METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CROSS CHECKING REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCE PROCEDURES

• US 20090112464A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Belcher, Robert C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• 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 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for cross checking required navigation performance procedures. A required navigation performance procedure in a flight management system is executed in an aircraft. A global positioning system signal in an electronic flight bag or other independent data processing system located onboard the aircraft is received while executing the required navigation performance procedure. A current position of the aircraft based on the global positioning system signal is presented on a moving map. A set of containment lines on the moving map are displayed to indicate whether deviations from the required navigation performance procedure have occurred.

Claims

1. A method for cross checking required navigation performance procedures, the method comprising:

executing a required navigation performance procedure in a flight management system in an aircraft;

receiving a global positioning system signal in an independent data processing system located onboard the aircraft while executing the required navigation performance procedure;

presenting a current position of the aircraft based on the global positioning system signal on a moving map; and

displaying a set of containment lines on the moving map to indicate whether deviations from the required navigation performance procedure have occurred.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a thumbnail of a route for the required navigation performance procedure; and

displaying the current position of the aircraft on the route for the required navigation performance procedure.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting a warning if the aircraft has exceeded a containment line in the set of containment lines.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the warning is one of a warning displayed on the moving map and an audible warning.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises:

receiving a global positioning system signal from a path independent of any global positioning signal received by the flight management system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

altering the required navigation performance procedure for the aircraft by an operator of the aircraft if a deviation of the aircraft from the required navigation performance procedure is greater than a threshold.

7. A computer implemented method for cross checking required navigation performance procedures, computer implemented method comprising:

executing a required navigation performance procedure in a flight management system in an aircraft;

receiving a location signal for the aircraft;

executing an independent check of the required navigation performance procedure in an independent data processing system from the flight management system using the location signal during execution of the required navigation performance procedure to form a set of results; and

generating an indication of whether a current position of the aircraft is within a threshold for the required navigation performance procedure from the set of results.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the generating step comprises:

displaying a moving map with containment lines; and

displaying the current position of the aircraft on the moving map.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

presenting a warning if the aircraft has exceeded a containment line in the set of containment lines.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the location signal is from a global positioning satellite.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the independent data processing system may be selected from one of a portable data processing system onboard the aircraft or a data processing system installed in the aircraft.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a flight management system capable of executing a required navigation performance procedure; and

a data processing system independent of the flight management system, wherein the data processing system receives a location signal for an aircraft;

executes an independent check of the required navigation performance procedure in an independent data processing system from the flight management system using the location signal during execution of the required navigation performance procedure to form a set of results; and

generates an indication of whether a current position of the aircraft is within a threshold for the required navigation performance procedure from the set of results.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

the aircraft.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

a global positioning system in the aircraft capable of generating the location signal.

15. A computer program product for cross checking required navigation performance procedures, the computer program product comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable media, for executing a required navigation performance procedure in a flight management system in an aircraft;

program code, stored on the computer readable media, for receiving a location signal for the aircraft;

program code, stored on the computer readable media, for executing an independent check of the required navigation performance procedure in an independent data processing system from the flight management system using the location signal during execution of the required navigation performance procedure to form a set of results; and

program code, stored on the computer readable media, for generating an indication of whether a current position of the aircraft is within a threshold for the required navigation performance procedure from the set of results.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code, stored on the computer readable media, for generating the indication of whether the current position of the aircraft is within the threshold for the required navigation performance procedure from the set of results comprises:

program code, stored on the computer readable media, for displaying a moving map with containment lines; and

program code, stored on the computer readable media, for displaying the current position of the aircraft on the moving map.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable media, for presenting a warning if the aircraft has exceeded a containment line in the set of containment lines.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the location signal is from a global positioning satellite.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the independent data processing system may be selected from one of a portable data processing system onboard the aircraft or a data processing system installed in the aircraft.