Patent US6448929B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6448929B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for correlating flight identification data with secondary surveillance radar data
Assignee: SRA International Inc
•
Filing: 2001-09-17
•
Granted: 2002-09-10
•
Expires: 2021-09-17
Abstract
Abstract A system for correlating secondary surveillance radar (SSR) data and ACARS data which results in a real time correlation of data which are unique to the separate existing systems. More specifically, a method is provided to attach flight identification data from ACARS signals to real time SSR data from Mode S transponders. Aircraft Mode S addresses are decoded and then converted to aircraft registration numbers using an algorithm or lookup table. Registration numbers are then correlated with registration numbers from decoded ACARS signals. The result is a real-time system which may provide an aircraft's registration information, including registration number, owner, make, and model, as well as its current flight identification number, and ACARS messages. As part of an aircraft multilateration system, the system provides an independent air traffic control picture complete with aircraft position and identification by flight number without the use of active radar equipment.
Inventors
- 👤 Alexander E. Smith
- 👤 Bennett Cohen
- 👤 Carl Evers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 15:24
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08G; G08G5/00; G08G5/20; G08G5/22; G01; G01S; G01S5/00; G01S5/0009; G01S5/0081; G01S5/02; G01S5/10; G08G5/70; G08G5/72; G08G5/727; G01S13/00; G01S13/88; G01S13/91; G01S2013/916
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of correlating flight identification data with secondary surveillance radar data, comprising the steps of: receiving, in a first receiver/decoder, a transponder signal, converting, in the first receiver/decoder, the transponder signal to digital data, extracting, an address from the digital data, storing, in a first roster, the address, extracting, from address in the first roster, an aircraft registration number, performing a database look-up, using the aircraft registration number, to extract aircraft data, receiving, in a second receiver/decoder, an ACARS transmission, storing, in a second roster, flight data, including aircraft registration number, matching flight data to aircraft data using aircraft registration number, and displaying at least a portion of at least one of flight data and aircraft data.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of correlating flight identification data with secondary surveillance radar data, comprising the steps of: receiving, in a first receiver/decoder, a transponder signal, converting, in the first receiver/decoder, the transponder signal to digital data, extracting, an address from the digital data, storing, in a first roster, the address, extracting, from address in the first roster, an aircraft registration number, performing a database look-up, using the aircraft registration number, to extract aircraft data, receiving, in a second receiver/decoder, an ACARS transmission, storing, in a second roster, flight data, including aircraft registration number, matching flight data to aircraft data using aircraft registration number, and displaying at least a portion of at least one of flight data and aircraft data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of extracting further comprises: determining a U.S. aircraft registration number by use of a mathematical algorithm on the digital data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of extracting further comprises: determining a foreign aircraft registration number by use of a lookup table.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft data includes at least one of aircraft make, model, serial number, owner/operator, owner/operator address, engine type, engine noise class, and engine modifications.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said ACARS transmission comprises: an ACARS transmission over VHF frequencies including at least one of 131.550 MHz, 130.025 MHz, 129.125 MHz, 131.725 MHz, 131.450 MHz, 131.550 MHz, and 131.475 MHz, and HF and SATCOM and VDL Mode 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the flight information includes at least one of aircraft registration number, flight ID number, Out reports, Off reports, On reports and In reports, cockpit message reports, fuel reports, peripheral message reports and miscellaneous message reports.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the transponder signal is a Mode S transponder signal and the address is a Mode S address.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of learning aircraft data through correlation of flight identification data with secondary surveillance radar data, comprising the steps of: receiving, in a first receiver/decoder, a transponder signal, converting, in the first receiver/decoder, the transponder signal to digital data, extracting, an address from the digital data, storing, in a first roster, the address, extracting, from address in the roster, aircraft information data including country or origin, receiving, in a second receiver/decoder, an ACARS transmission, storing, in a second roster, flight data, including aircraft registration number, making a best guess match between aircraft information data to aircraft registration number using flight data.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of learning aircraft data through correlation of flight identification data with secondary surveillance radar data, comprising the steps of: receiving, in a first receiver/decoder, a transponder signal, converting, in the first receiver/decoder, the transponder signal to digital data, extracting, an address from the digital data, storing, in a first roster, the address, extracting, from address in the roster, aircraft information data including country or origin, receiving, in a second receiver/decoder, an ACARS transmission, storing, in a second roster, flight data, including aircraft registration number, making a best guess match between aircraft information data to aircraft registration number using flight data.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of updating the first roster with aircraft registration number.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 9 , further comprising the steps of: retrieving, from a database, aircraft information based upon registration number, and updating the second roster with aircraft information and registration number.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of displaying at least a portion of at least one of flight data and aircraft data.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3705404A
Cited
US4196474A
Cited
US4229737A
Cited
US4454510A
Cited
US4524931A
Cited
US5191342A
Cited
US4688046A
Cited
US4782450A
Cited
US5144315A
Cited
US5365516A
Cited
US5402116A
Cited
US5262784A
Cited
JPH06342061A
Cited
US5714948A
Cited
US5374932A
Cited
US5867804A
Cited
US5570095A
Cited
US5596332A
Cited
US5680140A
Cited
JPH08146130A
Cited
US5781150A
Cited
US5528244A
Cited
JPH09119983A
Cited
US5596326A
Cited
US5627546A
Cited
US5774829A
Cited
JPH09288175A
Cited
US6049304A
Cited
US6085150A
Cited
US5999116A
Cited
US6211811B1
Cited
US6094169A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-09-09 | 2006-03-11 | 2006-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-09-09 | 2010-03-11 | 2010-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-09-09 | 2014-03-11 | 2014-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |