ES2333080A1 - VIRTUAL RADAR. - Google Patents

Abstract

Virtual radar, which includes at least one aircraft (AN), with a real-time data issuer; an acquisition system (BS) where the transmission data is collected in real time with the help of receivers (C) and sent to a central server (SC) where the data from the different receivers arrive and where they are stored in a database of data; and a 3D viewer (VR) that receives the data from the central server (SC) and is in charge of representing the information received. Application in aircraft controls.

Description

Virtual radar.

The object of the invention is a virtual radar.

In the current state of the art already known Patent documents referring to this field of invention; being able to cite, for example and among others, the Patents WO200711379, US2002019720 and EP1625417, in one technology recent.

A first objective of this invention is to be able visualize in 3D all the information transmitted by an aircraft, in a more intuitive, effective way, and providing more information that the flat images that exist today of the radar

A second objective of this invention is that the information received on a base, can be shared and viewed in real time by other remote physical servers and geographically

In the virtual radar according to the invention, Raise the display from the ground or from the air:

a) If the display is on the ground we can see Aircraft flying within the coverage area of the station receiver and aircraft on the runway in taxi mode.

b) If the display is on board the aircraft, pilots, crew and passengers can see the real-time terrain and also the surrounding aircraft.

Another objective of this invention is the visualization in three-dimensional virtual environment of files with aircraft flight paths in order to identify incorrect actions or causes of accidents.

To better understand the purpose of this invention, a preferred form of practical realization, susceptible to accessory changes that do not distort its foundation.

Figure 1 schematically represents a block diagram of the virtual radar according to the invention.

Figure 2 schematically represents the main view of the 3D visualizer (RV) in which you can see the aircraft (AN) that, at that time, are within the receiver coverage area (C).

Figure 3 represents, schematically, a side view on the 3D visualizer (RV) of an aircraft (AN) with the receiver (C) located outside it.

Figure 4 represents, schematically, an aerial view on the 3D visualizer (RV) with the receiver (C) located in an aircraft (AN).

Figure 5 schematically represents a aerial view, with the receiver (C) located in the cabin of the aircraft (AN) (-Viewing seen from a very point of view similar to the pilot-).

Figure 6 represents, schematically, a ground view with the receiver located in the control tower (TC) of the airport (-view from a very viewing point similar to controller-).

An example of practical, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

As you can see in figure 1, the radar virtual object of the invention consists of four layers differentiated:

Aircraft (AN) : Data transmitter in real time. The aircraft can be manned or not.

Acquisition system (BS) : This first layer is where the data of the transmissions is collected in real time with the help of the receiver (C). This data is sent to the Central Server (SC).

Central Server (SC) : This layer is made up of a central server to which the data from the different receivers (C) arrive and where they are stored in a database.

3D Visualizer (RV) : This layer receives the data from the central server (SC) and is responsible for representing the information received.

This architecture contemplates the possibility of that there are as many receivers as desired, and allow develop multiple representation-oriented applications of the data collected from transmissions. These applications what All they need is to connect to the server (SC) to collect the information they need, being able to access it only applications that have been given access.

The transmission of information between aircraft (AN) and the acquisition system (BS) can be made of various forms

? By radar transponder

Through public networks for example GSM or GPRS

Through private networks for example TETRA

Through short-range communications for example WIFI, WIMAX, BLUETOOTH.

Through communication standards by example ADS-B or ADS-C.

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Between the acquisition system (BS) and the central server (SC) communication is done through networks that Support Internet Protocol (IP). Inside it, there are different options, for example:

Different networks: Bluetooth, GPRS, Ethernet, WIFI, WIMAX ...

Different media: Cable, infrared, telephone, radio ...

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The same between the central server (SC) and the virtual radar (RV).

All layers of the system support different port settings, security, local networks in function of its connection or its location.

According to an embodiment example, the Virtual radar object of the invention includes the following equipment necessary:

- As transmitter : An on-board computer for reading position and trajectory data of the aircraft (AN) and transponder for transmitting the data from the aircraft (AN) to the receiver (RI). In this exemplary embodiment, the transponder emits in ADS-B standard but it could be any other one described in the previous section.

- As a receiving station : To collect the data in real time we use an ADS-B signal receiver and a computer for each receiver (C) that you want to place. The computer stores and sends the information received. The computer uses the appropriate software (a program developed in C # in this example, although it could be any other programming language) that allows the data received in the ADS-B signal receiver to be collected in real time.

