AVIONICS DISPLAY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING FLIGHT INFORMATION PERTAINING TO NEIGHBORING AIRCRAFT

• US 20100283635A1
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Brinkman, Ron, Langdon, Pat
• Granted Patent: US 8,362,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/961
• 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 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

Embodiments of a process are provided suitable for implementation by an avionics display system deployed on a host aircraft and including a monitor. In one embodiment, the process includes the step of receiving air traffic data indicative of a first flight characteristic pertaining to a neighboring aircraft. The first flight characteristic is selected from the group consisting of: (i) the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft, (ii) the current flight plan of the neighboring aircraft, and (iii) the airspace in which the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s current detection position should reside to ensure that the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s actual position resides within the an airspace currently assigned to the neighboring aircraft. A visual representation of the first flight characteristic is generated on the monitor.

Claims

1. A process to be carried out by an avionics display system deployed on a host aircraft and including a monitor, the process comprising:

receiving air traffic data indicative of a first flight characteristic pertaining to a neighboring aircraft, the first flight characteristic selected from the group consisting of;

(i) the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft, (ii) the current flight plan of the neighboring aircraft, and (iii) the airspace in which the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s current detection position should reside to ensure that the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s actual position resides within an airspace currently assigned to the neighboring aircraft; and

generating on the monitor a visual representation of the first flight characteristic.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the first flight characteristic comprises the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft.

3. A process according to claim 2 wherein the step of receiving air traffic data comprises receiving data describing a physical characteristic of the neighboring aircraft.

4. A process according to claim 3 wherein the physical characteristic of the neighboring aircraft is selected from the group consisting of the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s make and model, the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s engine type, and the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s wing type.

5. A process according to claim 2 wherein the step of receiving air traffic data comprises receiving data describing a current flight parameter of the neighboring aircraft.

6. A process according to claim 5 wherein the current flight parameter is selected from the group consisting of the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s current speed, acceleration, heading, and position.

7. A process according to claim 2 further comprising:

building a virtual model of the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft; and

adjusting the model based upon current weather conditions.

8. A process according to claim 1 wherein the first flight characteristic comprises the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s current flight plan.

9. A process according to claim 8 further comprising:

establishing a baseline flight plan associated with the neighboring aircraft; and

updating the baseline flight plan in accordance with at least one of Traffic Information Service Broadcast (TIS-B) data received from an external control source and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data received from the neighboring aircraft.

10. A process according to claim 1 wherein the first flight characteristic comprises the airspace in which the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s current detection position should reside to ensure that the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s actual position resides within the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s currently assigned airspace

11. A process according to claim 10 further comprising:

receiving data indicative of the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s current detected position from a first air traffic data source;

attributing an error characteristic to the first air traffic data source;

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

establishing an error-compensated airspace for the neighboring aircraft as a function of the error characteristic and the assigned airspace; and

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

12. A process according to claim 10 wherein the step of generating comprises producing on the monitor a three dimensional wireframe indicating the outer boundaries of the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s error-compensated airspace.

13. A process according to claim 1 further comprising:

establishing the host aircraft'"'"'s time-projected flight path; and

generating a first alert if the host aircraft'"'"'s time-projected flight path transects the first flight characteristic.

14. A process according to claim 13 wherein the step of generating the first alert comprises altering the appearing the visual representation of the first flight characteristic.

15. A process according to claim 13 further comprising the step of generating a second alert if the host aircraft'"'"'s time-projected flight path comes within a predetermined distance of the first flight characteristic.

16. A process to be carried out by an avionics display system deployed on a host aircraft and including a monitor and a processor, the processor configured to receive data from at least one air traffic data source describing flight characteristics of neighboring aircraft, the process comprising:

determining if a neighboring aircraft is within a predetermined distance of the host aircraft;

if the neighboring aircraft is within the predetermined distance of the host aircraft, generating a graphic indicating the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s current detected position on the monitor;

if data is available from the air traffic data source indicative of the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft, utilizing the available data to construct a virtual model of the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft;

if data is not available from the air traffic data source indicative of the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft, assigning a default wake turbulence model to the neighboring aircraft; and

generating on the monitor a visual representation of the wake turbulence model.

17. A process according to claim 16 wherein the step of utilizing the available data comprises:

receiving data from the air traffic data source indicative of a physical characteristic of the neighboring aircraft; and

constructing a virtual model of the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft as a function of the physical characteristic of the neighboring aircraft;

wherein the physical characteristic of the neighboring aircraft is selected from the group consisting of the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s make and model, the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s engine type, and the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s wing type

18. A process according to claim 16 wherein the step of utilizing the available data comprises:

receiving data from the air traffic data source indicative of a current flight parameter of the neighboring aircraft; and

constructing a virtual model of the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft as a function of the current flight parameter of the neighboring aircraft;

wherein the current flight parameter of the neighboring aircraft is selected from the group consisting of the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s current speed, acceleration, heading, and position.

19. A process according to claim 16 further comprising:

establishing the host aircraft'"'"'s time-projected flight path; and

generating a visual alert if the host aircraft'"'"'s time-projected flight path comes within a predetermined distance of the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft.

20. An avionics display system for deployment onboard an aircraft including an air traffic data source, the air traffic data source providing the avionics display system with data indicative of at least one flight characteristic pertaining to a neighboring aircraft, the avionics display system comprising:

a monitor; and

a processor operatively coupled to the monitor, the processor configured to receive air traffic data from the air traffic data source indicative of a first flight characteristic pertaining to a neighboring aircraft, and to generate on the monitor a three dimensional visual representation of the first flight characteristic;

wherein the first flight characteristic selected from the group consisting of;

(i) the wake turbulence created by the neighboring aircraft, (ii) the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s flight plan, and (iii) the airspace in which the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s current detection position should reside to ensure that the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s actual position resides within the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s currently assigned airspace.