Airport taxiway navigation system

• US 20040006412A1
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Majka, Matthew T., Doose, Reagan, Jaugilas, John M., Ellerbrock, Richard W., Hulet, Glade L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A method and system for providing taxiway navigational information to a crewmember of an airplane taxiing at an airport. An airport taxiway navigation system (“ATNS”) that executes on an onboard computer system that displays a map of the taxiways of an airport, receives the name of each taxiway of the taxi route specified by the taxi clearance, and highlights the taxiways on a displayed map to provide a visual indication of the cleared taxi route for the crewmembers.

Claims

1. A method in an onboard computer for providing information to a crewmember of an aircraft for use in taxiing at an airport, the method comprising:

displaying a map of the airport, the map showing taxiways of the airport;

receiving a taxi route specifying taxiways that the aircraft is to use to taxi at the airport, as specified by a taxi clearance provided by ground control; and

highlighting on the displayed map the taxiways of the received taxi route.

2. The method of claim 1 including:

receiving positional information for the aircraft as it taxis at the airport; and

displaying on the displayed map indications of positions of the aircraft as it taxis at the airport.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the map is displayed in a static mode.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the static mode is a north up mode.

5. The method of claim 2 including:

receiving directional information for the aircraft as it taxis at the airport; and

displaying on the displayed map indications of directions of the aircraft as it taxis at the airport.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the map is displayed in a dynamic mode.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the dynamic mode is a heading up mode.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the displayed indication of direction and position of the aircraft is an image of an airplane.

9. The method of claim 1 including

receiving positional information for the aircraft;

and

signaling when the received position indicates that the aircraft has deviated from the received taxi route.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the signal is a visual signal.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the signal is an audio signal.

12. The method of claim 1 including:

receiving positional information for the aircraft; and

signaling when the aircraft approaches a holdshort line.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the signal is a visual signal.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the signal is an audio signal.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the taxi route includes:

displaying indications of taxiways; and

receiving from a crewmember a selection of a sequence of taxiways of the taxi route.

16. The method of claim 15 including as each taxiway is selected, highlighting the selected taxiway on the displayed map.

17. The method of claim 15 including as each taxiway is selected, displaying a name for the taxiway.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the displayed names for the taxiways specify the taxi route.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the displaying of an indication of taxiways displays indications of only those taxiways that are possible next taxiways in the sequence of taxiways of the taxi route.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the displaying of the indications of the taxiways displays a name of a taxiway near a button.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the displaying of the indications of the taxiways includes highlighting a representation of each taxiway on the displayed map.

22. The method of claim 1 including displaying a sequence of names of the taxiways in the taxi route.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the sequence is displayed in an area separate from the displayed map.

24. The method of claim 22 including:

receiving position information for the aircraft as it taxis at the airport; and

identifying from the received position the taxiway that the aircraft is currently on; and

highlighting the name of the identified taxiway.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the taxi route includes receiving a selection of a button corresponding to each taxiway in the taxi route.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the map is displayed on a touch panel display and the receiving of the taxi route includes receiving from a crewmember a selection of a displayed representation of each taxiway in the taxi route by touching the displayed representation.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the taxi route is received directly from ground control without manual entry of the taxi route by a crewmember.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the received taxi route includes only major taxiways.

29. The method of claim 1 including providing a specification of preferred taxi routes for the airport and wherein the receiving of a taxi route includes selection of one of the preferred taxi routes.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein a crewmember defines a preferred taxi route by specifying taxiways of the preferred taxi route.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the selection of one of the preferred taxi routes includes displaying for each preferred taxi route a sequence of names for the taxiways in the preferred taxi route.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the selection of one of the preferred taxi routes includes displaying a name assigned to each preferred taxi route.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the selection of one of the preferred taxi routes includes highlighting on the displayed map the taxiways of a preferred taxi route wherein a crewmember selects the preferred taxi route represented by the highlighted taxiways or indicates to highlight the taxiways of another preferred route.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the taxi route includes receiving voice input corresponding to a name for each taxiway in the route.

35. The method of claim 1 including

receiving positional information for the aircraft as it taxis at the airport;

receiving an indication of a destination gate for the aircraft; and

displaying the map of the airport so the current position of the aircraft and the destination gate are visible.

