METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR ARMING AIRCRAFT RUNWAY APPROACH GUIDANCE MODES

• US 20140277857A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: BOURRET, Thierry, OLLAGNON, Claire, CHAUVEAU, Nicolas, LOUISE, Pascale, GIULIANO, Sebastien, DRIEUX, Sebastien
• Granted Patent: US 9,280,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/17
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media are disclosed for direct arming aircraft runway approach guidance modes, for example and without limitation, for aircraft operational. In some aspects, a method for directly arming a runway approach guidance mode of an aircraft includes displaying on a display unit an airport, selecting the airport and selecting an active runway for final approach, displaying an path toward the selected final approach runway, selecting the final approach runway, displaying on the display unit at least one symbol associated with at least one runway approach guidance mode, and arming at least one of the at least one runway approach guidance mode.

Claims

1. A method for direct arming a runway approach guidance mode of an aircraft, comprising:

displaying on a display unit an active runway for final approach and an approach path associated with the active runway;

selecting the active runway for final approach;

displaying on the display unit an interactor associated with the selected final approach runway;

displaying on the display unit at least one symbol associated with at least one runway approach guidance mode; and

moving the interactor to select at least one of the at least one symbol associated with the at least one runway approach guidance mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an airport from a flight management system database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a navigation display of the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein arming at least one runway approach guidance mode comprises arming one or both of a lateral runway approach guidance mode or a vertical runway approach guidance mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein arming the lateral runway approach guidance mode comprises aligning the aircraft to a localizer axis of an instrument landing system beam axis associated with the selected final approach runway.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein arming the vertical runway approach guidance mode comprises adjusting the aircraft'"'"'s altitude to a glide slope altitude of an instrument landing system beam axis associated with the selected final approach runway.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying at least one symbol associated with a runway approach guidance mode on the display unit comprises displaying at least one of a first symbol for a lateral runway approach guidance mode and a second symbol for a vertical runway approach guidance mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein arming one or both of the lateral runway approach guidance mode or the vertical runway approach guidance mode is performed by moving the interactor, via a physical gesture, across the at least one symbol associated with a respective one or both of the lateral or the vertical runway approach guidance modes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein moving the interactor via a physical gesture comprises touching the interactor on the display unit and sliding the interactor across the symbols associated with one or both of the vertical or the lateral runway approach guidance modes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the active runway is achieved by performing a physical gesture.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the physical gesture comprises touching the active runway on the display unit.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the physical gesture comprises touching the approach path associated with the active runway.

13. A system for direct arming of a runway approach guidance mode of an aircraft, comprising:

a display unit;

a processor configured to execute an aircraft runway approach mode engagement module; and

the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module configured to display on a display unit an active runway for final approach and an approach path associated with the selected airport, select the final approach runway, display an interactor associated with the final approach runway on the display unit, display on a display unit at least one symbol associated with at least one runway approach guidance mode, and arm at least one runway approach guidance mode.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is further configured to select an airport from a flight management system.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the display unit comprises a navigation display of the aircraft.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is in communication with an aircraft guidance system;

and

wherein the aircraft approach mode engagement module is configured to direct the aircraft guidance system to arm a lateral runway approach guidance mode and a vertical runway approach guidance mode.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to direct the aircraft guidance system to align the aircraft to a localizer axis of an instrument landing system beam axis associated with the final approach runway.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to direct the aircraft guidance system to adjust the aircraft'"'"'s altitude to a glide slope altitude of an instrument landing system beam axis associated with the final approach runway.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to display at least one of a first symbol for a lateral runway approach guidance mode and a second symbol for a vertical runway approach guidance mode.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to arm one or both of the lateral runway approach guidance mode or the vertical runway approach guidance mode by recognizing movement of the interactor across the symbols associated with a respective one or both of the lateral or the vertical runway approach guidance modes.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the display unit comprises an interactive touchscreen display;

and

wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to recognize the movement of the interactor via an aircraft operator touching the interactor on the display unit and sliding it across the symbols associated with one or both of the vertical or the lateral runway approach guidance modes.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to select the final approach runway by recognizing a physical gesture performed by an aircraft operator.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to recognize the physical gesture by recognizing a touching of the final approach runway on the display unit.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to recognize the physical gesture by recognizing a touching of the approach path associated with the selected airport.

25. A computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

displaying on a display unit an active runway for final approach and an approach path associated with the active runway;

selecting the final approach runway;

displaying on the display unit an interactor associated with the final approach runway;

displaying on the display unit at least one symbol associated with at least one runway approach guidance mode; and

arming at least one of the at least one runway approach guidance mode.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising selecting an airport from a flight management system database.