Flight planning and communication

• US 10,540,903 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2017
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• 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:
  US15/494,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20170229027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 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

The invention described herein provides a flight crew with an easier, more intuitive, system and method to create a flight plan. A flight planning system is presented for navigation of an aircraft utilizing 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 is presented that 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 is presented that 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 method for providing a chart on a touch screen device in a cockpit of an aircraft, comprising:

displaying a panoramic view external of the aircraft on a touch screen of an instrument panel, wherein touch screen laterally spans the width of the cockpit;

presenting a list of menu options overlaying the panoramic view, wherein the list of menu options includes a charts function for displaying one or more charts;

receiving a selection of the charts function;

selecting, within the charts function, an icon identifying a corresponding chart, wherein the icon pins the corresponding chart to the touch screen, wherein selection of the icon reveals the corresponding chart enabling manipulation of the corresponding chart with touch gestures including at least one of dragging, scrolling, rotating, and zooming;

displaying, within the charts function, a list of airports arranged by proximity to the aircraft;

receiving, within the charts function, a selection of a target airport;

upon receiving the selection of the target airport, enabling selection of target airport specific information, including;

(i) an approach or departure path, (ii) a navigation method, and (iii) a runaway; and

upon receiving selection of the airport specific information, automatically displaying a second pin and second chart corresponding to the target airport on the touch screen overlaying the real-time panoramic view, wherein selection of the second pin icon enables manipulation of the second chart with touch gestures including at least one of dragging, scrolling, rotating, and zooming.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation method may include one of an instrument landing system (ILS), an automatic direction finder (ADF), a very-high-frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR), global positioning system (GPS), non-directional beacon (NDB), or distance measuring equipment (DME).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing any selection by receiving a re-selection of any previous selection.

4. A chart display system for displaying aeronautical charts on a touch screen display device in a cockpit of an aircraft, comprising:

a digital database stored in non-volatile memory of a computer, communicatively coupled with the touch screen display device;

a plurality of aeronautical charts stored in the digital database; and

a real-time panoramic view captured by an external camera and displayed entirely across the touch screen display device, wherein the touch screen display device laterally spans the cockpit;

a charts panel displaying one or more of the plurality of aeronautical charts overlaying the real-time panoramic view on the touch screen display device, wherein the charts panel receives a selection of one or more of the plurality of aeronautical charts via touch gestures on the touch screen display device;

wherein the charts panel receives selection of an icon identifying a corresponding airport chart based on an origin airport, a destination airport, a list of favorite airports, and a list of proximate airports;

wherein the icon pins the corresponding airport chart to a location on the touch screen, and enables manipulation of the corresponding chart with touch gestures including at least one of dragging, scrolling, rotating, and zooming; and

wherein the list of proximate airports comprise a plurality of airports ordered from nearest to furthest from the aircraft and numerical indications corresponding to distances from the aircraft to each of the plurality of airports, wherein an order of the list and the distances update in real-time during a flight.

5. The chart display system of claim 4, wherein the charts panel further comprises an airport code indicator adapted for enabling selection of an airport and displaying a code for the airport.

6. The chart display system of claim 4, wherein the charts panel further comprises a navigation indicator adapted for enabling selection of a navigation type.

7. The chart display system of claim 6, wherein the charts panel further comprises a display of available runways based on the navigation type selected, wherein the display of available runways enables selection of a landing runway.

8. The chart display system of claim 7, wherein a chart corresponding to an approach for the landing runway is automatically displayed on the charts panel following a selection of the landing runway.

9. A method for providing a heads-up chart on a touch screen device in a cockpit of an aircraft, comprising:

displaying, on the touch screen device, a real-time panoramic view from a forward-facing camera mounted to the aircraft, wherein the touch screen device laterally spans the cockpit;

displaying a menu overlaying the real-time panoramic view, the menu including a charts indicator, the charts indicator being adapted to enable selection of a charts panel;

receiving a selection of the charts panel and automatically displaying the charts panel overlaying the real-time panoramic view such that the charts panel may be moved on the touch screen device allowing access to both a pilot and a copilot;

wherein the selected chart is draggable to a preferred location on the touch screen device;

wherein the selected chart is pinnable for maintaining in a fixed location on the gestures including at least one of scrolling, rotating, and zooming;

wherein the selected charts further comprises the plurality of icons receiving a selection of one or more airport charts based on an origin airport, a destination airport, a list of favorite airports, and a list of proximate airports;

wherein the list of proximate airports comprises a plurality of airports ordered from nearest to furthest from the aircraft, and numerical indications corresponding to distances from the aircraft to each of the plurality of airports, wherein an order of the list and the distances update in real-time during a flight; and

upon an indication of an airport via the charts panel, automatically displaying an airport chart for the airport that corresponds to the indication, the airport chart overlaying the real-time panoramic view.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving an indication of an approach or a departure for the aircraft.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving an indication of a navigation type for enabling selection of the navigation type.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a menu of available runways based on the navigation type selected and the approach or the departure.