Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates, in general, to collision avoidance systems and more specifically, relates to a method and system to generate collision resolution advisory for civil flights.

BACKGROUND
[0002] Flight plans are well-defined and structured documents filled by a pilot or flight dispatcher with the local air navigation service provider before departure, which indicate the plane’s planned route or flight path. They generally include basic information such as departure and arrival points, estimated time at the waypoint, alternate airports in bad weather conditions, type of flight and the like.
[0003] The model flight plan form, as shown in FIG. 1, is printed in English and other languages(s) of the Organization for illustration purposes. Operators and Air Traffic System (ATS) units should comply with the instructions for completing the flight plan. Before the departure, the ATS operator should make sure that the flight is intended to operate on the route / or in the area where the Required Navigation Performance (RNP) type is prescribed, the aircraft has an appropriate RNP approval, and that all conditions applying to that approval will be satisfied; and ensure that, where operation in Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) airspace is planned, the aircraft has the required RVSM approval. A collision check system performs all such condition checks before the flight departure and lets the operator know if the filed flight plan is collision-free or not.
[0004] Mid-air collisions or mishaps are considered major challenges in the aviation industry. It not only leads to financial loss but also takes human lives. Such mishaps are often mitigated through a variety of reasons, including air traffic control errors, pilot errors, mechanical failures, and weather conditions. In 1956, a United Airlines DC-7 collided with a Trans World Airline (TWA) Constellation over the Grand Canyon, killing 128 people on both planes. The accident led to the creation of a national air traffic control system and stricter regulations for aviation safety. In the year 1978, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182, Boeing 727 collided with a private Cessna 172 over San Diego, California, killing all 135 people on board both aircraft and 7 people on the ground. A miscommunication between the air traffic control and the pilot of the Cessna caused the accident. Before the development of collision avoidance systems, numerous such mid-air collision accidents occurred which could have been avoided. However, with the advancements in collision avoidance technology, air travel safety has greatly improved, and today's system has the potential to prevent up to half of mid-air collision cases that occurred before 1994. There has been a significant drop in mid-air collisions over a period of time which is achieved by advancements in surveillance technology and putting attention to improving operational procedures for air traffic.
[0005] In 1981 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the implementation of the aircraft collision avoidance system to reduce any incidence of mid-air collision; the concept is called Traffic Collision Advisory System (TCAS). In Lincoln Laboratory Journal 16.2 (2007), James K. Kuchar and Ann C. highlighted the "Traffic Alert and Collision Advisory System" and its significance in the air traffic control system or collision avoidance techniques. Latest crucial technology, such as the runway status lighting program to indicate the runway, monitoring airport surface and restricted areas etc. TCAS uses a combination of surveillance sensors to interrogate the intruder aircraft and collect the data. The data is then used with a set of algorithms to determine the best manoeuvre that the pilot should use to avoid any kind of mid-air collision.
[0006] The system used for collision avoidance (TCAS) provides a dynamic advisory to the pilot to follow certain instructions like descend, climb or regulate the aircraft speed to avoid collision. It is a critical situation; a critical aspect is a need to accurately model the sensors, system dynamics and human input involvement in the collision avoidance process. Any kind of misinformation or miscommunication may result in mishaps.
[0007] Honeywell International Inc. (Charlotte, NC) 's patent over TCAS coupled Flight Management System (FMS) further improvises the TCAS by using a control module over the resolution advisory given by TCAS. The approach is based on finding out the co-occurrence of conditions when the autopilot is engaged, vertical navigation (VNAV) is involved, and a flight plan is uploaded to the FMS. On co-occurrence of these conditions, the proposed control module can determine whether or not to implement the evasive manoeuvre given by TCAS automatically, and this reduces the pilot's involvement.
[0008] Though, TCAS is widely used in almost all aircraft for collision avoidance and can provide collision advisory in real-time. However, TCAS works in real-time and any unnecessary alert to the pilot while in the air can cause interruption to the normal flight and distract the aircraft crew. TCAS cannot ensure that only relevant/important alerts are given to the pilot.
