User Request Evaluation Tool URET Overview

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User Request Evaluation Tool (URET) Overview
Conflict Detection TIM in Memphis
October 19, 1999
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Agenda

• Goal of the Prototype Effort
• URET Background
• Genesis of URET
• History of Progress
• The URET D3.2 Daily Use System
• The Future - URET Core Capabilities Limited
  Deployment (CCLD)
• Questions

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Goal of URET Prototype Effort

• Prototype used to define/refine requirements
• Utilize ZME/ZID controller feedback to determine
  what functionality is needed and what should be
  included in the URET CCLD system
• Utilize ZME/ZID controller input to determine
  what data needs to be accessed by the controller
  and how the data should be displayed.
• Propagate tool to all ZME/ZID areas to maximize
  exposure and minimize acceptability risk when
  deployed to other sites
• Utilize prototype to identify and capture
  benefits that may be available from a wide-scale
  implementation of the tool

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Background - URET

• URET is a strategic D-side tool
• ZME and ZID in daily use for 2 years
• Provides long-lead time conflict notification,
  trial planning capability and data management
  functionality
• Includes ZID/ZME interfacility probe capability
• Includes 2-way host capability for Flight Plan
  amendments

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Background - URET

• Advisory tool, not mission-critical
• Strategic decision aid for sector team
• Trial planning
• Automatic conflict detection
• Trajectory conformance monitoring
• Electronic flight data management
• Weather data via Weather Radar Processor (WARP)
  interface
• Y2K certified

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Genesis of URET

• Grew out of Mitre research in 70s and 80s
• Decision to demonstrate some Advanced En Route
  Automation (AERA) concepts and prototype on
  D-side only
• In 1995 Air Traffic selected ZID first
  operational prototyping site, ZME selected to
  be 2nd site
• Alan Garcia and Larry Badger spearheaded ZIDs
  effort to develop prototype into a useful system
  Tom Doherty, Billy Tidwell and Barry Hiatt led
  the charge in ZME
• ZID On-the-cart evaluations began in 2/96 with
  URET D1
• Capability to create trial plans for current
  aircraft (A/C) or proposed amendments
• Detect potential conflicts with other aircraft
  upon request

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History of URET Prototype

• 2/96 - 5/96 On-the-cart URET D1 evaluations
  (26, one hour) utilized 4 ZID high/super high
  sectors
• 10/96 URET D2 delivered to ZID with additional
  features
• Provided continuous probing capability
• 10/96 15 URET display installed in Pocket City
  M-1 console
• 2/97 FAA Mgmt Direction to scope a URET daily
  use for all sectors in ZME and ZID.
• 4/97 Decision authorized for Daily use URET
  system at all ZME and ZID sectors
• 4/97 ZID guidelines for reduced strips to enable
  daily use
• 5/97 URET D2.1 delivered and installed with
  additional features

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History of URET Prototype (Continued)

• 6/97 Evals begin at ZME
• 9/97 Daily use URET begins in 3 ZID sectors
• 10/97 First URET ZME/ZID interfacility evaluation
  (D3)
• 11/97 Daily use URET Begins in ZME
• 2/98 URET D3 becomes daily use (IFA disabled)
• 3/98 Accelerated evals of Red route (URET D3R3)
  (Red route processing, simplified arrival stream
  filter, WARP interface)
• Some problems with RR, enhancements to be
  considered
• Other suggested enhancements
• Code wrong altitude for direction
• Separate window of proposals
• Adapt ATC preferred routings and Adapt posting
  logic

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History of URET Prototype (Continued)

• 4/98 Top 21 Discrepancy Reports (DRs) defined
• 5/98 D3 Interfacility URET operational in daily
  use
• 5/98 5 X 12 Daily Use operation begins
• 7/98 URET D3A1 Evaluation (airspace activation
  schedules, departure phase altitude restrictions,
  etc)
• 10/98 URET D3.1 to tech center for
  non-interference (NI) testing
• 2/99 Two-way Host patch (320_at_B) completes NI test
  and released to ZME/ZID
• 2/99 ZME Installation of 320_at_B patch/HID/URET
  configuration
• 4/99 ZID/ZME 2-way evals begin
• 5/99 ZID/ZME implement D3.1 (2-way) into daily use

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History of URET Prototype (Continued)

• 5/99 ZME/ZID Restriction relaxation evaluation
• 6/99 Evaluation of D3.2 (data management
  enhancements)
• 9/99 Uplevel of D3.2 to daily use
• 10/99 First meeting of ZID team examining ATC
  operations with URET
• 11/99 ZME transitions with URET into DSR control
  room
• Today were capable of operating at all sectors
  at ZID and ZME. URET available hours have
  increased to 90 hours per week and we are
  examining ways of increasing the number of
  available hours per request of the sites.

