Vertical Situation Awareness System for Aircraft

• US 20110196549A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Tarbaux, John, Sharkany, Frank C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/8
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying a predicted path on a vertical profile to operate a vehicle. A path is predicted for the vehicle in response to an event occurring. The path has a turning section and a straight section after the turning section. A portion of terrain relative to the path predicted for the vehicle is identified. A vertical profile view of the terrain is displayed, including the portion of the terrain relative to the path predicted for the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a predicted path on a vertical profile to operate an aircraft, the method comprising:

responsive to an event occurring, predicting a path for the aircraft, wherein the path has a turning section and a straight section after the turning section;

identifying a portion of terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft; and

displaying a vertical profile view of a terrain including the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a number of points in the path predicted for the aircraft;

displaying the path on a top view of the terrain; and

displaying the number of points on the path on the top view and the vertical profile view.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the number of points represents a location of the aircraft over a number of times.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the vertical profile view of the terrain including the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft comprises:

displaying the vertical profile view of the terrain including the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft; and

displaying a graphical indicator in association with the portion of the terrain under the straight section, wherein the graphical indicator identifies the straight section.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the graphical indicator is selected from at least one of a color, a cross-hatching, shading, and a line following a top portion of the terrain.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is selected from one of a turning of the aircraft exceeding a threshold and a user input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft comprises:

identifying the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft using the information from a digital terrain database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft comprises:

identifying the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft using the information from a radar system directed at the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of responsive to the event occurring, predicting the path for the aircraft, wherein the path has the turning section and the straight section after the turning section comprises:

responsive to the event occurring, predicting the path for the aircraft, wherein the path has the turning section and the straight section after the turning section in which the turning section has a length that will be traversed by the aircraft within a selected period of time based on a current state of the aircraft.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device;

program code located on the storage device;

a processor unit configured to run the program code to predict a path for an aircraft in response to an event occurring, wherein the path has a turning section and a straight section after the turning section;

identify a portion of terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft; and

display a vertical profile view of the terrain including the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor unit runs the program code to identify a number of points in the path predicted for the aircraft;

display the path on a top view of the terrain; and

display the number of points on the path on the top view and the vertical profile view.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the number of points represents a location of the aircraft over a number of times.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in displaying the vertical profile view of the terrain including the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft, the processor unit runs the program code to display the vertical profile view of the terrain including the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft and display a graphical indicator in association with the portion of the terrain under the straight section, wherein the graphical indicator identifies the straight section.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the graphical indicator is selected from at least one of a color, a cross-hatching, shading, and a line following a top portion of the terrain.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the event is selected from one of a turning of the aircraft exceeding a threshold and a user input.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in identifying the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft, the processor unit runs the program code to identify the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft using information from a digital terrain database.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in identifying the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft, the processor unit runs the program code to identify the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft using information from a radar system directed at the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in predicting the path for the aircraft in response to the event occurring, the processor unit runs the program code to predict the path for the aircraft in response to the event occurring, wherein the path has the turning section and the straight section after the turning section in which the turning section has a length that will be traversed by the aircraft within a selected period of time based on a current state of the aircraft.

19. A computer program product comprising:

a computer recordable storage medium;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, responsive to an event occurring, for predicting a path for an aircraft, wherein the path has a turning section and a straight section after the turning section;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a portion of terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for displaying a vertical profile view of the terrain including the portion of the terrain under the path predicted for the aircraft.

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

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a number of points in the path predicted for the aircraft;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for displaying the path on a top view of the terrain; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for displaying the number of points on the path on the top view and the vertical profile view.