Systems and methods for executing aircraft take-off and landing events

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method is performed by a computer system in an aircraft. The method includes receiving an advance indication of a take-off or landing event to be executed by the aircraft in proximity to a landing area such that the landing area includes an arrangement of a plurality of emitters of electromagnetic radiation. The method further includes, responsive to the receiving, detecting, via a sensor in communication with the computer system, emission states of at least some of the plurality of emitters. In addition, the method includes transforming the detected emission states into an instruction set for the take-off or landing event. The method also includes initiating monitoring of the aircraft relative to the instruction set as the aircraft executes the take-off or landing event in proximity to the landing area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising, by a computer system:
 receiving an advance indication of a take-off or landing event to be executed by an aircraft in proximity to a landing area, wherein the landing area comprises an arrangement of a plurality of emitters of electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the plurality of emitters are in communication with the computer system;   responsive to the receiving, generating an instruction set for the take-off or landing event;   transforming the instruction set into emission states of at least selected emitters of the plurality of emitters; and   causing the selected emitters to produce emissions in correspondence to the emission states.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generating comprises automatically generating at least a portion of the instruction set based on stored configurations. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generating comprises generating at least a portion of the instruction set based on received user input. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generating comprises automatically determining a particular region within the landing area for the take-off or landing event based, at least in part, on stored configurations and input comprising information related to a size of the aircraft. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the arrangement of the plurality of emitters comprises a grid such that the plurality of emitters correspond to cells of the grid; and   the generating comprises expressing the particular region as one or more of the cells of the grid.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the generating comprises automatically generating an instruction related to an orientation of the aircraft in the particular region, wherein the instruction is generated based, at least in part, on the stored configurations, the particular region and an overall state of the landing area. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the generating comprises automatically generating an instruction related to a direction of an initial flight heading of the aircraft, wherein the instruction is generated based, at least in part, on the stored configurations. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 monitoring information related to the landing area for triggers of instruction-set generation;   receiving a trigger responsive to the monitoring;   generating a new instruction set responsive to the trigger;   transforming the new instruction set into one or more emission states of one or more emitters of the plurality of emitters; and   causing the one or more emitters to produce emissions in correspondence to the one or more emission states.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the trigger is selected from the group consisting of: a weather event, an exigency and a change in availability of a region of the landing area. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the new instruction cancels the instruction for the take-off or landing event. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 monitoring compliance of the aircraft with the instruction set; and   responsive to a determination that the aircraft is out of compliance, causing an alert to be produced.