Aircraft ground maneuvering monitoring system

• US 20080140269A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Avionics Systems Corporation (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Universal Avionics Systems Corporation (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Jorgensen, John, Krohn, Patrick, Naimer, Joachim Laurenz, Hummel, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 8,373,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/7
• 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 monitoring system for alerting pilots of aircraft or operators of vehicles when the aircraft or vehicle is approaching a geographical feature of interest, such as a runway, includes a database including at least one geo-referenced chart; a processor; a positioning system configured to identify at least one of the position, heading, track and velocity of the vehicle, and transmit such data to the processor; and a display unit configured to display the present position of the aircraft on the at least one geo-referenced chart. After receiving the position, heading, track and/or velocity data, the processor determines whether the aircraft has entered a containment area associated with a geographical feature of interest, and if so, provides a visible notification to the pilot or operator, which may comprise a change in display of the geographical feature of interest.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for notifying a pilot that an aircraft is approaching a geographical feature of interest, such as a runway, the system comprising:

a database including geo-referenced airport chart data;

a processor;

a positioning system configured to identify at least one of the position, heading, track and velocity of the aircraft, and transmit data corresponding to at least one of the position, heading, track and velocity to the processor;

a display unit configured to display the geo-referenced airport chart and to display the present position of the aircraft on the geo-referenced airport chart;

wherein the processor receives the position, heading, track and/or velocity data from the positioning system, and then determines whether the aircraft has entered a containment area associated with the geo-referenced airport chart; and

wherein upon entry of the aircraft into a containment area, the processor initiates a notification signal to the display unit, causing a visible notification to be displayed on the display unit.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the visible notification comprises a change in display of a geographical feature on the geo-referenced airport chart.

3. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the geographical feature comprises a runway.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the visible notification comprises an identification of a geographical feature corresponding to the containment area.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a means for generating an audible notification.

6. The monitoring system of claim 5, wherein upon entry of the aircraft into a containment area, the processor initiates a notification signal to the audible notification means, causing an audible notification to be generated.

7. The monitoring system of claim 6, further comprising an input means configured to permit the pilot to temporarily disable the audible notification while the aircraft is within the containment area.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising an input means configured to permit the pilot to temporarily disable the visible notification while the aircraft is within the containment area.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the visible notification ceases upon the aircraft leaving the containment area.

10. A monitoring system for notifying an operator of a vehicle that the vehicle is approaching a geographical area of interest, the system comprising:

a database including geo-referenced airport chart data;

a processor;

a positioning system configured to identify at least one of the position, heading and velocity of the vehicle, and transmit data corresponding to at least one of the position, heading and velocity of the vehicle to the processor; and

a display unit configured to display the geo-referenced chart and to display the present position of the vehicle on the geo-referenced chart;

wherein the processor receives the position, heading and/or velocity data from the positioning system, and then determines whether the vehicle has entered a containment area associated with the geo-referenced chart; and

wherein upon entry of the vehicle into a containment area, the processor initiates a notification signal to the display unit, causing a visible notification to be displayed on the display unit.

11. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the visible notification comprises a change in display of a geographical feature on the geo-referenced chart.

12. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the visible notification comprises an identification of a geographical feature corresponding to the containment area.

13. The monitoring system of claim 10, further comprising a means for generating an audible notification.

14. The monitoring system of claim 13, wherein upon entry of the vehicle into a containment area, the processor initiates a notification signal to the audible notification means, causing an audible notification to be generated.

15. The monitoring system of claim 14, further comprising an input means configured to permit the operator of the vehicle to temporarily disable the audible notification while the vehicle is within the containment area.

16. The monitoring system of claim 10, further comprising an input means configured to permit the operator of the vehicle to temporarily disable the visible notification while the vehicle is within the containment area.

17. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the visible notification ceases upon the vehicle leaving the containment area.

18. A method for notifying a pilot of an aircraft that the aircraft is approaching a geographical feature of interest, such as a runway, the method comprising:

retrieving geo-referenced airport chart data and containment area data from a database;

displaying the geo-referenced airport chart on a display unit;

determining at least one of the position, heading, track and velocity of the aircraft;

transmitting data corresponding to at least one of the position, heading, track and velocity of the aircraft to a processor;

displaying visual indicia corresponding to least one of the position, heading, track and velocity of the aircraft overlaid on the geo-referenced airport chart;

determining whether the aircraft has entered the containment area; and

upon determining that the aircraft has entered the containment area, providing a visible notification to the pilot.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the visible notification comprises a change in display of a geographical feature on the geo-referenced airport chart.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the geographical feature comprises a runway.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the visible notification comprises an identification of a geographical feature corresponding to the containment area.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing an audible notification to the pilot upon the aircraft entering the containment area.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising permitting the pilot to temporarily disable the visible notification while the aircraft is within the containment area.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising ceasing the visible notification upon the aircraft leaving the containment area.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising comparing the airport chart display and aircraft display with the airport chart data and aircraft position data, and providing a notification to the pilot in the event that a display error is detected.

26. A method for notifying an operator of a vehicle that the vehicle is approaching a geographical feature of interest, the method comprising:

retrieving geo-referenced chart data and containment area data from a database;

displaying the geo-referenced chart on a display unit;

determining at least one of the position, heading and velocity of the vehicle;

transmitting data corresponding to at least one of the position, heading and velocity of the vehicle to a processor;

displaying visual indicia corresponding to least one of the position, heading and velocity of the vehicle overlaid on the geo-referenced chart;

determining whether the vehicle has entered the containment area; and

upon determining that the vehicle has entered the containment area, providing a visible notification to the operator.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the visible notification comprises a change in display of a geographical feature on the geo-referenced chart.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the visible notification comprises an identification of a geographical feature corresponding to the containment area.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising providing an audible notification to the operator upon the vehicle entering the containment area.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising permitting the operator to temporarily disable the visible notification while the vehicle is within the containment area.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising ceasing the visible notification upon the vehicle leaving the containment area.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising comparing the chart display and vehicle display with the chart data and vehicle position data, and providing a notification to the operator in the event that a display error is detected.