36. The method of claim 1 including when displaying the map in a heading up mode, ensuring that labeling of items on the map is horizontally aligned.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying of the map at the airport includes receiving position information for the aircraft, identifying an airport based on the received position information, and selecting a map for the identified airport.

38. The method of claim 1 including:

receiving an indication to display a satellite view of the airport;

retrieving the satellite view; and

displaying the satellite view of the airport.

39. The method of claim 1 including

receiving a series of position information for the aircraft as it taxis at the airport;

and

estimating current position information based on the previously received series of position information; and

displaying position of the aircraft based on the estimated current position information.

40. The method of claim 1 including

receiving position information for the aircraft as it taxis at the airport;

identifying a taxiway that the plane is currently on; and

when the position information indicates that the aircraft is near an edge of the identified taxiway, notifying the crewmember.

41. The method of claim 1 wherein the map is displayed in an align-to-runway mode.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the runway to align to is selected by a crewmember.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the runway to align to is the landing runway.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the mode of the map is automatically switched to a heading up mode when the aircraft lands.

45. The method of claim 41 wherein the mode of the map is automatically switched to a heading up mode when the aircraft takes off.

46. The method of claim 1 including

receiving from a crewmember annotations for the map;

and

displaying the received annotations while the map is displayed.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the annotations are received via freehand drawing.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the annotations are received via placement of an icon.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein the annotations are received via a text box.

50. The method of claim 46 wherein each annotation is associated with a position on a map.

51. The method of claim 46 wherein an annotation is scaled when the map is scaled.

52. The method of claim 46 wherein an annotation is panned with the map is panned.

53. An onboard computer for providing information for navigating a vehicle at an airport, comprising:

a component that displays a map of the airport that shows the ways of the airport;

a component that receives a specification of the ways over which the vehicle is to travel at the airport; and

a component that highlights the ways on the displayed map.

54. The computer of claim 53 wherein the ways includes taxiways and runways.

55. The computer of claim 53 wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

56. The computer of claim 53 wherein the vehicle is a ground-based vehicle.

57. The computer of claim 53 including a component that displays an indication of the vehicle on the displayed map.

58. The computer of claim 53 including a component that displays an indication of a heading of the vehicle on the displayed map.

59. The computer of claim 53 wherein the map is displayed in align-to-runway mode.

60. The computer of claim 53 including a component for annotating the displayed map.

61. A method in a computer system for displaying a map of an airport, the method comprising:

selecting a runway of the airport; and

displaying the map of the airport so that the selected runway is aligned substantially vertically and centered substantially horizontally on the displayed map.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein the selected runway is the runway on which an aircraft is to land.

63. The method of claim 61 wherein the selected runway is the runway from which an aircraft is to take off.

64. The method of claim 61 including automatically switching the display of the map to heading up mode when an aircraft lands.

65. The method of claim 61 including automatically switching the display of the map to heading up mode when an aircraft takes off.

66. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to provide information to a crewmember of an aircraft, by a method comprising:

receiving a taxi route specifying taxiways on which the aircraft is to taxi at an airport; and

highlighting the taxiways of the received taxi route on a map of the airport.

67. The computer-readable medium of claim 66 wherein the taxi route is received by a crewmember selecting taxiways on a map of the airport.

68. The computer-readable medium of claim 66 wherein the taxi route is received by a crewmember selecting the names of the taxiways.

69. The computer-readable medium of claim 66 wherein the taxi route is received a crewmember entering names of taxiways of the taxi route.

70. The computer-readable medium of claim 66 including receiving a definition of a preferred taxi route.

71. The computer-readable medium of claim 66 wherein the map is displayed in an align-to-runway mode.

72. The computer readable medium of claim 66 including receiving from a crewmember annotations for the displayed map.

73. A computer that provides information to a crewmember of an aircraft, comprising:

means for receiving a taxi route specifying taxiways on which the aircraft is to taxi at an airport; and

means for highlighting the taxiways of the received taxi route on a map of the airport.

74. The computer of claim 73 including means for manually selecting taxiways of the taxi route from a displayed map of the airport.

75. The computer of claim 73 including means for receiving a definition of a preferred taxi route.

76. The computer of claim 73 including means for displaying the map in an align-to-runway mode.

77. The computer of claim 73 including means for receiving from a crewmember annotations for a displayed map.