[0009] Therefore, it is desired to overcome the drawbacks, shortcomings, and limitations associated with existing solutions, and develop a collision avoidance system that has resulted in a significant drop in mid-air collision cases. The designed system can passively reduce irrelevant interruptions or alerts by assisting the operator in filing collision-free flight plans. Making the flight plan collision-free before the flight plan is airborne or filing the flight plan would reduce unnecessary interruptions to the pilot in airborne flight. The proposed system provides collision resolution advisory in the case filed flight plan collides and ensures that only collision-free flights are stored in the system. So, in addition to a real-time collision avoidance system like TCAS, a strong early collision avoidance system is the need of the hour that should detect the probable collisions at the time of filing the flight plan itself. Also, detection of collisions at the time of filing flight plan may allow the operator to schedule the flights in a better way and help the operators or filing agency to find the maximum air space load.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0010] An object of the present disclosure relates, in general, to collision avoidance systems and more specifically, relates to a method and system to generate collision resolution advisory for civil flights.
[0011] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that generates advisory when the entered flight plan collides with other flight plans.
[0012] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that generates multiple advisories based on predefined criteria.
[0013] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that detects collisions at the time of filing flight plans and may allow the operator to schedule the flights in a better way and help the operators or filing agency to find the maximum air space load.
[0014] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that follows a “three-way approach” to generate advisory for collision resolution, termed Approach-I, Approach-II and Approach-III.

SUMMARY
[0015] The present disclosure relates in general, to collision avoidance systems and more specifically, relates to a method and system to generate collision resolution advisory for civil flights. The main objective of the present disclosure is to overcome the drawbacks, limitations, and shortcomings of the existing system and solution, by providing a methodological approach and complete system for the generation of flight plan collision resolution advisory. It aims to assist the operator in filing a collision-free flight plan. It enables the selection of the optimum parameters of the flight plan that can be modified to resolve the flight plan collisions at the time of filing. The resultant collision resolution advisory is generated by taking into consideration the feasible and acceptable limits of the chosen parameters. Thus, it ensures filing a collision-free flight plan along with enhancing operator convenience.
[0016] The present disclosure relates to a system for collision avoidance, the system includes a display interface that serves as a dedicated workstation to receive collision advisories in the event of potential collisions when an operator files a new flight plan data. A flight plan interface configured to receive flight plan data over a network interface, decoding a standard international civil aviation organization (ICAO) format of the flight plan data received from the aeronautical fixed telecommunication network (AFTN) into a required format acceptable by the system. A database storage stores collision-free flight plan data. A collision resolution advisory (CRA) unit is configured to receive corresponding flight plan data from the display interface or the flight plan interface. Process the received flight plan data to conduct a collision analysis by comparing the received flight plan data against stored contender flight plan data to alert the operator about potential collision risks and operate on a three-way approach based on a configurable parameter, providing the collision advisories to the operator for real-time communication of collision resolutions, enhancing overall aviation safety.
[0017] In an aspect, the configurable parameter pertains to any or a combination of height limit and time shift.
[0018] In another aspect, the three-way approach comprises a first approach, a second approach and a third approach, wherein the first approach modifies the height of the received flight plan data colliding with the stored contender flight plan data, and wherein if the height modification fails to generate an advisory within the configurable parameter, the system proceeds to the second approach.
[0019] In another aspect, the second approach modifies the time of the received flight plan data colliding with the stored contender flight plan data, wherein if the second approach fails to generate the advisory within the configurable parameter, the system proceeds to the third approach.
[0020] In another aspect, the third approach modifies the height and time of the received flight plan data colliding with the stored contender flight plan data.
[0021] In another aspect, the system displays the collision advisories to the operator on the display interface, if any of the three approaches successfully resolves a collision.
[0022] In another aspect, upon finding a collision advisory solution for a new collided flight plan using any of the three approaches, the CRA system displays the advisory to the operator on the display interface.
[0023] In another aspect, the filed flight plan data is verified by all the available flight plan data of corresponding durations and the collision advisories are presented to the operator, detecting and avoiding probable collisions, allowing the operator to build a picture of maximum load capacity of total airspace.
[0024] In another aspect, the system emphasizes ensuring that only collision-free flights are present within the system, thereby significantly minimising the chance of collision for airborne flights, contributing to enhanced aviation safety
[0025] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The following drawings form part of the present specification and are included to further illustrate aspects of the present disclosure. The disclosure may be better understood by reference to the drawings in combination with the detailed description of the specific embodiments presented herein.
