SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RENDERING AN ONBOARD AIRCRAFT DISPLAY FOR USE WITH IN-TRAIL PROCEDURES

• US 20110224847A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Mulhall, Patrick, Singer, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/4
• 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 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00

Abstract

A system and method for displaying aircraft traffic information on an onboard display element of a host aircraft are provided. The system obtains current flight status data of the host aircraft and current flight status data of a second aircraft that is near the host aircraft, and processes the current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the second aircraft to determine an in-trail procedure (ITP) opportunity region for the host aircraft. The ITP opportunity region is associated with conditions that satisfy ITP criteria for the host aircraft. The system renders, on the onboard display element, an ITP display comprising graphical representations of the host aircraft and the second aircraft positioned in accordance with the current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the second aircraft. The ITP display further includes a graphical representation of the ITP opportunity region.

Claims

1. A method for displaying aircraft traffic information on an onboard display element of a host aircraft, the method comprising:

obtaining current flight status data of the host aircraft and current flight status data of a second aircraft that is near the host aircraft;

processing the current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the second aircraft to determine an in-trail procedure (ITP) opportunity region for the host aircraft, the ITP opportunity region being associated with conditions that satisfy ITP criteria for the host aircraft; and

rendering, on the onboard display element, an ITP display comprising graphical representations of the host aircraft and the second aircraft positioned in accordance with the current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the second aircraft, and the ITP display further comprising a graphical representation of the ITP opportunity region.

2. The method of claim 1, the ITP display further comprising an altitude scale for the host aircraft and the second aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, the ITP display further comprising a lateral distance scale for the host aircraft and the second aircraft.

4. The method of claim 3, the lateral distance scale being expressed in ITP distance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the current flight status data of the second aircraft comprises receiving the current flight status data of the second aircraft directly from the second aircraft using aircraft-to-aircraft data communication.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring a requested flight level that is different than a current flight level of the host aircraft, wherein determination of the ITP opportunity region is influenced by the requested flight level.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the second aircraft to determine whether the ITP criteria has been satisfied, wherein the ITP display is rendered such that at least a portion of the graphical representation of the host aircraft is displayed in contact with or in the graphical representation of the ITP opportunity region when the ITP criteria is satisfied.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the second aircraft to determine whether the ITP criteria has been satisfied, wherein the ITP display is rendered such that no portion of the graphical representation of the host aircraft is displayed in contact with or in the graphical representation of the ITP opportunity region when the ITP criteria is not satisfied.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating, from the current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the second aircraft, an estimated time to reach ITP criteria satisfaction for the host aircraft, wherein the ITP display further comprises a graphical representation of a timing marker that indicates the estimated time.

10. A method for displaying aircraft traffic information on an onboard display element of a host aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving, from a reference aircraft other than the host aircraft, current flight status data of the reference aircraft;

acquiring a requested flight level that is different than a current flight level of the host aircraft;

determining an opportunity region for the host aircraft, the opportunity region being associated with conditions required to request a change in flight level from the current flight level of the host aircraft to the requested flight level, the opportunity region being determined based on the current flight data of the reference aircraft, the requested flight level, the current flight level, and current flight data of the host aircraft; and

displaying a graphical representation of the opportunity region on the onboard display element.

11. The method of claim 10, the opportunity region being determined based on a measure of distance between the host aircraft and the reference aircraft.

12. The method of claim 10, the opportunity region being determined based on a groundspeed differential between the host aircraft and the reference aircraft.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying, on the onboard display element, a graphical representation of the host aircraft at a first position on a lateral distance scale of in-trail procedure (ITP) distance, wherein the graphical representation of the opportunity region is displayed on the lateral distance scale.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying, on the onboard display element, a graphical representation of the reference aircraft at a second position that is different than the first position.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising analyzing current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the reference aircraft to determine that the conditions have been satisfied, wherein the graphical representation of the opportunity region is displayed such that at least a portion of the graphical representation of the host aircraft is in contact with or in the graphical representation of the opportunity region.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising analyzing current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the reference aircraft to determine that the conditions have not been satisfied, wherein the graphical representation of the opportunity region is displayed such that no portion of the graphical representation of the host aircraft is in contact with or in the graphical representation of the opportunity region.

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

an aircraft-to-aircraft data communication module that receives current flight status data of a second aircraft;

a processor coupled to the aircraft-to-aircraft data communication module, the processor being configured to obtain and process the current flight status data along with current host aircraft flight status data to determine an opportunity region for the host aircraft, the opportunity region being associated with criteria that must be satisfied to request a change in flight level from a current flight level of the host aircraft to a new flight level, and the processor being configured to generate image rendering display commands based upon the current flight status data, the current host aircraft flight status data, the current flight level, and the new flight level; and

a display element coupled to the processor and configured to receive the image rendering display commands and, in response thereto, to render an in-trail procedure (ITP) display that includes graphical representations of the host aircraft, the second aircraft, and the opportunity region.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the criteria comprises ITP criteria associated with a measure of distance between the host aircraft and the second aircraft.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the criteria comprises ITP criteria associated with a groundspeed differential between the host aircraft and the second aircraft.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the processor calculates an estimated time to reach satisfaction of the criteria, from the current flight status data, the current host aircraft flight status data, the current flight level, and the new flight level; and

the ITP display includes a graphical representation of a timing marker that indicates the estimated time.