response to determining that the violation of protected airspace is predicted and that the predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the alert threshold time based on the selected sensitivity level. 11. A method comprising: determining, by one or more processors, predicted trajectories for an own aircraft and a target aircraft;determining, by the one or more processors, whether a violation of protected airspace is predicted between the own aircraft and the target aircraft;determining, by the one or more processors, whether a predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than an alert threshold time based on a speed of the own aircraft; andgenerating, by the one or more processors, an alert output, in response to determining that a violation of protected airspace is predicted and that the predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the alert threshold time based on the speed of the own aircraft. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the alert threshold time based on the speed of the own aircraft comprises referring to a speed-based threshold table that designates a set of alert times and corresponding speed ranges to which the alert times are applicable. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the alert time is 15 seconds for a lowest speed range designated in the speed-based threshold table. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the alert time is 35 seconds for a highest speed range designated in the speed-based threshold table. 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the speed-based threshold table includes five speed ranges, and alert times of 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 seconds respectively corresponding to each of the five speed ranges. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the alert threshold time based on the speed of the own aircraft comprises applying a ground speed of the own aircraft as the speed of the own aircraft. 17. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the alert threshold time based on the speed of the own aircraft comprises applying an air speed of the own aircraft as the speed of the own aircraft. 18. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the alert threshold time based on the speed of the own aircraft comprises selecting a sensitivity level based on the speed of the own aircraft, and wherein generating the alert output comprises generating the alert output based on the selected sensitivity level. 19. A non-transitory computer program product configured for loading or storing executable instructions on a collision avoidance computer, the computer program product comprising: a portion of executable instructions configured to determine predicted trajectories for an own aircraft and a target aircraft;a portion of executable instructions configured to determine whether a violation of protected airspace is predicted between the own aircraft and the target aircraft;a portion of executable instructions configured to determine whether a predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than an alert threshold time based on a speed of the own aircraft; anda portion of executable instructions configured to generate an alert output, in response to determining that a violation of protected airspace is predicted and that the predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the alert threshold time based on the speed of the own aircraft. 20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the portion of executable instructions configured to determine whether the predicted time to closest approach between the own aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the alert threshold time based on the speed of the own aircraft includes a speed-based threshold table that designates a set of alert times and corresponding speed ranges to which the alert times are applicable.