DISPLAYING AIR TRAFFIC SYMBOLOGY BASED ON RELATIVE IMPORTANCE

• US 20100082184A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Nichols, Troy, Suddreth, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• 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

Abstract

A method and system is provided for displaying aircraft symbology. The method includes displaying (302, 502, 702, 902, 1002) a symbol (202) for a first aircraft in a predetermined format, processing (304, 504, 704, 904, 1004) data related to flight conditions of the first aircraft and a second aircraft, determining (306, 506, 706, 906, 1006) a format for the display of the second aircraft based on the processed data, and displaying (308, 508, 708, 908, 1008) a symbol (212, 214, 216, 412, 416, 612, 614, 616, 812, 814, 816) for the second aircraft in accordance with the determined format.

Claims

1. A method for displaying aircraft symbology on a display, comprising:

displaying a first symbol for a first aircraft in a predetermined format;

processing data related to flight conditions of the first aircraft and a second aircraft;

determining a format for the display of a second symbol for the second aircraft based on the processed data; and

displaying the second symbol in accordance with the determined format.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing step comprises processing altitude.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the processing step comprises processing the difference in altitude between the first and second aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing step comprises processing speed and heading.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing step comprises processing the lateral distance between the first and second aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing step comprises processing the lateral distance between the second aircraft and a flight plan segment of the first aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing step comprises processing the size of the second aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing step comprises processing the rate of closure of the second aircraft with the first aircraft.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing step comprises at least two selected from the group consisting of processing altitude of the second aircraft, difference in altitude between the first and second aircraft, the distance between the first and second aircraft, the rate of closure of the second aircraft with the first aircraft, the size of the second aircraft.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying the second symbol comprises displaying the second symbol in one of a plurality of colors.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying the second symbol comprises displaying the second symbol in one of a plurality of sizes.

12. A method for displaying aircraft symbology on a display, comprising:

displaying a first symbol for a first aircraft in a predetermined format;

processing data related to flight conditions of the first aircraft and a second aircraft, the flight conditions selected from the group consisting of at least one of the difference in altitude between the first and second aircraft, distance between the first and second aircraft, distance between the second aircraft and the flight plan route of the first aircraft, rate of closure between the first and second aircraft, and the size of the second aircraft;

determining a format for a second symbol for the second aircraft based on the processed data of both the first and second aircraft; and

displaying the second symbol for the second aircraft in accordance with the determined format.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the processing step comprises processing altitude, speed, and heading.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the displaying the second symbol comprises displaying one of a plurality of colors.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the displaying the second symbol comprises displaying one of a plurality of sizes.

16. A system for displaying aircraft symbology for a base aircraft and a plurality of obstacle aircraft, comprising:

a processor for processing data related to flight conditions of the base aircraft and the plurality of obstacle aircraft and determining a format for the display of each of the plurality of obstacle aircraft based on the processed data for each of the plurality of obstacle aircraft; and

a display for displaying a symbol for each of the plurality of obstacle aircraft in accordance with the determined format, and a predetermined symbol for the first aircraft.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the display comprises a color display for displaying the plurality of obstacle aircraft in one of a plurality of colors based on the determined format.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising an electronic device for receiving, and providing to the processor, at least one of the data selected from the group consisting of altitude, speed, and heading.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor determines a format based on, between the base aircraft and the plurality of obstacle aircraft, the difference in altitude, lateral distance, rate of closure.

20. The system of claim 16 comprising an electronic device for receiving information regarding the size of each of the obstacle aircraft.