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The URET D3.2 System

• Processes real time flight plan and track data
• Merged with site adaptation, A/C performance
  characteristics and winds to build 4D
  trajectories
• Uses partitioned adaptation database
• Local adaptation for center plus
• Subset of data from neighboring centers
• Detects A/C problems up to 20 minutes into future
• Checks proposed flight modifications for
  conflicts
• Transmits flight plan amendments to Host
• Provides automated tools for flight data
  management, problem resolution, and alternative
  route planning

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The URET D3.2 System (cont)

• Provides 5 displays -- A Aircraft List, D
  Departure List, G Graphic Plan Display, P
  Plans Display, W Wind Grid
• Commands entered primarily via trackball
• right button - implied command
• middle button - implied delete
• left button - select object for command option
• Color coding used to impart information
• Red Yellow to indicate A/C problem information
• Blue indicates airspace problem, red route, or
  pref route
• Green indicates problem-free
• Brown indicates A/C not being probed by auto prob
  detection
• Tan indicates inadequate track data
• Yellow - A/C wrong altitude for direction

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The URET D3.2 System (cont)

• Aircraft List
• Typically primary display used to initiate
  planning
• Provides flight data and alert status for
  departed A/C
• Sorted according to controller-selected criteria
• Updated with host inputs
• Alert boxes indicate number of alerts by color
  type
• Entries may include red route coding
• Entries may include indications of Wrong altitude
  for direction
• New entries to list designated with N in
  bookkeeping box
• Provides interface to
• show current plan graphically and textually
• Coordinate a current plan with reason for
  coordination
• Create a trial plan of proposed flight plan
  amendment (alt, speed, rte)

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The URET D3.2 System (cont)

• Aircraft List (continued)
• Provides interface to
• Highlight entry to indicate controller action
  necessary
• Record heading and speeds
• Enter information in free text area
• Manually add A/C to the list
• Turn on/off altitude restrictions applicable to
  sector
• Check off an aircraft (bookkeeping function)
• Graphically depict coordination
• Modify airspace schedules and altitude limits

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The URET D3.2 System (cont)

• Departure List - Provides flight data for
  departure plans
• Not probed -- instead of alert indicators, have
  departure times
• Automatically posted
• Can manually add by entering ACID, CID or beacon
  code
• Sorted by controller selected criteria
• Automatically removed after aircraft departs
• Provides interface to
• Create departure time trial plans
• Check off an aircraft
• Show flight plan data
• Remove red route coding

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The URET D3.2 System (cont)

• Plans Display - Provides current plans, trial
  plans, reprobes, amendment message plans, or
  coordination plans
• Current plans
• Provides problem notification information
• Entries updated when information changes
• Trial plans
• Plan ID, maneuver description, countdown clock,
  alert information
• Coded when current plan changes or airspace
  status changes
• Removed when countdown clock expires
• Trial plan reprobes
• Same format as trial plans but no countdown clock
• Updated as problem information changes
• Amendment message plans
• Contains flight plan amendments
• Response notification

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The URET D3.2 System (cont)

• Plans Display - (continued)
• Coordination plans
• Contains coordination information for
  sector-sector coordination
• Countdown clock
• Amendment text
• Entries probed and updated as problem information
  changes
• Entries updated when receiving controller
  responds
• Provides interface to
• Graphically show trial plan
• Create/modify trial plan
• Send amendment to host
• Resubmit trial plan to conflict detection or auto
  reprove
• Initiate/respond to coordination

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The URET D3.2 System (cont)

• Graphic Plan Display - Depicts current, trial or
  coordination plans
• Shows routes, airspace, point of violation (if
  applicable)
• Updated to reflect updated information
• Provides future time slide
• Display provides interface to
• Create trial plans
• Send and respond to coordination requests
• Menu bar for command options, I.e. suppress data
  blocks, map options, tools, clean up

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The URET D3.2 System (cont)
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The URET D3.2 System (cont)

• Response Display
• Flight plan readouts (as received from host)
• Previous route readouts
• System messages on problems with controller
  entries
• Warning messages
• Wind Grid Display
• Provides latest forecast winds overlaid on map of
  center sectors
• Provides interface to
• Change altitude for display
• Show temperature and air pressure
• Re-center
• Zoom in/Zoom out

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The Future - URET CCLD

• URET based CCLD system being developed by
  Lockheed Martin for 7 sites
• URET CCLD is integrated into DSR (single keyboard
  and consolidated D-side display)
• Establishment of A team of Facility/HQ/NATCA
  participants defining/refining URET CCLD
  requirements
• Sites selected per FAA/Industry consensus - ZID,
  ZME, ZAU, ZKC, ZOB, ZTL, and ZDC.
• URET CCLD Build 1 First Site System IDU - 11/01
• URET CCLD Build 2 First Site System IDU - 5/02

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Summary

• URET success due to Outstanding Support from
  ZME/ZID, the FAA Technical center, and Mitre
• URET success led to Conflict probe inclusion in
  FFP1
• Continued facility/NATCA involvement and support
  critical for continued refinement of tool for
  CCLD
• Tight linkage of URET daily use and URET CCLD
• Continued support critical for attainment and
  measurement of benefits to controllers and users
• Prototyping - Controller eval/feedback -
  prototype refinement proven path to getting to
  new capability to field expeditiously

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Backups
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URET Functional Builds
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URET Functional Builds -- Continued
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URET Functional Builds -- Concluded