Obstacle Avoidance Situation Display Generator

• US 20070182589A1
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Tran, My
• Granted Patent: US 7,948,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/961
• 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 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

A display generator for providing obstacle avoidance guidance to a pilot is described. The display generator receives data from an obstacle avoidance dispatcher and resolver module, a hybrid ground collision avoidance module, a hybrid air collision avoidance module, a display control panel, and a navigation management module. The display generator generates obstacle avoidance display image video data, which includes symbology that represents a location of one of a predicted ground collision, a predicted air collision, and an induced collision. The display generator provides the obstacle avoidance display image video data to an image rendering device, which a pilot can use to avoid both air and ground obstacles.

Claims

1. A display generator for displaying obstacle avoidance guidance, comprising in combination:

means for obtaining air and ground collision avoidance data;

means for obtaining navigation data;

means for obtaining a control signal indicating what information to present on a display; and

a processor operable to receive the air and ground collision avoidance data, the navigation data, and the control signal, and generate display image video data that includes symbology representing at least one of a predicted ground collision, a predicted air collision, and an induced collision situation.

2. The display generator of claim 1, wherein the processor receives the air collision avoidance data from a hybrid air collision avoidance module.

3. The display generator of claim 1, wherein the processor receives the ground collision avoidance data from a hybrid ground collision avoidance module.

4. The display generator of claim 1, wherein the processor receives the air and ground collision avoidance data from an obstacle avoidance dispatcher and resolver module.

5. The display generator of claim 1, wherein the processor receives the navigation data from a navigation management module.

6. The display generator of claim 1, wherein the processor receives the control signal from a display control panel.

7. The display generator of claim 1, wherein the control signal indicates whether to display information in a mode selected from the group consisting of an obstacle avoidance display mode, a hybrid air collision display mode, and a hybrid ground collision display mode.

8. The display generator of claim 7, wherein the obstacle avoidance display mode, the hybrid air collision display mode, and the hybrid ground collision display mode include a sub-display mode, wherein less data is presented on the display in the sub-display mode.

9. The display generator of claim 1, wherein the symbology includes a solid circle that represents a location of the predicted ground collision, a dotted circle that represents a location of the predicted air collision, and a circle within a circle symbol that represents the induced collision situation.

10. The display generator of claim 1, wherein the symbology includes a guidance ladder symbol identifying a pathway for an aircraft to follow to avoid an obstacle collision situation.

11. A method for generating a display depicting an obstacle avoidance situation, comprising in combination:

obtaining obstacle avoidance data;

filtering the obstacle avoidance data to select data for a predetermined view to be displayed;

preparing a terrain elevation image if a ground collision condition is to be displayed;

generating a primitive display table for a collision situation;

converting data in the primitive display table into a display format suitable for a type of display to be used; and

constructing a display presenting the collision situation.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a display mode, wherein the display mode is one of an obstacle avoidance display mode, a hybrid air collision display mode, and a hybrid ground collision display mode.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising computing display time and display rate to a predicted collision condition.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the predicted collision condition is one of a predicted air collision condition and a predicted ground collision condition.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining whether a de-cluster mode is active.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, if the de-cluster mode is active, an amount of data presented on the display is less than when the de-cluster mode is inactive.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining whether a terrain overlay flag is set.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein if the terrain overlay flag is set the display presenting the collision situation depicts an air situation and a ground situation.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the display includes symbology representing a location of one of a predicted ground collision, a predicted air collision, and an induced collision situation.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the display includes symbology providing guidance to a pilot to avoid an obstacle collision situation.