Patent ID: 7979197

Claim:
A method for managing ground traffic in an airport, comprising: receiving read tag data from a plurality of scanning tag readers and determining in real-time airport campus locations for each of a plurality of apparatuses traveling through the airport campus from the read tag data via a traffic manager in communication with the plurality of scanning tag readers, wherein the read tag data is generated by the each of the tag readers individually scanning tags located within their respective tag reader scanning distances in response to the each of the traveling apparatuses bringing: an attached tag reader proximate to one of a spaced plurality of the tags within the tag reader scanning distance, wherein each of the spaced plurality of tags are distributed throughout the airport campus and spaced from adjacent others of the tags at least a spacing distance greater than the tag reader scanning distance; or an attached one of the tags proximate to one of a spaced plurality of the tag readers within the tag reader scanning distance, wherein each of the spaced plurality of tag readers are distributed throughout the airport campus and spaced from adjacent others of the tag readers at least a spacing distance greater than the tag reader scanning distance; plotting the determined airport campus locations of each of the apparatuses in real-time onto a graphic depiction presentation of the airport campus via the traffic manager; and providing the graphic depiction presentation to an apparatus operator or an airport ground traffic controller via the traffic manager.