METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DISPLAYING AN OBJECT HAVING AN ASSOCIATED BEACON SIGNAL

• US 20100207845A1
• Filed: 02/16/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Pal, Subhadeep, Rathour, Sharad
• Granted Patent: US 8,350,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/047 Displays or indicators G01S1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/466 by Trilateration, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the antennas or sensors, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/468 by Triangulation, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the bearing, direction or angle to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for displaying information on a display device associated with an aircraft. A method comprises rendering a synthetic perspective view of terrain on the display device, wherein the synthetic perspective view of terrain is based on a set of terrain data corresponding to a region proximate the aircraft. The method further comprises obtaining location data for a first object, wherein the location data is based at least in part on a beacon signal associated with the first object, and rendering a graphical representation of the first object on the display device. The graphical representation of the first object overlies the synthetic perspective view of terrain and is positioned in accordance with the location data.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information on a display device associated with an aircraft, the method comprising:

rendering a synthetic perspective view of terrain on the display device, the synthetic perspective view of terrain being based on a set of terrain data corresponding to a region proximate the aircraft;

obtaining location data for a first object, the location data being based at least in part on a beacon signal associated with the first object; and

rendering a graphical representation of the first object on the display device, the graphical representation of the first object overlying the synthetic perspective view of terrain, wherein the graphical representation of the first object is positioned in accordance with the location data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering the graphical representation of the first object comprises rendering the first object in a conformal manner with respect to the terrain.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering the synthetic perspective view of terrain comprises rendering a three-dimensional conformal view of terrain based on the set of terrain data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining navigational parameters for the first object based on the location data and a current location of the aircraft; and

displaying the navigational parameters on the display device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a rescue criterion for the first object, wherein the graphical representation of the first object is influenced by the rescue criterion.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the rescue criterion comprises determining an object type for the first object based on the beacon signal, wherein the graphical representation comprises a symbology representative of the object type.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising rendering the graphical representation of the first object using a first visually distinguishable characteristic based on the rescue criterion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein rendering the graphical representation of the first object comprises rendering the graphical representation of the first object using the first visually distinguishable characteristic selected from a group consisting of a color, a hue, a tint, a brightness, a texture, a contrast, a transparency, opacity, and an animation.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the rescue criterion comprises determining a sea level depth based on the location data, wherein the first visually distinguishable characteristic is based on the sea level depth.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying the rescue criterion on the display device.

11. A method for displaying information on a display device associated with an aircraft, the method comprising:

rendering a primary flight display on the display device, wherein the primary flight display comprises a synthetic perspective view of terrain for a region proximate a current location of the aircraft, and wherein the synthetic perspective view of terrain corresponds to a flight deck viewpoint;

receiving a locating signal for a target object; and

in response to the locating signal, rendering, in a portion of the primary flight display, a first symbology representative of the target object, wherein the first symbology is rendered in a manner that is influenced by the locating signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining location data for the target object based on the locating signal, wherein the first symbology is positioned in accordance with the location data.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

calculating navigational parameters for the target object based on the location data and the current location of the aircraft; and

displaying the navigational parameters in the primary flight display.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising identifying an object type for the target object, wherein the first symbology is indicative of the object type.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a rescue criterion for the target object, wherein rendering the first symbology comprises rendering the first symbology using a visually distinguishable characteristic based on the rescue criterion.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying the rescue criterion in the primary flight display proximate the first symbology.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the rescue criterion comprises determining a sea level depth associated with a location of the target object.

18. A display system for an aircraft, the display system comprising:

a display device;

a communications system;

a flight management system coupled to the communications system, the flight management system and the communications system being cooperatively configured to obtain a locating signal for a target object, the locating signal being based at least in part on a beacon signal associated with the target object; and

a graphics system coupled to the flight management system and the display device, wherein the graphics system and the flight management system are cooperatively configured to;

render a primary flight display on the display device, wherein the primary flight display comprises a synthetic perspective view of terrain for a region proximate a current location of the aircraft, and wherein the synthetic perspective view of terrain corresponds to a flight deck viewpoint;

obtain location data for the target object based on the locating signal; and

render, in a portion of the primary flight display, a first symbology, the first symbology being representative of the target object, wherein the first symbology is rendered in accordance with the location data.

19. The display system of claim 18, wherein the first symbology rendered in a conformal manner relative to the synthetic perspective view of terrain.

20. The display system of claim 18, wherein the flight management system is configured to determine a rescue criterion for the target object, wherein the first symbology is rendered using a visually distinguishable characteristic based on the rescue criterion.