IDENTIFYING RESTRICTED MOVEMENT AREAS ON ELECTRONIC AIRPORT CHARTS

• US 20100332112A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Pschierer, Karl Christian, Lutz, Andre Marco
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for graphically identifying operational restrictions for an airport area. The aircraft type is identified to form an identified aircraft type. A number of restrictions are identified for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form a number of associated restrictions. The number of associated restrictions is presented as a number of graphical indicators on a display of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions.

Claims

1. A method for graphically identifying operational restrictions for an airport area, the method comprising:

identifying an aircraft type to form an identified aircraft type;

identifying a number of restrictions for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form a number of associated restrictions; and

presenting the number of associated restrictions as a number of graphical indicators on a display of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a location of an aircraft in the airport area; and

displaying an aircraft icon on the display of the airport area in the location of the aircraft in the airport area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the number of restrictions for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form the number of associated restrictions comprises:

comparing a number of characteristics for the aircraft type to the number of restrictions for the airport area; and

identifying each restriction in the number of restrictions applying to each of the number of characteristics for the aircraft type to form the number of associated restrictions.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responding to a selection of a graphical indicator on the display, presenting additional information about a restriction associated with the graphical indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a restriction in the number of restrictions identifies a location for the restriction and a number of characteristics that are restricted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of characteristics is selected from at least one of a wing span, an aircraft weight, a speed, a turn radius, an aircraft type, an aircraft length, a tire pressure, a time, and a date.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the airport area is a moving map display of the airport area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the airport area is a map of the airport area and wherein the step of presenting the number of associated restrictions as the number of graphical indicators on the display of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions comprises:

printing the map of the airport area with the number of associated restrictions presented on the map as the number of graphical indicators on the map of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of graphical indicators is selected from at least one of a bracket, an icon, shading, highlighting, animation, and color.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of identifying an aircraft type to form the identified aircraft type;

identifying the number of restrictions for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form the number of associated restrictions; and

presenting the number of associated restrictions as the number of graphical indicators on the display of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions are executed in a data processing system located in one of an aircraft and an airport control tower.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a display; and

a processor configured for identifying an aircraft type to form an identified aircraft type;

identifying a number of restrictions for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form a number of associated restrictions; and

presenting the number of associated restrictions as a number of graphical indicators on the display for the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further capable of identifying a location of an aircraft in the airport area;

and displaying an aircraft icon on the display of the airport area in the location of the aircraft in the airport area.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein in identifying the number of restrictions for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form the number of associated restrictions, the processor is capable of comparing a number of characteristics for the aircraft type to a number of restrictions for the airport area;

and identifying each restriction in the number of restrictions applying to each of the number of characteristics for the aircraft type to form the number of associated restrictions.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further capable of presenting additional information about a restriction associated with a graphical indicator in response to a selection of the graphical indicator on the display.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display of the airport area is a map of the airport area, and wherein in presenting the number of associated restrictions as the number of graphical indicators on the display of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions, the processor is capable of printing the map of the airport area with the number of associated restrictions presented on the map as the number of graphical indicators on the map of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions.

16. A computer program product for graphically identifying operational restrictions for an airport area, the computer program product comprising:

a computer recordable storage medium;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying an aircraft type to form an identified aircraft type;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a number of restrictions for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form a number of associated restrictions; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for presenting the number of associated restrictions as a number of graphical indicators on a display of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a location of an aircraft in the airport area; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for displaying an aircraft icon on the display of the airport area in the location of the aircraft in the airport area.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying the number of restrictions for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form the number of associated restrictions comprises:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for comparing a number of characteristics for the aircraft type to the number of restrictions for the airport area; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying each restriction in the number of restrictions applying to each of the number of characteristics for the aircraft type to form the number of associated restrictions.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for presenting additional information about a restriction associated with a graphical indicator in response to a selection of the graphical indicator on the display.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the display of the airport area is a map of the airport area, and wherein the program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for presenting the number of associated restrictions as the number of graphical indicators on the display of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions comprises:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for printing the map of the airport area with the number of associated restrictions presented on the map as the number of graphical indicators on the map of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions.