Systems and methods for providing augmented information for vehicle multi-function display electronics

• US 10,543,930 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2018
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kathirvel, Kannan, Sebastian, Elsa Mary
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US16/041,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20180346143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• 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: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing augmented information for vehicle multi-function display electronics are provided. In one a method for providing augmented information for vehicle multi-function display (MFD) electronics comprises: receiving via a downlink communication, a vehicle profile comprising an MFD Profile descriptive of how a pilot is currently utilizing a cockpit MFD; determining whether an MFD map application is displaying information on the cockpit MFD based on the MFD Profile; when the MFD map application is determined to be displaying information on the cockpit MFD: defining a set of potential information enhancements based on the vehicle profile; collecting information corresponding to the set of potential information enhancements from one of more data sources; transmitting an uplink communication comprising an Augmented Map Profile, wherein the Augmented Map Profile comprises the information corresponding to the set of potential information enhancements.

Claims

1. A method for providing augmented information for vehicle multi-function display (MFD) electronics, the method comprising:

receiving, from an on-board vehicle processor in a downlink communication, an MFD profile describing current pilot use of a cockpit MFD;

analyzing the MFD profile received from the on-board vehicle processor at a ground station component;

determining whether an MFD map application is displaying information on the cockpit MFD based on the MFD profile received from the on-board vehicle processor at the ground station component in the downlink communication;

defining a set of potential information enhancements from one or more data sources based on the MFD map application being determined to be displaying information on the cockpit MFD; and

transmitting an uplink communication to the on-board vehicle processor, the uplink communication comprising an augmented map profile comprising information corresponding to the set of potential information enhancements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the MFD map application is determined not to be displaying information on the cockpit MFD, no augmented map profile is transmitted.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the vehicle via the uplink communication, the augmented map profile.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating graphical representations of augmentation information on the cockpit MFD based on augmentation information included in the augmented map profile.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the MFD profile includes information describing at least what map application is being executed, what geographic location is being viewed on the cockpit MFD, and what range is selected to appear on the cockpit MFD.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle profile further comprises aircraft status information compiled from aircraft avionics systems that includes at least one of a flight control system, a flight management system, a communications management, an electronic display system, an engine indication system, flight crew alert and warning systems, and a maintenance computer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the aircraft status information includes at least one of:

aircraft position, altitude, ground speed, air speed, in-air/on-ground flags, aircraft heading, autopilot status, or flight phase.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein defining a set of potential information enhancements based on the vehicle profile further comprises:

building a map profile template that defines the set of potential information enhancements as a function of information extracted from the vehicle profile and an augmented policy.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein collecting information corresponding to the set of potential information enhancements from one or more data sources further comprises:

populating the map profile template with collected augmentation information to generate the augmented map profile.

10. A method for providing augmented information for vehicle multi-function display (MFD) electronics, the method comprising:

receiving via a downlink communication, a vehicle profile comprising an MFD profile descriptive of how a pilot is currently utilizing a cockpit MFD;

determining whether an MFD map application is displaying information on the cockpit MFD based on the MFD profile; and

when the MFD map application is determined to be displaying information on the cockpit MFD;

defining a set of potential information enhancements based on the vehicle profile;

collecting information corresponding to the set of potential information enhancements from one or more data sources; and

transmitting an uplink communication comprising an augmented map profile, wherein the augmented map profile comprises information corresponding to the set of potential information enhancements.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when the MFD map application is determined not to be displaying information on the cockpit MFD, no augmented map profile is transmitted.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the MFD profile includes information describing at least at least what map application is being executed, what geographic location is being viewed on the cockpit MFD and what range is selected to appear on the cockpit MFD.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle profile further comprises aircraft status information compiled from aircraft avionics systems that includes at least one of a flight control system, a flight management system, a communications management, an electronic display system, an engine indication system, flight crew alert and warning systems, and a maintenance computer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the aircraft status information includes at least one of:

aircraft position, altitude, ground speed, air speed, in-air/on-ground flags, aircraft heading, autopilot status, or flight phase.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein defining a set of potential information enhancements based on the vehicle profile further comprises:

building a map profile template that defines the set of potential information enhancements as a function of information extracted from the vehicle profile and an augmentation policy.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting information corresponding to the set of potential information enhancements from one or more data sources further comprises:

populating the map profile template with collected augmentation information to generate the augmented map profile.

17. A method for providing augmented information for vehicle multi-function display (MFD) electronics, the method comprising:

on-board a vehicle, building an MFD profile descriptive of how a pilot is currently utilizing a cockpit MFD;

transmitting the MFD profile from the vehicle to a ground station component in a downlink communication as a vehicle profile;

receiving at the vehicle an uplink communication comprising an augmented map profile based on the vehicle profile; and

generating graphical representations of augmentation information on the cockpit MFD based on augmentation information included in the augmented map profile.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the MFP profile includes information indicating what map application is being executed, what geographic location is being viewed on the cockpit MFD, and what range is selected to appear on the cockpit MFD.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

collecting aircraft status information from one or more aircraft avionics systems; and

combining the aircraft status information with the MFD Profile in to generate the vehicle profile.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the aircraft status information includes at least one of:

aircraft position, flight phase, current fuel reserves, break conditions, and engine operating statistics.