Provided is an unmanned aerial vehicle that broadcasts a route and future location information of the unmanned aerial vehicle within preset coverage based on sensing data and current location information of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a calculator configured to calculate a predicted route and second location information of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to a preset period of time based on first location information and sensing data; and a transmitter configured to periodically broadcast a first notification signal that includes the first location information, the predicted route, and the second location information.

A method of operating a rotorcraft collision avoidance system is provided. The method includes determining a unique characteristic of a detected rotorcraft, determining the actual length of a first rotor based at least in part on the determined unique characteristic of the rotorcraft, locating a major axis of the first rotor of the rotorcraft from a perspective of a home unit, from the perspective of the home unit, determining an angular extent of the major axis of the first rotor, and determining the then current distance from the home unit to the rotorcraft based at least in part on the determined actual length of the first rotor and the corresponding angular extent.

This disclosure is directed to an automated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) self-identification system, devices, and techniques pertaining to the automated identification of individual UAVs operating within an airspace via a mesh communication network, individual UAVs and a central authority representing nodes of the mesh network. The system may detect nearby UAVs present within a UAV's airspace. Nearby UAVs may self-identify or be identified via correlation with one or more features detected by the UAV. The UAV may validate identifying information using a dynamic validation policy. Data collected by the UAV may be stored in a local mesh database and distributed to individual nodes of the mesh network and merged into a common central mesh database for distribution to individual nodes of the mesh network. UAVs on the mesh network utilize local and central mesh database information for self-identification and to maintain a dynamic flight plan.

Systems and methods that display information to enable a flight crew on a trailing aircraft to maintain separation behind a leading aircraft during an approach. Graphical designs are displayed on a navigation display or other display in the flight deck of the trailing aircraft to help the flight crew visually acquire the leading aircraft out the window and maintain at least a specified separation distance or spacing between the two aircraft even if visual contact is lost after the initial visual contact. A visual indication is provided on the display if that separation distance/spacing is attained. If for some reason the flight crew misses that visual indication and the trailing aircraft continues to get closer to the leading aircraft, another visual indication is provided, followed by an aural alert when a minimum safe spacing is reached.

An electric taxi motive control system of a first aircraft comprises a first aircraft position determining system configured to generate a first aircraft position signal, a first aircraft receiver, configured to receive transmissions of a second aircraft position signal, a first aircraft pilot interface configured to accept an input indicative of a first aircraft desired speed, and a first aircraft electronic controller configured to; determine a aircraft separation distance indicative of the distance between the first aircraft and the second aircraft, compare the aircraft separation distance with a safe distance value; and generate a modified first aircraft commanded speed signal when the aircraft separation distance is less than the safe distance value.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an alternative distributed airborne transportation system. In some embodiments, a method for distributed airborne transportation includes: providing an airborne vehicle with a wing and a wing span, having capacity to carry one or more of passengers or cargo; landing of the airborne vehicle near one or more of passengers or cargo and loading at least one of passengers or cargo; taking-off and determining a flight direction for the airborne vehicle; locating at least one other airborne vehicle, which has substantially the same flight direction; and joining at least one other airborne vehicle in flight formation and forming a fleet, in which airborne vehicles fly with the same speed and direction and in which adjacent airborne vehicles are separated by distance of less than 100 wing spans.

This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for generating outputs based on collected aircraft maneuver data. In one example, a system is configured to collect surveillance data from one or more aircraft. The system is further configured to identify, from the collected surveillance data, aircraft maneuver data indicative of maneuvers of the one or more aircraft. The system is further configured to store the aircraft maneuver data in a data store. The system is further configured to perform one or more analyses of the stored aircraft maneuver data in the data store. The system is further configured to generate an output based on the one or more analyses of the stored aircraft maneuver data.

A collision warning method includes receiving a collision risk indication from a traffic collision avoidance system of an aircraft, receiving a preset altitude, comparing the preset altitude and an altitude associated with the collision risk indication, and providing a warning in the aircraft when the preset altitude and the altitude associated with the collision risk are within a threshold.

Processing arrangement for managing temporary updates to a map for use by vehicular navigation systems in vehicles in which a communications system at a remote site receives wireless communications from each vehicle including information about presence of an object or condition at a specific location automatically identified at the specific location without requiring manual entry of data about the object or condition at the specific location and that affects movement of vehicles on a roadway. A processor generates a map update for use by vehicular navigation systems based on the identified object or condition at the specific location which is transmitted to any vehicle in a vicinity of the specific location to cause the vehicular navigation system of that vehicle to use a map with the generated map update to display or otherwise indicate the presence of the object or condition at the specific location.

Systems and methods that display information to enable a flight crew on a trailing aircraft to maintain separation behind a leading aircraft during an approach. Graphical designs are displayed on a navigation display or other display in the flight deck of the trailing aircraft to help the flight crew visually acquire the leading aircraft out the window and maintain at least a specified separation distance or spacing between the two aircraft even if visual contact is lost after the initial visual contact. A visual indication is provided on the display if that separation distance/spacing is attained. If for some reason the flight crew misses that visual indication and the trailing aircraft continues to get closer to the leading aircraft, another visual indication is provided, followed by an aural alert when a minimum safe spacing is reached.