System and method for enhanced situational awareness of terrain in a vertical situation display

• US 20060077092A1
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Nichols, Troy A., Gilliland, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,209,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/26.B
• 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: G01C 5/00 Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels G01C3/20, G01C3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935

Abstract

A vertical situation display (“VSD”) system according to the invention generates a terrain image that represents a profile view of terrain elevation relative to the position of an aircraft traveling above the terrain. The VSD system generates the VSD image such that the terrain image is biased toward the lower elevation region of the VSD screen, thus making efficient use of the available display area. The VSD image is also generated such that it is continuous across the lateral range of the VSD, thus ensuring that terrain is shown in the VSD at all practical times, depending upon the available range and any priority display rules.

Claims

1. A method for displaying terrain on an aircraft flight deck display system, said method comprising:

processing terrain data; and

displaying a terrain image representative of said terrain data on a vertical situation display (“

VSD”

), said terrain image being biased toward a lower elevation region of said Vsd;

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising generating said terrain image as a continuous image across a lateral range of said VSD.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining a plurality of terrain elevations corresponding to a lateral range of said VSD, said terrain data including said plurality of terrain elevations.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising generating a terrain adjustment parameter based upon said plurality of terrain elevations, said displaying step being responsive to said terrain adjustment parameter.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said generating step comprises selecting one of said plurality of terrain elevations.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said generating step comprises selecting a minimum terrain elevation from said plurality of terrain elevations.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising calculating a display margin for said terrain image, said display margin representing a minimum separation between said terrain image and a horizontal boundary of said VSD.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said calculating step calculates said display margin in response to a vertical scale of said VSD.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said calculating step calculates said display margin as a percentage of said vertical scale.

10. A flight deck display system for an aircraft, said flight deck display system comprising:

a processor configured to receive terrain data and, in response to said terrain data, to generate one or more image rendering display commands; and

a display device configured to receive rendering data indicative of said image rendering display commands and, in response to said rendering data, to render a terrain image representative of said terrain data on a vertical situation display (“

VSD”

), said terrain image being biased toward a lower elevation region of said VSD.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said display device renders said terrain image as a continuous image across a lateral range of said VSD.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein said terrain data includes a plurality of terrain elevations corresponding to a lateral range of said VSD.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein:

said processor is further configured to generate a terrain adjustment parameter based upon said plurality of terrain elevations; and

said display device renders said terrain image in response to said terrain adjustment parameter.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said terrain adjustment parameter is based upon a minimum terrain elevation from said plurality of terrain elevations.

15. A system according to claim 10, wherein said processor is further configured to calculate a display margin for said terrain image, said display margin representing a minimum separation between said terrain image and a horizontal boundary of said VSD.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said processor calculates said display margin in response to a vertical scale of said VSD.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein said processor calculates said display margin as a percentage of said vertical scale.

18. A method for displaying terrain on a vertical situation display (“

VSD”

) having a lateral range, said method comprising;

obtaining terrain data corresponding to said lateral range of said VSD, said terrain data including a plurality of terrain elevations;

selecting a minimum terrain elevation from said plurality of terrain elevations;

generating a terrain image representative of said terrain data; and

vertically adjusting said terrain image, in response to said minimum terrain elevation, for rendering on said VSD.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said generating step generates said terrain image as a continuous image across said lateral range of said VSD.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein said vertically adjusting step adjusts said terrain image to be biased toward a lower elevation region of said VSD.

21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising generating a terrain adjustment parameter based upon said minimum terrain elevation, said vertically adjusting step being responsive to said terrain adjustment parameter.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said terrain adjustment parameter is further based upon a display margin for said terrain image, said display margin representing a minimum separation between said terrain image and a horizontal boundary of said VSD.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising calculating said display margin in response to a vertical scale of said VSD.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said calculating step calculates said display margin as a percentage of said vertical scale.

25. A flight deck display system for an aircraft, said flight deck display system comprising:

processing logic for processing terrain data; and

means for displaying a terrain image representative of said terrain data on a vertical situation display (“

VSD”

), said terrain image being biased toward a lower elevation region of said VSD.

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein said means for displaying displays said terrain image as a continuous image across a lateral range of said VSD.

27. A system according to claim 25, further comprising means for generating a terrain adjustment parameter in response to a minimum terrain elevation within a lateral range of said VSD, said means for displaying being responsive to said terrain adjustment parameter.

28. A system according to claim 25, further comprising means for generating a terrain adjustment parameter in response to a display margin for said VSD, said means for displaying being responsive to said terrain adjustment parameter.

29. A system according to claim 28, wherein said display margin represents a minimum separation between said terrain image and a horizontal boundary of said VSD.