[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates a typical flight plan model.
[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates the collision resolution advisory (CRA) system communication with the rest of the system components, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates processes involved in CRA, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates a collision avoidance algorithm flowchart displaying the advisory given when a colliding flight plan is received from the operator, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates a continued operation of the collision avoidance algorithm flowchart, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates a continued operation of collision avoidance algorithm flowchart, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0033] FIG. 7 illustrates a typical scenario of a collided flight plan, where an aircrafts are present in the system and a new colliding flight plan Ax is introduced, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0034] FIG. 8 illustrates a pictorial representation of CRA solution-I for the collided flight plan that the CRA system generates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0035] FIG. 9 illustrates a pictorial representation of CRA solution-II for the collided flight plan that the CRA system generates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0036] FIG. 10 illustrates a pictorial representation of CRA solution-III for the collided flight plan that the CRA system generates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0037] FIG. 11 illustrates a pictorial representation of CRA solution-IV for the collided flight plan that the CRA system generates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0038] FIG. 12 illustrates a pictorial representation of CRA solution-V for the collided flight plan that is a combination of solution approaches followed for solution-I, II, III and IV that the CRA system generates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0039] FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary flow chart of a method for collision avoidance, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. If the specification states a component or feature “may”, “can”, “could”, or “might” be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or have the characteristic.
[0041] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0042] The present disclosure relates, in general, to collision avoidance systems and more specifically, relates to a method and system to generate collision resolution advisory for civil flights. The present disclosure relates to a system for collision avoidance, the system includes a display interface that serves as a dedicated workstation to receive collision advisories in an event of potential collisions when an operator files a new flight plan data. A flight plan interface configured to receive flight plan data over a network interface, decoding a standard international civil aviation organization (ICAO) format of the flight plan data received from the aeronautical fixed telecommunication network (AFTN) into a required format acceptable by the system. A database storage stores collision-free flight plan data. A collision resolution advisory (CRA) unit is configured to receive corresponding flight plan data from the display interface or the flight plan interface. Process the received flight plan data to conduct a collision analysis by comparing the received flight plan data against stored contender flight plan data to alert the operator about potential collision risks and operate on a three-way approach based on a configurable parameter, providing the collision advisories to the operator for real-time communication of collision resolutions, enhancing overall aviation safety.
[0043] In an aspect, the configurable parameter pertains to any or a combination of height limit and time shift.
[0044] In another aspect, the three-way approach comprises a first approach, a second approach and a third approach, wherein the first approach modifies the height of the received flight plan data colliding with the stored contender flight plan data, and wherein if the height modification fails to generate an advisory within the configurable parameter, the system proceeds to the second approach.
[0045] In another aspect, the second approach modifies the time of the received flight plan data colliding with the stored contender flight plan data, wherein if the second approach fails to generate the advisory within the configurable parameter, the system proceeds to the third approach.
[0046] In another aspect, the third approach modifies the height and time of the received flight plan data colliding with the stored contender flight plan data.
[0047] In another aspect, the system displays the collision advisories to the operator on the display interface, if any of the three approaches successfully resolves a collision.
[0048] In another aspect, upon finding a collision advisory solution for a new collided flight plan using any of the three approaches, the CRA system displays the advisory to the operator on the display interface.
[0049] In another aspect, the filed flight plan data is verified by all the available flight plan data of corresponding durations and the collision advisories are presented to the operator, detecting and avoiding probable collisions, allowing the operator to build a picture of the maximum load capacity of total airspace.
[0050] In another aspect, the system emphasizes ensuring that only collision-free flights are present within the system, thereby significantly minimising the chance of collision for airborne flights, contributing to enhanced aviation safety. The present disclosure can be described in enabling detail in the following examples, which may represent more than one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0051] The advantages achieved by the system of the present disclosure can be clear from the embodiments provided herein. The systematic approach to generating advisories, allows operators to identify various potential flight collisions during the filing process. This system assists operators in submitting collision-free flight plans, tested extensively with 50,000 flight plans using a simulator, ensuring optimal solutions are released within 500 milliseconds. The system minimizes operator inconvenience by modifying only two flight plan parameters (Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) and Height) to generate Collision Resolution Advisory (CRA) solutions. Furthermore, the system optimizes CRA solutions by adjusting parameters within an acceptable range to minimize discomfort for airlines/operators. The system generates advisories for colliding flight plans, producing multiple advisories based on predefined criteria, and enhancing scheduling efficiency while aiding in determining maximum airspace load. The system adopts a "three-way approach" for collision resolution, known as Approach-I, Approach-II, and Approach-III, ensuring comprehensive and effective collision avoidance. The description of terms and features related to the present disclosure shall be clear from the embodiments that are illustrated and described; however, the invention is not limited to these embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, the invention can include other embodiments that are within the scope of the claims but are not described in detail with respect to the following description.
