AVIONICS DISPLAY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING THREE DIMENSIONAL DISPLAY INCLUDING ERROR-COMPENSATED AIRSPACE

• US 20100094487A1
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Brinkman, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/14
• 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: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38

Abstract

Embodiments of a method are provided that may be carried out by an avionics display system deployed on an aircraft and including a monitor. The avionics display system receives position data indicative of the aircraft'"'"'s detected position from at least one data source. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of: (i) attributing an error characteristic to the data source, (ii) identifying an airspace assigned to the aircraft at a given time, and (iii) establishing an error-compensated airspace as a function of the error characteristic and the assigned airspace. The aircraft'"'"'s actual position remains within the assigned airspace provided that the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides within the error-compensated airspace. A visual representation of the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace is generated on the monitor.

Claims

1. A method to be carried out by an avionics display system deployed on an aircraft and including a monitor, the avionics display system receiving position data indicative of the aircraft'"'"'s detected position from at least one data source, the method comprising:

attributing an error characteristic to the data source;

identifying an airspace assigned to the aircraft at a given time;

establishing an error-compensated airspace as a function of the error characteristic and the assigned airspace, the aircraft'"'"'s actual position remaining within the assigned airspace provided that the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides within the error-compensated airspace; and

generating on the monitor a visual representation of the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of generating on the monitor a graphic representative of the aircraft'"'"'s detected position as indicated by the data source.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of generating comprises producing on the monitor a three dimensional wireframe indicating the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of generating comprises producing on the monitor a shaded portion of the error-compensated airspace.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of generating a first alert if the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides outside of the error-compensated airspace.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the step of generating the first alert comprises modifying the appearance of the visual representation.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the step of generating the first alert comprises changing at least a portion of the visual representation to a first warning color.

8. A method according to claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

projecting the aircraft'"'"'s flight path for a given time period; and

if the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path intersects an outer boundary of the error-compensated airspace, generating a second alert.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the step of generating a second alert comprises changing at least a portion of the visual representation to a second warning color different than the first warning color.

10. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of altering the color of the visual representation in relation to the distance between the aircraft'"'"'s detected position and the nearest outer boundary of the error-compensated airspace.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein avionics display system further includes a memory, and wherein the step of attributing comprises recalling an error characteristic associated with the data source from the memory.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the aircraft is further equipped with a wireless receiver, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

receiving, via the wireless receiver, data indicating the detected position of a neighboring aircraft; and

if the neighboring aircraft is within a predetermined distance from the aircraft on which the avionics display system is deployed, producing on the monitor a graphic indicating of the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s detected position.

13. A method according to claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

attributing a second error characteristic to the data;

identifying a second airspace assigned to the neighboring aircraft at a given time;

establishing, as a function of the second error characteristic and the second assigned airspace, a second error-compensated airspace within which the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s detected position should reside to ensure that the aircraft'"'"'s actual position remains within the second airspace; and

generating on the monitor a visual representation of the outer boundaries of the second error-compensated airspace.

14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of generating an alert if the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides outside of the second assigned airspace.

15. A program product for use in conjunction with an avionics display system deployed on an aircraft and including a monitor, the display system receiving position data indicative of the aircraft'"'"'s detected position from at least one data source, the program product comprising:

an avionics display program adapted to;

attribute an error characteristic to the data source;

identify an airspace assigned to the aircraft at a given time;

establish an error-compensated airspace as a function of the error characteristic and the assigned airspace, the aircraft'"'"'s actual position remaining within the assigned airspace provided that the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides within the error-compensated airspace; and

generate on the monitor a visual representation of the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace; and

computer-readable media bearing the avionics display program.

16. A program product according to claim 15 wherein the avionics display program is further adapted to generate on the monitor a graphic representative of the aircraft'"'"'s detected position as indicated by the data source.

17. A program product according to claim 15 wherein the avionics display program is further adapted to generate a first alert if the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides outside of the error-compensated airspace.

18. A program product according to claim 17 wherein the avionics display program is further adapted to:

project the aircraft'"'"'s flight path for a given time period; and

if the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path intersects an outer boundary of the error-compensated airspace, generate a second alert.

19. A program product according to claim 18 wherein the avionics display program is adapted to change the visual representation to a first warning color and to a second warning color when generating the first alert and when generating the second alert, respectively.

20. An avionics display system for deployment onboard an aircraft including at least one position-determining data source, the position-determining data source providing the avionics display system with data indicative of the detected position of the aircraft, the avionics display system comprising:

a monitor; and

a processor operatively coupled to the monitor and configured to;

(i) attribute an error characteristic to the data source;

(ii) identify an airspace assigned to the aircraft at a given time;

(iii) establish an error-compensated airspace as a function of the error characteristic and the assigned airspace, the aircraft'"'"'s actual position remaining within the assigned airspace provided that the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides within the error-compensated airspace; and

(iv) generating on the monitor a visual representation of the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace.