AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION ACCURACY DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20110169665A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Reddy, Haricharan, Gautham, Santhosh, Annapureddy, Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, Gurusamy, Saravanakumar, Palanisamy, Dhivagar
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,102 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 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

An aircraft display system is provided for rendering at least aircraft estimated position uncertainty (EPU) and/or vertical estimated position uncertainty (VEPU) values non-numerically and in a fairly intuitive manner. The system may also render the EPU and VEPU values non-numerically for other traffic entities within range of the aircraft.

Claims

1. A display system for an aircraft, comprising:

a display device; and

a processor in operable communication with the display device and configured to receive at least data representative of estimated position uncertainty (EPU) for the aircraft, and traffic data associated with a traffic entity, the traffic data including at least data representative of EPU for the traffic entity, the processor further configured, in response to at least these data, to at least selectively render an image on the display device that includes;

(i) an aircraft symbol representative of the aircraft,

(ii) an EPU graphic representative of the EPU for the aircraft, the EPU graphic encircling the aircraft symbol and having a radius proportional to the EPU for the aircraft,

(iii) a traffic entity symbol representative of the traffic entity, the traffic entity symbol rendered at a position that is representative of traffic entity position relative to the aircraft, and

(ii) a traffic entity EPU graphic representative of the EPU for the traffic entity, the traffic entity EPU graphic encircling the traffic entity symbol and having a radius proportional to the EPU for the traffic entity.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured:

to receive data representative of vertical estimated position uncertainty (VEPU) for the aircraft,

the traffic data further includes at least data representative of VEPU for the traffic entity, and

in response to the traffic data and the data representative of VEPU, to at least selectively render the image on the display device to further include;

(i) a side-view aircraft symbol representative of a side view of the aircraft, and

(ii) a navigation position uncertainty graphic representative of the EPU and the VEPU for the aircraft, the navigation position uncertainty graphic surrounding the side-view aircraft symbol,

(ii) a second traffic entity symbol representative of the traffic entity, the second traffic entity symbol rendered at a position that is representative of traffic entity position relative to the side-view aircraft position, and

(iv) a traffic entity navigation position uncertainty graphic representative of the EPU and VEPU for the traffic entity, the traffic entity navigation position uncertainty graphic surrounding the second traffic entity symbol.

3. The display system of claim 2, wherein:

the navigation position uncertainty graphic and the traffic entity navigation position uncertainty graphic each comprise a box having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension;

the horizontal dimension of the navigation position uncertainty graphic is proportional to the EPU for the aircraft;

the vertical dimension of the navigation position uncertainty graphic is proportional to the VEPU for the aircraft;

the horizontal dimension of the traffic entity navigation position uncertainty graphic is proportional to the EPU for the aircraft;

the vertical dimension of the traffic entity navigation position uncertainty graphic is proportional to the VEPU for the aircraft.

4. The display system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured:

to receive data representative of sensed aircraft altitude; and

in response to the data representative of sensed aircraft altitude, to at least selectively render the image on the display device to include an altitude tape that comprises;

(i) an aircraft altitude graphic representative of the sensed aircraft altitude, and

(ii) a VEPU marker, the VEPU marker comprising a first line segment disposed vertically above the aircraft altitude graphic, and a second line segment disposed below the aircraft altitude graphic, the first and second line segments separated from each other by a separation distance that is proportion to the VEPU for the aircraft.

5. The display system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine if the EPU for the aircraft exceeds a predetermined limit and, if so, render a warning graphic on the display device

6. The display system of claim 5, wherein:

the processor is further configured to receive data representative of required navigation performance (RNP) for the aircraft; and

the predetermined limit is an RNP boundary for the aircraft.

7. The display system of claim 1, wherein the traffic data comprises automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data transmitted from the traffic entity.

8. The display system of claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to implement one or more of a multi-function display, a primary flight display, a synthetic vision system display, a vertical situation display, and a horizontal situation indicator.

9. The display system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured:

to receive data representative of vertical estimated position uncertainty (VEPU) for the aircraft,

the traffic data further includes at least data representative of VEPU for the traffic entity, and

in response to the traffic data, the data representative of EPU for the aircraft, and the data representative of VEPU for the aircraft, to;

(i) determine a probability of incursion between the aircraft and the traffice entity.

10. The display system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to at least selectively render the image on the display device to further include:

(i) a side-view aircraft symbol representative of a side view of the aircraft, and

(ii) a navigation position uncertainty graphic representative of the EPU and the VEPU for the aircraft, the navigation position uncertainty graphic surrounding the side-view aircraft symbol,

(ii) a second traffic entity symbol representative of the traffic entity, the second traffic entity symbol rendered at a position that is representative of traffic entity position relative to the side-view aircraft position, and

(iv) a traffic entity navigation position uncertainty graphic representative of the EPU and VEPU for the traffic entity, the traffic entity navigation position uncertainty graphic surrounding the second traffic entity symbol.

11. The display system of claim 10, wherein:

the navigation position uncertainty graphic and the traffic entity navigation position uncertainty graphic each comprise a box having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension;

the horizontal dimension of the navigation position uncertainty graphic is proportional to the EPU for the aircraft;

the vertical dimension of the navigation position uncertainty graphic is proportional to the VEPU for the aircraft;

the horizontal dimension of the traffic entity navigation position uncertainty graphic is proportional to the EPU for the aircraft;

the vertical dimension of the traffic entity navigation position uncertainty graphic is proportional to the VEPU for the aircraft.

12. The display system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured:

to receive data representative of sensed aircraft altitude; and

in response to the data representative of sensed aircraft altitude, to at least selectively render the image on the display device to include an altitude tape that comprises;

(i) an aircraft altitude graphic representative of the sensed aircraft altitude, and

(ii) a VEPU marker, the VEPU marker comprising a first line segment disposed vertically above the aircraft altitude graphic, and a second line segment disposed below the aircraft altitude graphic, the first and second line segments separated from each other by a separation distance that is proportion to the VEPU for the aircraft.

13. The display system of claim 9, wherein the traffic data comprises automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data transmitted from the traffic entity.

14. A display system for an aircraft, comprising:

a display device; and

a processor in operable communication with the display device and configured to receive at least data representative of estimated position uncertainty (EPU) for the aircraft, and data representative of vertical estimated position uncertainty (VEPU) for the aircraft, the processor further configured, in response to at least these data, to at least selectively render an image on the display device that includes;

(i) a side view aircraft symbol representative of a side view of the aircraft, and

(ii) a navigation position uncertainty graphic representative of both the EPU and the VEPU for the aircraft, the navigation position uncertainty graphic surrounding the side-view aircraft symbol and having dimensions proportional to the EPU and the VEPU for the aircraft.

15. A display system for an aircraft, comprising:

a display device; and

a processor in operable communication with the display device and configured to receive at least data representative of sensed aircraft altitude, and data representative of vertical estimated position uncertainty (VEPU) for the aircraft, the processor further configured, in response to at least these data, to at least selectively render an image of an altitude tape on the display device, the rendered altitude tape comprising;

(i) an aircraft altitude graphic representative of the sensed aircraft altitude, and

(ii) a VEPU marker, the VEPU marker comprising a first line segment disposed vertically above the aircraft altitude graphic, and a second line segment disposed vertically below the aircraft altitude graphic, the first and second line segments separated from each other by a vertical separation distance that is proportion to the VEPU for the aircraft.