[0052] FIG. 2 illustrates the collision resolution advisory (CRA) system communication with the rest of the system components, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 2, collision resolution advisory (CRA) system 100 (also referred to as system 100, herein) allows the operator to detect all kinds of probable flight collisions at the time of filing. So, it also acts as an “early warning” collision detection system. When the operator files a flight plan, the filed flight plan is checked by all the available flight plans of that duration and all collisions are presented to the operator. In this way, it helps to detect and avoid probable collisions and allows the operator to build a picture of the maximum load capacity of a particular air space.
[0054] In addition, CRA helps the operator make the flight plan collision-free by modifying relevant and minimum flight parameters. The modifying parameters were chosen based on the fact that the flight plan should be modified in a methodological way so that it can be accepted and does not have any economic implications for the airline. Scheduled flight plans are not generally preponed, so their ETD cannot be decreased while suggesting the collision advisory. However, it can be delayed for some time. Likewise, unscheduled flights can either be delayed or preponed to provide collision advisory. Flight plan delay (Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) and Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) change) and height change are only modifying parameters limit configured by the operator taken into account for collision advisory because this would have a minimal effect on the flight. Other parameters, like a partial change in route or modifying it, are not worth doing; this may increase the flight time or fuel cost.
[0055] The system 100 can include a display/web interface 102, collision resolution advisory (CRA) unit 104, flight plan interface 106, database storage 108, network interface 110, and aeronautical fixed telecommunication network 112
[0056] The web interface/display interface 102 is a workstation where the operator files the flight plan and gets a collision advisory if the filed flight plan collides with any other flight plan stored in system 100. There can be multiple workstations for filling the flight plan depending on users. The system performs flight plan validation at this level, and the validated flight plan is processed against CRA, as shown in FIG. 3.
[0057] The collision resolution advisory unit 104 is configured to process the received validated flight plan. CRA filters stored flight plans, check collision of new flight plans against contender flight plans and provides collision advisory in case collision is detected.
[0058] Flight plan interface 106 has the responsibility of converting flight plan data received over the network interface into a format that is acceptable by the CRA. Flight plan data received from Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) is in the standard format of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which is first decoded and then converted into the required format.
[0059] The database storage 108 stores the collision-free flight plans, and CRA takes the flight plan from the database to check collision when a new flight plan enters the system.
[0060] The aeronautical fixed telecommunication network (AFTN) 112, is a globally accessible communication system used by various aviation entities, including air navigation service (ANS) providers, aviation service providers, airport authorities, and government agencies. Its purpose is to facilitate the exchange of messages and digital data between aeronautical fixed stations with compatible communication characteristics. The system is a vital platform for sharing critical information related to aircraft operations, such as distress messages, flight safety messages, meteorological messages, flight regularity messages, and aeronautical administrative messages.
[0061] Network interface 110 provides a physical connection between the device and the network, allowing the device to send and receive data over the network. Physical network interfaces typically use wired connections, such as Ethernet or fiber optic cables. In the proposed system, the network interface enables communication between the AFTN network 112 and the flight plan interface 106.
[0062] The proposed system 100 interacts with the existing system, as shown in FIG. 2, whenever CRA receives a new flight plan, either from Flight Information Region (FIR) through flight plan interface 106 or from display/web interface 102. CRA generates a collision advisory to assist the operator in case the filed flight plans collide with other flight plans stored in the database.
[0063] FIG. 3 illustrates processes involved in CRA, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0064] The process 300 involves the CRA system that includes at block 302 validated flight plans that have all the necessary fields needed for a complete flight plan. CRA accepts validated flight plans to generate collision advisory solutions in the configured range of modifying parameters if possible. Otherwise, CRA generates the message for no solution possible in the configured range.
