Flight planning and communication

• US 10,347,140 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Kneuper, Jeremy Joseph, Lanier, John Robert, Decker, Jason Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Charles J
• Application Number:
  US14/643,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20150356873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/02 for indicating aircraft speed or stalling conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0047 Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft details of equipment G08G5/0017
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 for taking-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 : Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/003 : Maps

Abstract

A flight planning system for navigation of an aircraft utilizes a touch screen display device mounted in an aircraft cockpit spanning the width and height of the instrument panel. The system provides navigational views, an interactive map, charts, a radio frequency component, a weather component, and a virtual flight plan. A flight planning method uses an interactive map on a touch screen device in an aircraft cockpit. The method accepts user inputs and displays a desired flight plan on the map. A method for providing a chart on a touch screen device includes presenting a list of menu options on a touch screen mounted in an aircraft cockpit. The method provides the flight crew with heads-up operation, providing greater situational awareness.

Claims

1. A flight planning system for navigation of an aircraft, the aircraft having seating locations for each of a pilot and a copilot, the system comprising:

a computer having non-transitory memory for storing one or more instructions thereon, the computer having a processor for executing the one or more instructions;

a single touch screen display device laterally spanning a cockpit of the aircraft to the extent that both the pilot and the copilot can interface with aircraft systems through the touch screen display device, the display device being operatively coupled to the computer for displaying a real-time panoramic view captured by a forward-facing camera mounted to the aircraft;

a radio frequency interface overlaid upon the real-time panoramic view displaying radio frequencies, the radio frequency interface configured to receive touch indications controlling radio communication of the aircraft from a pilot and a copilot simultaneously;

a mapping interface overlaid upon the real-time panoramic view for displaying one or more maps, the mapping interface configured to receive a touch indication selecting a type of map to be displayed, and subsequently display the selected map type, wherein the mapping interface is moved between positions on the touch screen display device located in front of the seating locations for each of the pilot and the copilot,

wherein the one or more maps display location of radio sources corresponding to radio frequencies of the radio frequency interface,

wherein the locations of radio sources displayed on the mapping interface are listed in the radio frequency interface by proximity to the aircraft and updated based on real-time distances during flight,

wherein the mapping interface further comprises a virtual flight plan that displays one or more simulated flight plans on the one or more maps;

and a database operatively coupled to the computer for storing information of the one or more maps.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mapping interface is further configured to provide alternate displays based on one or more of:

satellite imagery;

terrain representations; and

flight rules.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight rules comprise one of:

high instrument flight rules;

low instrument flight rules;

or

visual flight rules.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a weather representation overlaid on the one or more maps, wherein the weather representation displays a dynamic weather forecast representation of recent weather and forecasted weather that overlays the one or more maps.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual flight plan comprises a dynamic representation of the aircraft simulating a projected path of a flight plan at an accelerated pace, wherein the dynamic representation of the aircraft includes an aircraft icon that overlays the one or more maps.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the virtual flight plan further comprises a dynamic representation of the aircraft encountering the dynamic weather forecast representation.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the virtual flight plan visually simulates a planned flight by initiating the aircraft icon to move from an origin location to a destination location along a flight path overlaid on the one or more maps.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the mapping interface displays an estimated remaining distance and an estimated remaining duration as the virtual flight plan visually simulates a planned flight.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the mapping interface displays an estimated altitude of the aircraft as the virtual flight plan visually simulates a planned flight.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the mapping interface displays a calculated distance remaining and a calculated duration remaining throughout an actual flight of the aircraft.

11. A flight navigation user interface system in a cockpit of an aircraft, comprising:

a touch-screen display instrument panel laterally spanning the cockpit of the aircraft such that portions of the instrument panel are in front of both pilot and copilot seating positions, the instrument panel additionally being operatively coupled to a computer for displaying a real-time panoramic view captured by a forward-facing camera mounted beneath the aircraft;

a radio frequency interface overlaid upon the real-time panoramic view for displaying radio frequencies and receiving touch indications for radio communication from one or more of a pilot and a copilot simultaneously;

a mapping interface overlaid upon the real-time panoramic view for displaying one or more maps, wherein the one or more maps display locations of radio sources corresponding to radio frequencies of the radio frequency interface;

wherein the locations of radio sources displayed on the mapping interface are listed in the radio frequency interface by proximity to the aircraft and updated based on real-time distances during flight,

wherein the mapping interface receives a touch indication selecting a type of map to display;

wherein the mapping interface further comprises a virtual plane that display one or more simulated flight plans on the one or more maps; and

a database operatively coupled to the computer for storing information of the one or more maps.

12. The flight navigation user interface system of claim 11, the radio frequency interface comprising relevant radio frequencies based on one or more of:

the locations of radio sources displayed on the mapping interface;

one or more frequency identifiers listed in a searchable menu; and

one or more frequency identifiers listed in a custom list of favorite radio source names.

13. A flight navigation system in a cockpit of an aircraft with windows, comprising:

a touch-screen instrument panel having an interactive display spanning the cockpit of the aircraft in front of multiple pilot positions and operatively coupled to a computer for displaying a real-time panoramic camera view external of the aircraft;

a mapping interface substantially overlaid upon the real-time camera view for displaying one or more maps along with the real-time panoramic camera view;

a flight plan simulator for displaying a virtual flight plan, wherein the virtual flight plan comprises a flight path and an aircraft location displayed on the one or more maps, and future portions of the virtual flight plan are dynamically displayed at an accelerated pace,

wherein the mapping interface and the flight plan simulator are each identically reproduced such that a plurality of users have simultaneous access;

a radio frequency interface overlaid upon the real-time panoramic camera view displaying radio frequencies and receiving touch indications for controlling radio communication of the aircraft from a pilot and a copilot simultaneously;

wherein the one or more maps display locations of radio sources corresponding to radio frequencies of the radio frequency interface,

wherein the location of radio sources displayed on the mapping interface are listed in the radio frequency interface by proximity to the aircraft based on real-time distance during flight; and

a database operatively coupled to the computer for storing information of the one or more maps.

14. The flight navigation system of claim 13, wherein the virtual flight plan further comprises dynamic weather representations displayed on the one or more maps.

15. The flight navigation system of claim 13, wherein future portions of the virtual flight plan display forecasted dynamic weather representations.

16. The flight navigation system of claim 13, wherein the virtual flight plan further comprises a dynamic representation of the aircraft location along the flight path encountering dynamic weather representations.

17. The flight navigation system of claim 13, wherein future portions of the virtual flight plan display simulated aircraft locations encountering forecasted dynamic weather representations.