Perspective Runway System

• US 20110304479A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Crane, Jean M., Jones, Wayne R., Mallouk, Bechara J., Chen, Sherwin S., Fleiger-Holmes, Steven L., Samuels, Bruce P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,711,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/951
• 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 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for displaying information about runways. A runway for an aircraft is identified when the aircraft is within a selected distance of the runway. A number of graphical indicators are displayed on a display in a flight deck. The number of graphical indicators corresponds to a number of features of the runway present in a field of view for an eye reference point in the flight deck.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information about runways, the method comprising:

identifying a runway for an aircraft when the aircraft is within a selected distance of the runway; and

displaying a number of graphical indicators on a display in a flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to a number of features of the runway present in a field of view for an eye reference point in the flight deck.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a first display and further comprising:

displaying the number of graphical indicators on a second display in the flight deck, wherein flight information is displayed on the second display.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of displaying the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to the number of features of the runway present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck comprises:

displaying the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to an outline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of displaying the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to the outline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck further comprises:

displaying a number of additional graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of additional graphical indicators corresponds to a centerline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the number of additional graphical indicators is a first number of additional graphical indicators and wherein the step of displaying the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to the outline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck further comprises:

displaying a second number of additional graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the second number of additional graphical indicators corresponds to an extension of the centerline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of displaying the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to the outline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck further comprises:

displaying a number of additional graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of additional graphical indicators corresponds to a number of runway remaining billboards on the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of displaying the number of additional graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of additional graphical indicators corresponds to the centerline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck comprises:

displaying a number of rectangles for the centerline not filled at a first distance from the runway;

displaying the number of rectangles for the centerline in which the number of rectangles alternates between being filled and not filled at a second distance from the runway; and

displaying the number of rectangles for the centerline in which the number of rectangles is filled at a third distance from the runway.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of graphical indicators is displayed on a heads up display on a window in the flight deck.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of displaying the number of additional graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of additional graphical indicators corresponds to the centerline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck comprises:

displaying a number of runway touchdown markers indicating a location on the runway where the aircraft should touch the runway when landing.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a display in a flight deck;

a storage device containing program code; and

a processor unit configured to run the program code to identify a runway for an aircraft when the aircraft is within a selected distance of the runway; and

display a number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to a number of features of the runway present in a field of view for an eye reference point in the flight deck.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display is a first display and wherein the processor unit is further configured to run the program code to display the number of graphical indicators on a second display in the flight deck, wherein flight information is displayed on the second display.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein in being configured to run the program code to display the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to the number of features of the runway present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck, the processor unit is configured to run the program code to display the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to an outline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein in being configured to run the program code to display the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to the outline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck, the processor unit is configured to run the program code to display a number of additional graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of additional graphical indicators corresponds to a centerline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the number of additional graphical indicators is a first number of additional graphical indicators and wherein in being configured to run the program code to display the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to the outline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck, the processor unit is configured to run the program code to display a second number of additional graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the second number of additional graphical indicators corresponds to an extension of the centerline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein in being configured to run the program code to display the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to the outline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck, the processor unit is configured to run the program code to display a number of additional graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of additional graphical indicators corresponds to a number of runway remaining billboards on the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein in being configured to run the program code to display the number of additional graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of additional graphical indicators corresponds to the centerline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck, the processor unit is configured to run the program code to display a number of rectangles for the centerline not filled at a first distance from the runway;

display the number of rectangles for the centerline in which the number of rectangles alternates between being filled and not filled at a second distance from the runway; and

display the number of rectangles for the centerline in which the number of rectangles is filled at a third distance from the runway.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display is a heads up display in which the number of graphical indicators is displayed on the heads up display on a window in the flight deck.

18. A computer program product for displaying information about runways, the computer program product comprising:

a computer recordable storage medium;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a runway for an aircraft when the aircraft is within a selected distance of the runway; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for displaying a number of graphical indicators on a display in a flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to a number of features of the runway present in a field of view for an eye reference point in the flight deck.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the display is a first display and further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for displaying the number of graphical indicators on a second display in the flight deck, wherein flight information is displayed on the second display.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for displaying the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to the number of features of the runway present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck comprises:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for displaying the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to an outline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for displaying the number of graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of graphical indicators corresponds to the outline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck further comprises:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for displaying a number of additional graphical indicators on the display in the flight deck, wherein the number of additional graphical indicators corresponds to a centerline of the runway as present in the field of view for the eye reference point in the flight deck.