METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING DISPLAY OF EN-ROUTE MAPS

• US 20070168122A1
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Aspen, Sven
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Methods and systems for a displaying a moving map display for an aircraft is provided. The method includes determining a route of intended travel of the aircraft on the moving map display, determining a rank of relative importance of a plurality of aeronautical symbols displayed on the moving map display based on the determined route of intended travel, and de-emphasizing at least one navigation symbol with the moving map display based on the at least one navigation symbol determined rank.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a moving map display for an aircraft comprising:

determining a route of intended travel of the aircraft on the moving map display;

determining a rank of relative importance of a plurality of aeronautical symbols displayed on the moving map display based on the determined route of intended travel; and

de-emphasizing at least one navigation symbol with the moving map display based on the at least one navigation symbol determined rank.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein determining a rank of relative importance of a plurality of aeronautical symbols comprises determining a rank of relative importance of a plurality of at least one of a navigation symbol, informational symbol, and a warning symbol.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein determining a route of intended travel of the aircraft comprises determining a route of intended travel from a flight plan for the aircraft.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein determining a route of intended travel of the aircraft comprises determining a route of intended travel from an input from a user.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the route of intended travel comprises at least one track segment and wherein determining a rank of relative importance of a plurality of aeronautical symbols comprises determining a relevance of the plurality of aeronautical symbols to the current segment being traveled.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the route of intended travel comprises at least one track segment and wherein determining a rank of relative importance of a plurality of aeronautical symbols comprises determining a relevance of the plurality of aeronautical symbols to a next segment to be traveled.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising removing the de-emphasis from the at least one navigation symbol based on an input from a user.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising changing an opacity of the at least one navigation symbol by changing an alpha-blending value associated with the at least one navigation symbol.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein changing an opacity of the at least one navigation symbol comprises changing the alpha-blending value based on a user input.

10. A display system for an aircraft comprising:

a moving map display screen configured to display a moving map representative of an area being traversed by the aircraft;

a route of intended travel of the aircraft superimposed on the moving map; and

a plurality of aeronautical symbols superimposed on said moving map in predetermined locations, at least one of said plurality of aeronautical symbols including an opacity variable determined by a relative rank of importance associated with the at least one aeronautical symbols wherein the relative rank of importance is determined based on a probability that the aeronautical symbol will be used during traversal along the route of intended travel.

11. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said route of intended travel of the aircraft is determined from a flight plan for the aircraft.

12. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said route of intended travel of the aircraft is determined based on an input from a user.

13. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said route of intended travel of the aircraft comprises at least one track segment and wherein said rank of relative importance of the plurality of aeronautical symbols comprises a relevance of the plurality of aeronautical symbols to the current segment being traveled.

14. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said route of intended travel of the aircraft comprises at least one track segment and wherein said rank of relative importance of the plurality of aeronautical symbols comprises a relevance of the plurality of aeronautical symbols to the current next segment to be traveled.

15. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said alpha-blending is configured to be selectably toggled using an input from a user.

16. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein an opacity of the at least one navigation symbol is configured to be modified by changing an alpha-blending value associated with the at least one navigation symbol.

17. A situational awareness system including a moving map display comprising:

at least one database comprising first data relating to a digital elevation model of a portion of the earth'"'"'s surface, said model comprising a plurality of pixels, said digital elevation model including a location coordinate and an elevation value associated with each pixel;

said at least one database further comprising second data relating to displaying a plurality of chart symbols on said moving map display, said second data comprising an opacity value associated with the plurality of chart symbols;

a processor coupled to the database, the processor configured to;

receive the location coordinate and an elevation value associated with the digital elevation model;

receive a route of intended travel for display on the moving map display;

determine an opacity value for the plurality of chart symbols based on a relevance of the plurality of chart symbols to the received route of intended travel; and

display a moving map including the plurality of chart symbols on the moving map display using the determined opacity value.

18. A situational awareness system in accordance with claim 17 wherein the relevance of the plurality of chart symbols comprises a probability that the symbol provides information for traversing a portion of the received route of intended travel.

19. A situational awareness system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said processor is further configured to display a chart symbol that is alpha-blended with the moving map.

20. A situational awareness system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said first data is included in a first database of the at least one database and said second data is included in a second database of the at least one database, said second database being a separate database with respect to said first database.