COCKPIT DISPLAY OF TRAFFIC INFORMATION (CDTI) ASSISTED VISUAL SEPARATION EMPLOYING A VERTICAL SITUATION DISPLAY

• US 20190019422A1
• Filed: 07/12/2017
• Published: 01/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Khatwa, Ratan, Ziarnick, Melissa, Trefilova, Helena, Klang, Pavel, Whitlow, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 10,490,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• 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 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

Systems and methods directed to improvements in the presentation of CAVS procedures on an aircraft display system over what is conventionally available are provided. The provided systems and methods employ a vertical situation display (VSD), thereby presenting additional relevant visual approach information, such as a vertical distance between the ownship and the target aircraft, descent rates of the ownship and the target and an alerting function for the user-selected CAVS range. The provided systems and methods also capably receive and process user selections of target aircraft from both the lateral display and the VSD.

Claims

1. A Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) assisted Visual Separation (CAVS) System comprising:

a lateral display;

a vertical situation display (VSD); and

a control module coupled to the lateral display and the VSD, the control module comprising a processor and a memory device, and configured to;

(a) identify neighbor traffic based on traffic data received from an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B),

(b) command the lateral display to render a lateral image and the VSD to render a vertical image, each image comprising the neighbor traffic and features associated with a cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI) Assisted Visual Separation (CAVS) application,

(c) receive a user selected traffic subsequent to (b), and,

(d) responsive to (c), command the lateral display and the VSD to concurrently, update the lateral image and the vertical image to

(i) visually distinguish the user selected traffic from remaining neighbor traffic, and

(ii) depict a user selected range distance.

2. The CAVS system of claim 1, wherein the user selected traffic is selectively received from one of (i) the lateral display and (ii) the VSD.

3. The CAVS system of claim 2, wherein the control module is further configured to filter the neighbor traffic with a predetermined data quality criteria and command the VSD to render filtered traffic in a visually distinct manner with respect to remaining neighbor traffic in the VSD.

4. The CAVS system of claim 3, wherein the control module is further configured to limit user selection on the VSD to filtered traffic.

5. The CAVS system of claim 4, wherein the control module is further configured to, responsive to (c), remove unselected neighbor traffic from the VSD.

6. The CAVS system of claim 5, wherein visually distinguishing the user selected traffic from remaining neighbor traffic comprises rendering a highlighted shape surrounding the selected traffic.

7. The CAVS system of claim 6, wherein depicting a user selected range distance comprises rendering, on the lateral image, an arc at a distance in front of the ownship representative of the range distance, and rendering, on the vertical image, a vertical line in front of the ownship at a distance representative of the range distance.

8. The CAVS system of claim 4, wherein the control module is further configured to, responsive to (c), continuously, and in real time, determine a distance between an ownship and the user selected traffic.

9. The CAVS system of claim 8, wherein the control module is further configured to compare the determined distance between the ownship and the user selected traffic to the user selected range distance, and generate an alert based on the comparison of the determined distance between the ownship and the user selected traffic to the user selected range distance.

10. A method for Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) assisted Visual Separation (CAVS), comprising:

at a control module,

(a) identifying neighbor traffic;

(b) filtering the neighbor traffic with a predetermined data quality criteria;

(c) commanding a vertical situation display (VSD) to render filtered traffic in a visually distinct manner with respect to remaining neighbor traffic in a vertical image;

(d) concurrently with (c), commanding a lateral display to render neighbor traffic in a lateral image;

(e) receiving a user selected traffic from the VSD subsequent to (d); and

,

(f) responsive to (e), commanding the lateral display and the VSD to concurrently visually distinguish the user selected traffic from remaining neighbor traffic.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, responsive to (e), commanding the lateral display and the VSD to concurrently depict a user selected range distance.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, limiting user selection on the VSD to filtered traffic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein commanding the lateral display and the VSD to concurrently visually distinguish the user selected traffic from remaining neighbor traffic comprises rendering a highlighted shape surrounding the selected traffic.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein commanding the lateral display and the VSD to concurrently depict a user selected range distance comprises rendering, on the lateral image, an arc at a distance in front of the ownship representative of the range distance, and rendering, on the vertical image, a vertical line in front of the ownship at a distance representative of the range distance.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, responsive to (e), continuously, and in real time, determining a distance between an ownship and the selected traffic.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising comparing the determined distance between the ownship and the selected traffic to the user selected range distance.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating an alert based on the comparison of the determined distance between the ownship and the selected traffic to the user selected range distance.

18. A Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) assisted visual separation (CAVS) system on an ownship, comprising:

a lateral display;

a vertical situation display (VSD); and

a control module coupled to the lateral display and the VSD, the control module comprising a processor and a memory device, and configured to;

(a) process traffic data received to identify neighbor traffic;

(b) filter the neighbor traffic with a predetermined data quality criteria;

(c) command the lateral display to render an image comprising the neighbor traffic;

(d) command a vertical situation display (VSD) to render filtered traffic in a visually distinct manner with respect to remaining neighbor traffic;

(e) receive a user selected traffic subsequent to (d), and,

(f) responsive to (e), command the lateral display and the VSD to concurrently, update the lateral image and the vertical image to

(i) visually distinguish the user selected traffic from remaining neighbor traffic, and

(ii) depict a user selected range distance.

19. The CAVS system of claim 18, wherein the control module is further configured to, responsive to (e), continuously, and in real time, determine a distance between the ownship and the user selected traffic.

20. The CAVS system of claim 19, wherein the control module is further configured to:

compare the determined distance between the ownship and the user selected traffic to the user selected range distance; and

generate an alert based on the comparison of the determined distance between the ownship and the user selected traffic to the user selected range distance.