[0065] At block 304, as soon as CRA receives the new flight plan, it takes the stored flight plans from the database storage server and filters them to narrow the dataset for collision check. Filtering is done based on the flying time of the flight plan. If the filed flight plan is an overnight flight i.e., overnight flight plans are those where Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) and Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) are on different days. In that case, stored flight plans scheduled on the ETD date or the ETA date of the filed flight plan are the contender to participate in the collision check algorithm against the filed flight plan.
[0066] For example, regular flight plans filed today can collide with stored flight plans scheduled for yesterday with ETA today or any other stored flight plans scheduled for today. At the same time, overnight flight plans filed today can collide with stored flight plans scheduled for today or tomorrow. Once stored flight plans are filtered based on the date, time-based filtering of the stored flight plan is done. (ETA – ETD) time of the filed flight plan added with some delay as configured in the system is the time frame taken as a window, and all stored flight plans having flight time between this window frame are the contender for the collision check algorithm against the filed flight plan.
[0067] At block 306 the filtered flight plans which have time overlap with the new flight plan are contenders for collision check. The newly filed flight plan undergoes collision check against these contender flight plans because there may be collision cases.
[0068] At block 308, a collision check is performed for the filed flight plan against all the contender flight plans stored in the system. The basic required parameters for collision check have to be computed first. In case such computation is not possible with the flight plan data, the error is shown to the operator about invalid/incomplete data in the flight plan. Required parameters like time/speed at waypoints are computed for the waypoints where it is not present. The collision check algorithm uses these parameters to determine the collision point if any. The collision detection algorithm and flight management system are complex systems themselves. So, the focus is condensed to collision resolution advisory (CRA) only.
[0069] At block 310, perform collision advisory based on height shift, where the CRA has taken one height limit as a configurable parameter. Any leg of the new flight plan colliding with the stored flight is allowed to shift height in the configurable height limit only. If the height shift in the new flight plan makes it collision-free, the solution advisory is given to the operator.
[0070] At block 312, perform collision advisory based on time shift, where the CRA has taken a time limit as one configurable parameter by which the new flight plan can be postponed/preponed in case of a collision with the stored flight plans. If the time shift in the new flight plan makes it collision-free, the solution advisory is given to the operator.
[0071] At block 314, perform collision advisory based on height and time shift, if the time or the height shift in the new flight plan does not make it collision-free, then both height shift and time shift are done together to make the new flight collision-free. If the solution is possible by that, an advisory is given to the operator; else message for no solution possible in the given limit is generated.
[0072] At block 316, perform collision resolution advisory/collision-free flight plan, where the generated collision advisory by CRA has the possible solution, i.e. what changes in modifying parameters (ETD/ETA time and height) of filed flight plan would make it collision-free. And if the filed flight has no collision with stored flight plans, CRA would make no changes to it.
[0073] At block 318, perform a message for no solution, if CRA has no solution available in the configured range limit, a message is given to the operator stating the same. So that the operator can re-file the flight plan with some manual changes to avoid collision.
[0074] At block 320, the CRA output is a collision-free flight plan; it is either the filed flight plan without any changes in case of no collision with stored flight plans. Or it has some changes in the filed flight plan to avoid collision with stored flights.
[0075] FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 illustrates a collision avoidance algorithm flowchart displaying the advisory given when a colliding flight plan is received from the operator, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method operates on a three-way approach based on a configurable parameter, providing the collision advisories to the operator for real-time communication of collision resolutions, enhancing overall aviation safety. The configurable parameter pertains to any or a combination of height limit and time shift.
[0076] FIG. 7 illustrates a typical scenario of a collided flight plan, where an aircraft is present in the system and a new colliding flight plan Ax is introduced, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0077] Consider a scenario as shown in FIG. 7 with flight plans (FP) of n aircrafts A1, A2, A3, …., An. Here a new FP for aircraft Ax is being filed by the operator. The height at way-point WP1 is h_wp1, likewise height at way-point WP2 is h_wp2 and so on. The time at which Ax reaches WP1, WP2 and WP3 is 09:30, 09:47 and 10:55 respectively.
