Patent ID: 7818118

Claim:
A method implemented in a computer system for planning the velocity of a craft along a predetermined route, the method comprising: obtaining data representative of mission demands via processor; obtaining data representative of dynamic limitations of the craft; obtaining data representative of a predetermined route; obtaining data representative of a dynamic situation picture; transforming said mission demand data, dynamic limitation data, route data and dynamic situation data into a time-distance domain, wherein the dynamic situation data comprises data on objects intersecting the predetermined route; creating a distance envelope in said time-distance domain; determining a distance profile in the time-distance domain which stays within the distance envelope; determining a velocity profile from a time derivative of the distance profile, wherein determining the velocity profile comprises creating a time-distance curve that avoids the objects intersecting the predetermined route; and directing the craft along the predetermined route according to the velocity profile, wherein creating a distance envelope comprises creating of an upper limitation curve in the time-distance domain, and creating of a lower limitation curve in the time-distance domain, wherein creating an upper limitation curve comprises creating a time-distance curve corresponding to a case where the craft initially travels at maximum speed and switches to minimum speed at a latest moment to arrive at a finish point at an earliest permitted arrival time, and wherein creating a lower limitation curve comprises creating a time-distance curve corresponding to a case where the craft initially travels at a minimum speed and at a latest moment switches to a maximum speed to arrive at a finish point at a latest permitted arrival time.