AIRCRAFT MONITORING WITH IMPROVED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

• US 20130120166A1
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Nehru, Kumaran, Kommuri, Sravan, Chiruvolu, Karthikeya
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/971
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for monitoring an aircraft. An exemplary method involves capturing, by a computing system at a ground location, a flight tracking image associated with the aircraft that is displayed on a first display device at the ground location, and communicating the captured flight tracking image to the aircraft for display on a second display device onboard the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring an aircraft, the method comprising:

capturing, by a computing system at a ground location, a flight tracking image displayed on a first display device at the ground location, the flight tracking image being associated with the aircraft, wherein capturing the flight tracking image results in a captured flight tracking image; and

communicating the captured flight tracking image to the aircraft for display on a second display device onboard the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by the computing system, textual information pertaining to the captured flight tracking image; and

communicating the textual information to the aircraft with the captured flight tracking image for display on the second display device in association with the captured flight tracking image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein communicating the textual information to the aircraft comprises appending the textual information to the captured flight tracking image prior to communicating the captured flight tracking image to the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying, on the first display device, a map including a graphical representation of a region identified by an external system overlying a graphical representation of terrain prior to capturing the flight tracking image, wherein:

capturing the flight tracking image comprises capturing the map, resulting in a captured map including the graphical representation of the region overlying the graphical representation of terrain; and

communicating the captured flight tracking image comprises communicating the captured map to the aircraft, wherein the captured map is displayed on the second display device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying, on the first display device, a map including a graphical representation of a modified flight path for the aircraft overlying a graphical representation of terrain prior to capturing the flight tracking image, wherein:

capturing the flight tracking image comprises capturing the map, resulting in a captured map including the graphical representation of the modified flight path;

communicating the captured flight tracking image comprises communicating the captured map to the aircraft, wherein the captured map is displayed on the second display device; and

the textual information pertains to the modified flight path.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying, on the first display device, a map including a graphical representation of a navigational reference point overlying a graphical representation of terrain prior to capturing the flight tracking image, wherein:

capturing the flight tracking image comprises capturing the map, resulting in a captured map including the graphical representation of the navigational reference point;

communicating the captured flight tracking image comprises communicating the captured map to the aircraft, wherein the captured map is displayed on the second display device; and

the textual information pertains to the navigational reference point.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, on the first display device, a flight tracking map including a graphical representation of a region overlying a graphical representation of terrain prior to capturing the flight tracking image, wherein:

capturing the flight tracking image comprises capturing the flight tracking map, resulting in a captured flight tracking map including the graphical representation of the region overlying the graphical representation of terrain; and

communicating the captured flight tracking image comprises communicating the captured flight tracking map to the aircraft, wherein the captured flight tracking map is displayed on the second display device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the region comprises a meteorological region identified by a weather monitoring system coupled to the computing system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the meteorological region is selected from a group consisting of a precipitation region, a turbulence region, an icing region, a convection region, a cloud region, and a wind shear region.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying, on the first display device, a graphical representation of a modified flight path for the aircraft on the flight tracking map overlying the graphical representation of terrain prior to capturing the flight tracking map, the modified flight path being configured to circumnavigate the region, wherein the captured flight tracking map includes the graphical representation of the modified flight path overlying the graphical representation of terrain.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the region comprises a navigational region identified by an aviation monitoring system coupled to the computing system.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, on the first display device, a flight tracking map including a graphical representation of a modified flight path for the aircraft overlying a graphical representation of terrain prior to capturing the flight tracking image, wherein:

capturing the flight tracking image comprises capturing the flight tracking map, resulting in a captured flight tracking map including the graphical representation of the modified flight path; and

communicating the captured flight tracking image comprises communicating the captured flight tracking map to the aircraft, wherein the captured flight tracking map is displayed on the second display device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on the first display device, a flight tracking map including a graphical representation of air traffic overlying a graphical representation of terrain; and

displaying, on the first display device, a graphical representation of a modified flight path for the aircraft on the flight tracking map overlying the graphical representation of terrain prior to capturing the flight tracking image, the modified flight path being configured to avoid the air traffic, wherein;

capturing the flight tracking image comprises capturing the flight tracking map, resulting in a captured flight tracking map including the graphical representations of the air traffic and the modified flight path overlying the graphical representation of terrain; and

communicating the captured flight tracking image comprises communicating the captured flight tracking map to the aircraft, wherein the captured flight tracking map is displayed on the second display device.

14. A method of monitoring an aircraft, the method comprising:

displaying, on a first display device at a ground location, a flight tracking map associated with the aircraft;

obtaining information from an external system;

displaying, on the first display device, a graphical representation of the information obtained from the external system on the flight tracking map;

capturing the flight tracking map including the graphical representation of the information, resulting in a captured flight tracking image;

communicating the captured flight tracking image to the aircraft; and

displaying, on a second display device onboard the aircraft, the captured flight tracking image.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining textual information pertaining to the captured flight tracking image;

communicating the textual information to the aircraft; and

displaying, on the second display device, the textual information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein communicating the textual information comprises:

creating a data link message by appending the captured flight tracking image and the textual information; and

uplinking the data link message to the aircraft.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein displaying the textual information comprises displaying the textual information in association with the captured flight tracking image.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions or data stored thereon executable by a processing system to:

display, on a first display device coupled to the processing system, a flight tracking map associated with an aircraft;

capture the flight tracking map displayed on the first display device, resulting in a captured flight tracking image; and

communicate the captured flight tracking image to the aircraft for display on a second display device onboard the aircraft.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions or data stored thereon are executable by the processing system to:

obtain information from an external system coupled to the processing system; and

display a graphical representation of the information obtained from the external system on the flight tracking map, wherein the captured flight tracking image includes the graphical representation of the information.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions or data stored thereon are executable by the processing system to:

obtain textual information pertaining to the captured flight tracking image via a user input device coupled to the processing system; and

communicate the textual information to the aircraft for display on the second display device, wherein the textual information is graphically associated with the captured flight tracking image on the second display device.