Method and apparatus to display landing performance data

• US 20070250224A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Dwyer, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,555,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A display system is provided for displaying runway landing data. The system includes a processor and a display device. The processor is adapted to receive data representative of an aircraft landing operation and is operable, in response thereto, to supply one or more image rendering display commands. The display device is coupled to receive the image rendering display commands and is operable, in response thereto, to render an image representative of a runway and a segment of the runway that will be used to land and stop the aircraft during the aircraft landing operation. A method for displaying the runway landing data is also provided.

Claims

1. A display system for displaying landing performance data for an aircraft, the system comprising:

a processor adapted to receive data representative of an aircraft landing and operable, in response thereto, to supply one or more image rendering display commands; and

a display device coupled to receive the image rendering display commands and operable, in response thereto, to render an image representative of (i) a runway and (ii) a segment of the runway that will be used to land and stop the aircraft during the aircraft landing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the runway segment comprises one of a bar, a line, texturing extending at least a portion of the runway image.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the display device is further configured, in response to the image rendering display commands, to render images representative of:

a first runway segment representing a percentage of the runway that will be used by the aircraft when the aircraft is subjected to a first set of predetermined parameters; and

a second runway segment representing a percentage of the runway that will be used by the aircraft when the aircraft is subjected to a second set of predetermined parameters.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the runway segment extends between a first endpoint and a second endpoint.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the display device is further configured, in response to the image rendering display command, to render an image representative of a third endpoint representing an end of an available landing distance of the runway.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the third endpoint is displayed within the segment;

the processor is operable, in response to the data representative of the aircraft landing, to supply one or more warning image rendering commands; and

the display device is further configured, in response to the warning image rendering commands, to display an information image representative thereof.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the third endpoint is displayed outside of the segment;

the processor is configured to calculate a distance between the second and third endpoints, and operable, in response to the calculation, to supply one or more warning image rendering commands; and

the display device is further configured, in response to the warning image rendering commands, to display one or more information images representative thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the segment extends across and exceeds the runway image.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is operable, in response to the data representative of the aircraft landing, to supply one or more warning image rendering commands and the display device is further configured, in response to the warning image rendering commands, to display an information image when the segment extends across and exceeds the runway image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information image comprises a portion of the segment.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable, in response to the data representative of the aircraft landing, to supply one or more sound commands and the system further comprises an audible emission device in operable communication with the processor to receive the sound commands and, in response thereto, to emit an audible sound when the segment extends across and exceeds the runway image.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to receive aircraft landing data comprising weather data and is operable in response thereto, to supply one or more weather image rendering display commands, and the display device is coupled to receive the display commands and is operable, in response thereto, to render and simultaneously display (i) an image representative of a segment of the runway that would be needed for use by the aircraft if the aircraft were subjected to a first environmental condition and (ii) an image representative of a segment of the runway that would be needed for use by the aircraft, if the aircraft were subjected to a second condition.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to receive a user input for selecting a portion of the data representative of the aircraft landing and operable, in response thereto, to supply a text box image rendering command, and the display device is coupled to receive the text box image rending commend and operable, in response thereto, to render at least one image representative of a text box comprising the selected portion of the data representative of the aircraft landing.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to receive weather data and to supply one or more weather image rendering display commands, and the display device is coupled to receive the weather image rending display commands and operable, in response thereto, to render an image representative of the weather data.

15. A method of displaying landing data of an aircraft on a display system, the method comprising the steps of:

processing data representative of an aircraft landing;

calculating a percentage of an available landing distance of a runway that will be used to land and stop the aircraft during the aircraft landing based at least in part on the processed aircraft landing data; and

displaying an image representative of the runway and a segment on the runway, the segment representing the calculated percentage of the runway, on the display system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of displaying comprises displaying the segment as one of a bar, line, or texturing that extends a portion of the runway.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of displaying further comprises displaying the segment to extend beyond the runway.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

informing a flight crew that the segment extends beyond the runway.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the segment includes a first endpoint and a second endpoint and the method further comprises displaying a third endpoint representing an end of the available landing distance of the runway.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

informing a flight crew, if the third endpoint is between the first and the second endpoints.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

informing a flight crew, if the third endpoint is outside of the first and the second endpoints and a distance between the second and third endpoints is less than a predetermined distance.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the step of processing data further comprises processing data representative of a first weather condition and a second weather condition; and

the step of calculating further comprises calculating a percentage of the runway that will be used to land and stop the aircraft, if the aircraft were subjected to the first weather condition, and calculating a percentage of the runway will be used to land and stop the aircraft, if the aircraft were subjected to the second weather condition; and

the step of displaying further comprises displaying an image representative of the calculated percentages.