[0078] The time at which A3 reaches WP4, WP5 and WP6 is 09:20, 09:50 and 10:20 respectively. Height at WP5, WP4, WP1 and WP2 is such that there is a collision b/w Ax and A3 at some point b/w WP1 and WP2 for A1 or b/w WP4 and WP5 for A3.
[0079] FIG. 8 illustrates a pictorial representation of CRA solution-I for the collided flight plan that the CRA system generates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0080] The method calculates the solution by modifications in the “Height” of the aircraft as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. The aircraft is ascended and a check is performed for collision recursively until the height reaches the limit specified for the aircraft as per the standard aircraft database. If the ascend in the height does not yield a solution the aircraft is descended from the initial height by 500 metres, and collision is recursively checked. This descend can be up to a limit of 2 kilometres.
[0081] CASE A1 – Increment in the height as depicted in FIG. 8
1. The height at way-points (WP1, WP2, WP3) for Ax Aircraft is changed from h_wp1 to h_wp1+ H, h_wp2 to h_wp2+ H and h_wp3 to h_wp3+ H.
Value of H lies in [500,1000,1500,2000] in meter.
2. Collision for filed FP Ax is checked by changing h_wpn to h_wpn+ 500 (i.e.
H = 500, n = 1, 2, 3).
If FP is collision free, advisory is given with changed height.
If FP is colliding then other values of H [1000,1500,2000] is checked until the value of H is found with collision free FP.
[0082] FIG. 9 illustrates a pictorial representation of CRA solution-II for the collided flight plan that the CRA system generates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0083] CASE A2 – Decrement in the height as depicted in FIG. 9.
[0084] The height at way-points (WP1, WP2, WP3) for Ax Aircraft are changed fro h_wp1 to h_wp1 - H, h_wp2 to h_wp2 - H and h_wp3 to h_wp3 – H.
[0085] Value of H lies in [500,1000,1500,2000] in meter.
[0086] Collision for filed FP Ax is checked by changing h_wpn to h_wpn - 500 (i.e., H=500, n = 1, 2, 3).
[0087] If FP is collision-free, collision advisory is given with changed height.
If FP is colliding then other values of H [1000,1500,2000] is checked until the value of H is found with collision free FP.
[0088] FIG. 10 illustrates a pictorial representation of CRA solution-III for the collided flight plan that the CRA system generates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0089] In case the modification in height does not yield a solution, the method then calculates the solution by modification in the “Estimated Time of Departure (ETD)” depicted in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 respectively. The aircraft is delayed by an interval of 10 minutes from its scheduled departure and a check is performed for collision recursively up to 3 times [10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes].
[0090] If the delay in the departure does not yield a solution, the aircraft is advanced by an interval of 10 minutes and check is performed for collision recursively up to 3 times [10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes]. Early departure is not performed for scheduled flights, it can be considered as an option only for Unscheduled flights.
[0091] Approach-II Description
[0092] CASE B1 – Delay in ETD as depicted in FIG. 10.
[0093] If CASE A2 fails, CASE B1 is checked.
[0094] Let the ETD for Ax at WP1 be ETD_WP1. The ETD at way-point WP1, WP2, & WP3 is changed from ETD_WP1 to ETD_WP1 + T, ETD_WP2 to ETD_WP2 + T and ETD_WP3 to ETD_WP3 + T.
[0095] Value of T lies in [10,20,30] minutes. Collision for filed FP (Ax) is checked by changing ETD_WPn to ETD_WPn+ 10 (i.e., T=10, n = 1,2,3).
[0096] If FP is collision free, collision advisory is given with changed ETD.
[0097] FIG. 11 illustrates a pictorial representation of CRA solution-IV for the collided flight plan that the CRA system generates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0098] CASE B2 – Advance in ETD as depicted in FIG. 11.
[0099] If CASE B1 fails, CASE B2 is checked
[00100] Let the ETD for Ax at WP1 be ETD_WP1. The ETD at way-point WP1, WP2, & WP3 is changed from ETD_WP1 to ETD_WP1 - T, ETD_WP2 to ETD_WP2 - T and ETD_WP3 to ETD_WP3 - T.
[00101] Value of T lies in [10,20,30] minutes. Collision for filed FP (Ax) is checked by changing ETD_WPn to ETD_WPn -10(i.e., T=10, n = 1, 2,3).
[00102] If FP is collision free, collision advisory is given with changed ETD.