- As a server : A computer with suitable software (for this example, a program also developed in C #, although it could be any other programming language) that serves as the central server (SC). Receive information from different Receiving Stations, store it and send it to the viewers.

- As visualized "virtual radar" : An application developed using the "3D Revolutions" graphics engine (although it can be generated for example with other graphic engines or "Google Earth" type applications). The land that has been generated consists of six levels of detail, is distributed under a cell system and is managed so that the appropriate level and minimum of this land are loaded at all times so that the application is not slowed down and offers A quality visual result. Looking for the greatest realism in the application, orthophotos have been used for the textures that are part of the terrain.

Among all the views that can be obtained with the virtual radar object of the invention we highlight as an example the following:

Main view (Figure 2):

In the main view you can see the aircraft (AN) that are currently within the area of receiver coverage (C). In blue are those that they are ascending, in red those who are descending and in white the rest. In this view the following are contemplated events:

\ ding {226} If the mouse is placed on a Aircraft (AN) a label will appear with your callsign.

\ ding {226} If you press the right button of the mouse on an aircraft (AN) an information window will appear with the callsign, longitude, latitude and speed of the plane. (We can show more information such as address or any other that the aircraft). This window can be shown and hidden in all three main views.

\ ding {226} If the left button of the mouse on an aircraft (AN) the application goes on to show its view from aircraft.

\ ding {226} If the left button of the mouse over an airport the application goes on to show your view from airport.

In the main view you can zoom and offers an X and Y scrolling across the screen using the mouse.

View from aircraft (Figures 3, 4 and 5):

Once the aircraft (AN) is selected, you have the ability to see three views of that particular aircraft, a side view (Figure 3), an aerial view (Figure 4) and a view as if he were in the cabin (Figure 5).

Through the keypad (which can be seen in the images), you can return to the main view, switch between Three views available for each aircraft (AN), show window of information discussed above and go to view from the airport that is closest to the aircraft (AN).

View from airport (Figure 6):

The view from the airport offers a vision as if you were in the control tower (TC), from where you have a margin of vision of 50 kilometers. Allowed rotate the view in all directions using the mouse, and it You can zoom.

From here you can select the aircraft (AN) as in the main view and you can return to the view Main by means of a button.

Claims (11)

1. Virtual radar, characterized in that it consists of four distinct layers: a) aircraft (AN), with data issuer in time real b) acquisition system (BS) where they are collected Real-time transmission data with the help of receivers (C) and are sent to c) central server (SC) to which the data arrives of the different receivers and where they are stored in a base of data; d) 3D visualizer (RV) that receives data from the central server (SC) and is responsible for representing the information received 2. Virtual radar, according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a plurality of acquisition systems (BS) dependent / communicated with the central server (SC), each of which collect real-time transmission data from a plurality of aircraft (AN). 3. Virtual radar, according to claim 1, characterized in that the 3D visualizer (RV) presents a visualization in three-dimensional virtual environment of aircraft position, speed and trajectory (AN). 4. Virtual radar, according to claim 1, characterized in that the 3D visualizer (RV) presents a visualization in three-dimensional virtual environment of the terrain in real time from the point of view of the pilot of the aircraft (AN). 5. Virtual radar, according to claim 1, characterized in that the 3D visualizer (RV) has a real-time visualization in three-dimensional virtual environment of the terrain from the point of view of the control tower (TC) or the signal receiver (C) . 6. Virtual radar, according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission of data is received from aircraft (AN) via networks that support Internet Protocol (IP) for central server (SC) storage. 7. Virtual radar, according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission of data from a central server (SC) to a 3D visualizer is carried out via networks that support Internet Protocol (IP) for viewing aircraft (AN) physically and geographically remote from the center display. 8. Virtual radar, according to claim 1, characterized in that the visualization in three-dimensional virtual environment of the position, speed and trajectory of aircraft (AN) is independent of the location of the aircraft (AN) and the position of the 3D visualizer (RV) . 9. Virtual radar, according to claim 1, characterized in that the visualization in three-dimensional virtual environment of files with aircraft flight paths (AN). 10. Virtual radar, according to claim 1, characterized in that the 3D visualizer (RV) is arranged in a three-dimensional virtual environment of runway airplanes in taxi mode. 11. Virtual radar, according to claim 1, characterized in that the 3D visualizer (RV) is arranged on board the aircraft (AN) so that pilot, crew or passengers can see the virtual terrain in real time and also the surrounding aircraft (AN) .