SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RENDERING VISIBLE FEATURES OF A TARGET LOCATION ON A SYNTHETIC FLIGHT DISPLAY

• US 20100250030A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: He, Gang, Nichols, Troy, Pepitone, Dave, Feyereisen, Thea L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 for taking-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A flight deck display system for an aircraft or other vehicle includes a first data source of visual feature data that is indicative of visual features of a location of interest, a second data source of flight data for the aircraft, a processor architecture, and a display element. The processor architecture is operatively coupled to the first data source and to the second data source, and it is configured to process the visual feature data, process the flight data, and, based upon the visual feature data and the flight data, generate image rendering display commands. The display element receives the image rendering display commands and, in response thereto, renders a dynamic graphical representation of the location of interest using the visual feature data. The dynamic graphical representation of the location conveys an amount of visible detail that varies as a function of the flight data.

Claims

1. A method of displaying airport features on a flight deck display element of an aircraft, the method comprising:

rendering a dynamic synthetic flight display on the flight deck display element during flight;

receiving aircraft status data for the aircraft during flight; and

progressively displaying features of an airport in the dynamic synthetic flight display during flight, such that at least one visually distinguishable characteristic of the features varies as a function of the aircraft status data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of accessing airport feature data maintained onboard the aircraft, wherein the airport feature data is indicative of the features of the airport.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft status data comprises flight data selected from the group consisting of:

airspeed data;

groundspeed data;

attitude data;

altitude data;

pitch data;

geographic position data;

distance data indicative of a distance between the aircraft and the airport;

roll data;

turning rate data;

heading data;

environmental data;

vertical speed data;

radio altitude data;

distance to another ground or air vehicle;

aircraft track data;

autoflight and autopilot status data;

flap configuration data;

spoilers or speed brake data;

weight on wheels data;

APU status data;

aircraft lights data;

parking brake status data;

thrust parameter data;

transponder status data;

radar mode status data;

landing gear status data;

COM 1, COM 2 and COM 3 tuning data;

distance to required track and distance to localizer data;

deviation from desired track or localizer data;

vertical distance to altitude pre-selector position;

vertical time to next waypoint;

time and distance to next waypoint;

flight path angle data;

throttle position data;

trim settings; and

body and earth accelerations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of progressively displaying features of the airport comprises the step of gradually fading-in an airport feature as a function of the aircraft status data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of progressively displaying features of the airport comprises incrementally displaying a plurality of airport features as a function of the aircraft status data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of incrementally displaying comprises:

displaying a relatively low resolution depiction of the airport; and

thereafter, displaying a relatively high resolution depiction of the airport.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of airport features comprises items selected from the group consisting of:

a runway;

runway markings;

runway signage;

a taxiway;

taxiway markings;

taxiway signage;

a ramp area;

ramp area markings;

a terminal;

an air traffic control tower;

a building located at or near the airport;

a landscape feature located at or near the airport;

a structure located at or near the airport;

a fence;

a wall;

a vehicle located at or near the airport;

another aircraft located at or near the airport;

a light pole located at or near the airport;

a power line located at or near the airport;

a telephone pole located at or near the airport;

an antenna located at or near the airport;

parking guidance lines;

parking stand lines;

a concourse;

construction equipment;

a construction area located at or near the airport;

trees;

structures located around the airport perimeter; and

bodies of water located at or near the airport.

8. A method of displaying features of a target on a vehicle display element of an vehicle, the method comprising:

rendering a dynamic synthetic display on the vehicle display element during operation of the vehicle;

receiving vehicle status data for the vehicle during operation;

displaying a relatively low resolution graphical representation of the target in the dynamic synthetic display when the vehicle status data is indicative of a first trigger event; and

thereafter displaying a relatively high resolution graphical representation of the target in the dynamic synthetic display when the vehicle status data is indicative of a second trigger event.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of receiving target feature data that is indicative of visual features of the target, wherein the relatively low resolution graphical representation of the target and the relatively high resolution graphical representation of the target are based upon the target feature data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the step of displaying the relatively low resolution graphical representation of the target comprises displaying a relatively low amount of visual detail for the target; and

the step of displaying the relatively high resolution graphical representation of the target comprises displaying a relatively high amount of visual detail for the target.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the step of displaying a relatively low amount of visual detail for the target comprises displaying a first number of visually distinct features of the target; and

the step of displaying a relatively high amount of visual detail for the target comprises displaying a second number of visually distinct features of the target, the second number being greater than the first number.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of varying at least one visually distinguishable characteristic of the relatively low resolution graphical representation of the target as a function of the vehicle status data.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of varying at least one visually distinguishable characteristic of the relatively high resolution graphical representation of the target as a function of the vehicle status data.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the target is an airport; and

the method further comprises the step of gradually fading-in features of the airport as a function of the vehicle status data.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the target is an airport; and

the method further comprises the step of selectively displaying a relatively high amount of detail corresponding to a first portion of the airport, and a relatively low amount of detail corresponding to a second portion of the airport.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the target is an airport; and

the method further comprises the step of displaying a graphical representation of a taxiway using visually distinguishable characteristics that are indicative of taxi status of the vehicle.

17. A flight deck display system for an aircraft, the system comprising:

a first data source of visual feature data that is indicative of visual features of a location of interest;

a second data source of flight data for the aircraft;

a processor architecture operatively coupled to the first data source and to the second data source, the processor architecture being configured to process the visual feature data, process the flight data, and, based upon the visual feature data and the flight data, generate image rendering display commands; and

a display element that receives the image rendering display commands and, in response thereto, renders a dynamic graphical representation of the location of interest using the visual feature data, wherein the dynamic graphical representation of the location conveys an amount of visible detail that varies as a function of the flight data.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the amount of visible detail corresponds to at least one visually distinguishable characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

color;

brightness;

transparency level;

translucency level;

fill pattern;

shape;

size;

flicker pattern;

focus level;

sharpness level;

clarity level;

shading;

dimensionality;

resolution; and

outline pattern.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the amount of visible detail corresponds to a number of visually distinct features of the location of interest.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the location of interest is an airport; and

the amount of visible detail increases as the aircraft approaches the airport.