[00103] FIG. 12 illustrates a pictorial representation of CRA solution-V for the collided flight plan that is a combination of solution approaches followed for solution-I, II, III and IV that the CRA system generates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. If either of the above modifications by the method does not provide a solution, the method then proposes the modification in “Height” along with the modification in “ETD” depicted in FIG. 12.
[00104] Initial modifications are made in the height. Firstly, the aircraft is ascended by 500 metres, and then the check is performed for the delay/advance in the ETD by the set intervals to resolve the collision. This process is repeated until a solution is achieved within the specified limit for the height (as per the standard database) and ETD (up to 30 minutes). If the above modifications do not yield a solution, the aircraft is now descended and accordingly delayed/advanced, with checks performed for collision iteratively. This procedure is repeated up to the specified limit for the height (up to 2 kilometres) and ETD (up to 30 minutes).
[00105] Approach III is the combination of approaches I and II. FIG. 12 shows the scenario to represent the possible solutions, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustrate the algorithm flowchart for solution approach III.
CASE C1 – Advance in ETD with Height change as depicted in FIG. 12.
If CASE B2 fails, CASE C1 is checked.
Let the ETD for Ax at WP1 be ETD_WP1. The ETD at way-point WP1, WP2, & WP3 is changed from ETD_WP1 to ETD_WP1 + T, ETD_WP2 to ETD_WP2 + T and ETD_WP3 to ETD_WP3 + T. Value of T lies in [10,20,30] minutes.
The height at way-points (WP1, WP2, WP3) for Ax Aircraft are changed from h_wp1 to h_wp1 ± H, h_wp2 to h_wp2 ± H and h_wp3 to h_wp3 ± H.
Value of H lies in [500,1000,1500,2000] in meter. Height is initially increased for all values of H and then decreased. Collision for filed FP (Ax) is checked for all the combination of changed ETD and Height.
If FP is collision free, collision advisory is given with changed ETD and Height.
CASE C2 – Delay in ETD with Height change as depicted in FIG. 12.
If CASE C1 fails, CASE C2 is checked
Let the ETD for Ax at WP1 be ETD_WP1. The ETD at way-point WP1, WP2, & WP3 is changed from ETD_WP1 to ETD_WP1 - T, ETD_WP2 to ETD_WP2 - T and ETD_WP3 to ETD_WP3 - T. Value of T lies in [10,20,30] minutes.
The height at way-points (WP1, WP2, WP3) for Ax Aircraft are changed from h_wp1 to h_wp1 ± H, h_wp2 to h_wp2 ± H and h_wp3 to h_wp3 ± H.
Value of H lies in [500,1000,1500,2000] in meter. Height is initially increased for all values of H and then decreased. Collision for filed FP (Ax) is checked for all the combination of changed ETD and Height.
If FP is collision free, collision advisory is given with changed ETD and Height.
[00106] FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary flow chart of a method for collision avoidance, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00107] The method includes at block 1302, the display interface 102 acting as a dedicated workstation, receives collision advisories in an event of potential collisions when an operator files new flight plan data.
[00108] At block 1304, the flight plan interface 106 receives over a network interface, flight plan data and decoding a standard International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) format of the flight plan data received from the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) into a required format acceptable by the system.
[00109] At block 1306, the database storage (108) stores collision-free flight plan data.
[00110] At block 1308, the collision resolution advisory (CRA) unit (104) receives corresponding flight plan data from the display interface (102) or the flight plan interface (106)/
[00111] At block 1310, the received flight plan data is processed to conduct a collision analysis by comparing the received flight plan data against stored contender flight plan data to alert the operator about potential collision risks. At block 1312, CRA unit (104) is operated on a three-way approach based on a configurable parameter, providing collision advisories to the operator for real-time communication of collision resolutions, thereby enhancing overall aviation safety.
