Area navigation system including a map display unit for establishing and modifying navigation routes

• US 4,086,632 A
• Filed: 09/27/1976
• Issued: 04/25/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lions, Richard O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US05/726,633
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 235/150.26, 235/150.27, 73/178 R, 340/24, 340/27 NA, 343/107, 343/112 C, 343/112 PT
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

An area navigation system including a map display unit for entering navigation information to form or modify a programmed navigational route is disclosed. The map display unit is connected to an area navigation computer to supply a cartographic display of a geographic area relevant to a particular navigation route. Specific geographic locations to be used as reference points, or to be eliminated from a previously programmed navigation route, are selected by means of a cursor symbol that is electronically generated on the cartographic display. The position of the cursor symbol and the geographic region displayed are controlled by a single switch located on a control apparatus. When a desired geographic reference point is selected by means of the switch and cursor symbol, operation of an approproate control either enters the coordinates of the selected geographic location into the area navigation computer for use as a new navigational reference point, or deletes the selected geographic location from a previously computed navigation route. The navigation route established by operation of the map display unit and the associated controls is temporarily stored in a provisional storage buffer and is displayed on the map display unit cartographic display. Accordingly, a complete navigational route or a complex modification of a previously established navigational route can be observed and verified prior to the initiation of output signals from the area navigation system.

Claims

1. In an area navigation system wherein a desired navigation route including at least one guidance path between selected geographic points is stored within storage means of an area navigation computer, the improvement comprising a map display unit for providing a cartographic display of navigation information relative to said desired navigation route, said map display unit having data entry means for entering navigation information to said area navigation computer, said data entry means including:

cursor means positionable on said cartographic display for selecting a geographic point within the geographic region depicted by said cartographic display;

first and second switch means, said first switch means for supplying a signal representative of the positional coordinates of a geographic location selected with said cursor means when said geographic location is to be eliminated from a previously established desired navigation route, said second switch means for supplying a signal representative of the positional coordinates of the geographic location selected by said cursor when said geographic location is to be added to a previously established desired navigation route, said first and second switch means supplying said signals to said computer for the calculation of guidance paths between said selected geographic locations;

buffer storage means for storing the guidance paths calculated by said computer in response to said signal supplied by said first and second switch means as a tentative navigation route;

means for displaying said tentative navigation route on said map display unit, said tentative navigation route being displayed as a visible pattern discernible from said previously established desired navigation route; and

third switch means for transferring said tentative navigation route from said buffer storage means to said computer storage means for replacing said previously desired navigation route with said tentative navigation route.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said map display unit further comprises means for slewing said cartographic display to display additional geographic regions relative to said desired navigation route and said tentative navigation route.

3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said means for slewing said cartographic display includes means for controlling the position of said cursor means on said cartographic display.

4. The improvement of claim 1 further comprising means for transferring data to said computer representative of the desired altitude at each of said geographic locations entered by operation of said second switch means and means for displaying said altitude data on said cartographic display.

5. The improvement of claim 1 further comprising means for transferring data to said computer representative of the desired air speed at each of said geographic locations entered by operation of said second switch means and means for displaying said desired air speed on said cartographic display.

6. In an area navigation system having a programmable digital computer, a control display unit and a map display unit wherein said programmable digital computer includes means for storing signals representative of the coordinates of a plurality of geographic locations, means for calculating the present position of an aircraft relative to a guidance path formed between selected ones of said geographic locations and means for the calculation of flight corrections necessary to maintain said aircraft on said guidance path, said control display unit including means for displaying selected flight information relative to said present aircraft position and relative to said guidance paths, said control display unit further including means for selecting said geographic locations to establish said guidance path and means for modifying a previously established guide path, said map display means including a map display area for supplying a cartographic display including said present aircraft position and said guidance path, the improvement comprising navigation route control means for establishing and modifying said guidance path from said cartographic display of said map display unit, said navigation route control means being operable independently of said control display unit, said navigation route control means including:

cursor means positionable within the geographic area displayed on said cartographic display of said map display unit for selecting a particular geographic location;

first switch means for transferring a signal representative of the coordinates of the geographic location selected by said cursor means to said computer when said geographic location is to be eliminated from a previously established guidance path;

second switch means for transferring a signal representative of the geographic coordinates of the geographic location selected by said cursor means to said computer when said geographic location is to be added to a previously established guidance path;

buffer storage means for temporarily storing a tentative guidance path calculated by said computer in response to said signals transferred to said computer by said first and second switch means;

means for coupling signals representative of said tentative guidance path to said map display unit for display in conjunction with said previously established guidance path, said displayed tentative guidance path being visibly distinguishable from said previously established guidance path; and

means for transferring said tentative guidance path to said storage means of said digital computer to replace said previously established guidance path with said tentative guidance path.

7. The improvement of claim 6 wherein the geographic region included within said cartographic display and said position of said cursor are selectively controllable by manually operated switch means, said manually operated switch means supplying signals to said computer to move said cursor and said cartographic display in a vertical and horizontal direction relative to said map display unit display area.

8. The improvement of claim 6 further comprising means for transferring data to said computer representative of a desired altitude at each of said geographic locations entered by operation of said second switch means and means for displaying said desired altitude on said cartographic display.

9. The improvement of claim 6 further comprising means for transferring data to said computer representative of a desired air speed at each of said geographic locations entered by operation of said second switch means and means for displaying said desired air speed data on said cartographic display.

10. An area navigation system for directing an aircraft along a preselected navigation route, said preselected navigation route including a plurality of selected geographical reference points, said area navigation system comprising:

a programmable digital computer including means for storing the geographic coordinates and identification of a plurality of geographic reference points and means for storing the guidance paths to be flown in order to maintain said aircraft on said preselected navigation route, said programmable digital computer further including an arithmetic unit for determining said preselected navigation route from said selected geographic reference points;

a map display unit for supplying a cartographic display of said preselected navigation route, said map display unit including cursor means for selecting any geographic point included in said cartographic display;

means for selectively controlling the position of said cursor means on said cartographic display;

buffer storage means for storing a tentative navigation route;

means for transferring said preselected navigation route to said buffer storage means;

first switch means for supplying a first control signal to said programmable digital computer, said computer being responsive to said first control signal for deleting the geographic reference points selected by said cursor means from said tentative navigation route within said buffer storage means, said computer being further responsive to said first control signal for recalculating said tentative navigation route after said selected geographic reference point has been deleted;

second switch means for supplying a second control signal to said programmable digital computer, said computer being responsive to said second control signal for adding a geographic reference point selected by said cursor means to said tentative navigation route stored within said buffer storage means, said computer being further responsive to said second control signal for recalculating said tentative navigation route after said selected geographic reference point has been added;

means for displaying said tentative navigation route stored in said buffer storage means on said map display unit; and

means for transferring said tentative navigation route stored in said buffer storage to said digital computer storage means for storing said tentative navigation route as said preselected navigation route.

11. The area navigation system of claim 10 further comprising means for slewing said cartographic display of said map display unit for selecting additional geographic reference points within a predetermined distance of said preselected navigation route.

12. The area navigation system of claim 11 wherein said means for slewing said cartographic display and said means for selectively controlling the position of said cursor means includes a switch having operational states selectively causing said cartographic display and said cursor means to move in an upward, downward, left and right direction relative to the display region of said map display unit.