AIRCRAFT MONITORING WITH IMPROVED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

• US 20160057032A1
• Filed: 08/19/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International SARL (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Tieftrunk, Petr, Vasek, Jiri, Frolik, Petr, Knotek, Michal, Innocent, Simon, Bajger, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,473,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• 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 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data

Abstract

Devices, methods and systems are provided for monitoring an aircraft. One exemplary method involves a processing system at a ground location obtaining first information associated with a first region identified by a detection system onboard the aircraft, obtaining second information associated with a second region identified by an external system coupled to the processing system, and displaying a flight tracking image associated with the aircraft that includes a first graphical representation of the first region and a second graphical representation of the second region. The method continues by capturing at least a portion of the flight tracking image displayed on a display device at the ground location and transmitting the captured flight tracking image to the aircraft for subsequent presentation on an onboard display device.

Claims

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

obtaining, by a processing system at a ground location, first information associated with a first region identified by a detection system onboard the aircraft;

obtaining, by the processing system, second information associated with a second region identified by an external system communicatively coupled to the processing system;

displaying, by the processing system on a display device at the ground location, a flight tracking image associated with the aircraft, the flight tracking image including a first graphical representation of the first region and a second graphical representation of the second region;

capturing at least a portion of the flight tracking image displayed on the display device, wherein the capturing results in a captured flight tracking image including the first graphical representation of the first region and the second graphical representation of the second region; and

communicating the captured flight tracking image to the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

capturing the flight tracking image comprises creating an image file corresponding to the flight tracking image displayed on the display device at a time of the capturing; and

communicating the captured flight tracking image comprises uploading the image file to the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

obtaining the first information comprises obtaining information indicative of a real-time meteorological condition detected by the detection system onboard the aircraft;

obtaining the second information comprises obtaining information indicative of a forecasted meteorological condition; and

the first graphical representation of the real-time meteorological condition and the second graphical representation of the forecasted meteorological condition are concurrently displayed on the flight tracking image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

obtaining the first information comprises obtaining real-time meteorological information for the first region proximate the aircraft that is detected by the detection system onboard the aircraft;

obtaining the second information comprises obtaining meteorological information for the second region;

the second region has a geographic area greater than a geographic area associated with the first region; and

the first graphical representation of the real-time meteorological information and the second graphical representation of the meteorological information are concurrently displayed on the flight tracking image.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the processing system, a request for the first information to the aircraft via a communications network, wherein:

obtaining the first information comprises receiving a response from the aircraft via the communications network; and

the response includes the first information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

capturing the flight tracking image comprises creating an image file corresponding to the flight tracking image displayed on the display device at a time of the capturing; and

communicating the captured flight tracking image comprises;

initiating, by the processing system, a communications session with the aircraft via the communications network; and

uploading the image file to the aircraft via the communications network within the communications session.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising fusing the second graphical representation of the second region with a captured image to obtain the flight tracking image, wherein:

obtaining the first information comprises receiving the captured image from the aircraft;

the captured image corresponds to a state of a second display device onboard the aircraft; and

the captured image includes the first graphical representation of the first region.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the flight tracking image comprises:

displaying, on the display device, a map including a graphical representation of the aircraft overlying a graphical representation of terrain;

displaying the first graphical representation of the first region on the map overlying the graphical representation of terrain; and

displaying the second graphical representation of the second region on the map overlying the graphical representation of terrain.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing system, user input indicative of a modified flight path configured to circumnavigate at least one of the first region and the second region; and

displaying a graphical representation of the modified flight path on the map overlying the graphical representation of terrain, wherein the captured flight tracking image includes the modified flight path.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

capturing at least the portion of the flight tracking image comprises;

receiving, via a user input device coupled to the processing system, user input corresponding to selection of the portion of the flight tracking image;

generating a cropped portion of the flight tracking image corresponding to the selection, wherein the cropped portion is configured to fit a second display device onboard the aircraft; and

creating an image file corresponding to the cropped portion; and

communicating the captured flight tracking image comprises transmitting the image file to the aircraft.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions or data stored thereon executable by the processing system to perform the method of claim 1.

12. A flight tracking station comprising:

a communications system coupled to a communications network to receive first information associated with a first region identified by a detection system onboard an aircraft;

a display device having a map associated with the aircraft presented thereon; and

a processing system coupled to the communications system, the display device, and a monitoring system to;

display a first graphical representation of the first region on the map;

obtain second information associated with a second region identified by the monitoring system;

display a second graphical representation of the second region on the map; and

capture at least a portion of the map, resulting in a captured flight tracking image including the first graphical representation of the first region and the second graphical representation of the second region, wherein the processing system and the communications system are cooperatively configured to transmit the captured flight tracking image to the aircraft via the communications network.

13. The flight tracking station of claim 12, wherein:

the first region comprises a real-time meteorological region detected by the detection system onboard the aircraft; and

the second region comprises a forecasted meteorological region.

14. The flight tracking station of claim 12, wherein the captured flight tracking image comprises an image file corresponding to a displayed state of the map at an instant in time.

15. The flight tracking station of claim 14, further comprising an input device coupled to the processing system to receive indication of a desire to capture the map at the instant the indication is received.

16. The flight tracking station of claim 14, wherein the processing system and the communications system are cooperatively configured to upload the captured flight tracking image to the aircraft over the communications network in accordance with the Internet protocol (IP) suite.

17. A system onboard an aircraft, the system comprising:

a display device;

a detection system to provide first information indicative of a detected region in a vicinity of the aircraft;

a communications system coupled to a communications network; and

a processing system coupled to the communications system, the display device, and the detection system to;

communicate the first information to a flight tracking station via the communications network;

receive a captured flight tracking image from the flight tracking station via the communications network; and

display the captured flight tracking image on the display device, wherein the captured flight tracking image includes a first graphical representation of the detected region and a second graphical representation of a second region identified by a monitoring system communicatively coupled to the flight tracking station.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the detected region comprises a real-time meteorological region; and

the second region comprises a forecasted meteorological region.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising an input device to receive user input indicative of a desire to capture a displayed state of the display device, wherein:

the processing system is coupled to the input device and configured to;

display the first graphical representation of the detected region on the display device;

capture the displayed state of the display device in response to the user input, resulting in a captured image including the first graphical representation; and

communicate the captured image to the flight tracking station via the communications network.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the captured flight tracking image comprises a fused image comprising the captured image and the second graphical representation.