[00112] Thus, the present invention overcomes the drawbacks, shortcomings, and limitations associated with existing solutions, and provides a systematic approach to generating advisories, allowing operators to identify various potential flight collisions during the filing process. This system assists operators in submitting collision-free flight plans, tested extensively with 50,000 flight plans using a simulator, ensuring optimal solutions are released within 500 milliseconds. The system minimizes operator inconvenience by modifying only two flight plan parameters (ETD and Height) to generate Collision Resolution Advisory (CRA) solutions. Furthermore, the system optimizes CRA solutions by adjusting parameters within an acceptable range to minimize discomfort for airlines/operators. The system generates advisories for colliding flight plans, producing multiple advisories based on predefined criteria, and enhancing scheduling efficiency while aiding in determining maximum airspace load. The system adopts a "three-way approach" for collision resolution, known as Approach-I, Approach-II, and Approach-III, ensuring comprehensive and effective collision avoidance.
[00113] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system 100 of the disclosure may be provided using some or all of the mentioned features and components without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, it will be clear that the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as described in the claims.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[00114] The present invention provides a system that follows a systematic approach to generate advisory.
[00115] The present invention provides a system that allows operators to detect all kinds of probable flight collisions at the time of filing.
[00116] The present invention provides a system that assists operators in filing a collision-free flight plan.
[00117] The present invention provides a system that is tested using a simulator to get 50,000 flight plans and the solution generated is optimal. Advisory is released within 500 milliseconds
[00118] The present invention provides a system that generates a CRA solution by modifying only two flight plan parameters (ETD and Height), minimizing operator inconvenience.
[00119] The present invention provides a system that optimizes CRA solutions to modify parameters within an acceptable range that causes minimum or no discomfort to the airlines/operator.

, Claims:1. A system (100) for collision avoidance, the system comprising:
a display interface (102) that serves as a dedicated workstation to receive collision advisories in an event of potential collisions when an operator files a new flight plan data;
a flight plan interface (106) configured to receive a flight plan data over a network interface, decoding a standard international civil aviation organization (ICAO) format of the flight plan data received from the aeronautical fixed telecommunication network (AFTN) into a required format acceptable by the system;
a database storage (108) stores collision-free flight plan data;
a collision resolution advisory (CRA) unit (104) configured to:
receive corresponding flight plan data from the display interface (102) or the flight plan interface (106);
process the received flight plan data to conduct a collision analysis by comparing the received flight plan data against stored contender flight plan data to alert the operator about potential collision risks; and
operate on a three-way approach based on a configurable parameter, providing the collision advisories to the operator for real-time communication of collision resolutions, enhancing overall aviation safety.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configurable parameter pertains to any or a combination of height limit and time shift.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the three-way approach comprises a first approach, a second approach and a third approach, wherein the first approach modifies the height of the received flight plan data colliding with the stored contender flight plan data, and wherein if the height modification fails to generate an advisory within the configurable parameter, the system proceeds to the second approach.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second approach modifies the time of the received flight plan data colliding with the stored contender flight plan data, wherein if the second approach fails to generate the advisory within the configurable parameter, the system proceeds to the third approach.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third approach modifies the height and time of the received flight plan data colliding with the stored contender flight plan data.
6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system displays the collision advisories to the operator on the display interface, if any of the three approaches successfully resolves a collision.
7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon finding a collision advisory solution for a new collided flight plan using any of the three approaches, the CRA system displays the advisory to the operator on the display interface.
8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filed flight plan data is verified by all the available flight plan data of corresponding durations and the collision advisories are presented to the operator, detecting and avoiding probable collisions, allowing the operator to build a picture of maximum load capacity of total airspace.
9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system emphasizes ensuring that only collision-free flights are present within the system, thereby significantly minimising the chance of collision for airborne flights, contributing to enhanced aviation safety.
10. A method (1300) for collision avoidance, comprising:
receiving (1302), by a display interface (102) acting as a dedicated workstation, collision advisories in an event of potential collisions when an operator files new flight plan data;
receiving (1304), by a flight plan interface (106) over a network interface, flight plan data and decoding a standard International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) format of the flight plan data received from the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) into a required format acceptable by the system;
storing (1306), in a database storage (108), collision-free flight plan data;
receiving (1308), by a collision resolution advisory (CRA) unit (104), corresponding flight plan data from the display interface (102) or the flight plan interface (106);
processing (1310) the received flight plan data to conduct a collision analysis by comparing the received flight plan data against stored contender flight plan data to alert the operator about potential collision risks; and
operating (1312), by the CRA unit (104), on a three-way approach based on a configurable parameter, providing collision advisories to the operator for real-time communication of collision resolutions, thereby enhancing overall aviation safety.