Method for representing flight guidance information

• US 6,054,937 A
• Filed: 08/18/1995
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VDO Luftfahrtgeraete Werk GmbH
• Original Assignee: VDO Luftfahrtgeraete Werk GmbH
• Inventors: Von Viebahn, Harro, Below, Christian, Lindenberg, Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/507,264
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 340/971, 340/972, 340/973, 340/974, 340/975, 340/976, 340/961, 340/980, 340/967, 340/968, 340/970, 340/977, 340/978, 340/979, 364/460, 364/461, 364/428, 364/439, 364/429, 364/430, 364/434, 342/29, 342/33, 701/300, 701/301, 701/120, 701/3, 701/9, 701/14, 701/15, 701/16
• US Class Current: 340/961
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32

Abstract

According to a method for representing information for guiding the flight of an aircraft, the airspace with at least one horizon and the precalculated flight path of the aircraft are three-dimensionally represented by means of an image display device and means for positioning one or several aircraft therein are provided. The aircraft symbols are merged into the representation of the airspace. Preferably, the other aircraft are each represented by a symbol corresponding to their position in the airspace and by at least one line represented in perspective from the point of view of the aircraft concerned.

Claims

1. In a method of representing flight guidance information of a host aircraft from the vantage point of the host aircraft, wherein a spatial representation of the airspace, comprising at least one horizon and the precalculated flight path of the host aircraft, is produced with the aid of a graphic image generating device and displayed on an image display, the improvement comprising means for transmitting the position of one or more other aircraft to the host aircraft, and wherein symbols representing these other aircraft are superimposed on the representation of the airspace on the display, wherein the other aircraft are each represented by a symbol corresponding to their position in the airspace and by two straight strips, and wherein each of the two strips starts at the symbol for the other aircraft, extends forward in a direction corresponding to the actual course of the other aircraft and is displayed on the display in perspective from the viewpoint of the host aircraft, said two strips extending upward and downward from the symbol of the other aircraft with an acute angle between them.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strip is displayed in transparent form.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein two strips are displayed for each other aircraft, which strips radiate upwards and downwards from the symbol of the other aircraft at an acute angle in each case.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein additional numerical indications of the pitch angle are superimposed in an imaginary extension of the plane of the host aircraft in the airspace, the indications being figures inside a frame, wherein that part of the area encompassed within the frame which is not covered by the figures is transparent.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the indications are figures inside a frame, and wherein 2 background of sky or ground is visible in the part of the frame which is not covered by the figures.

6. The method defined in claim 4, wherein there are two numerical indications of the pitch angle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the area above the horizon, which is displayed blue, is subdivided into strips of different hue which run parallel to the horizon, and that a predetermined range of pitch angles corresponds to each strip.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a predetermined pitch angle range is 10°

.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein a warning is exhibited when a predetermined maximum pitch angle is exceeded.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the two strips has a predetermined length.

11. In a method of representing flight guidance information of a host aircraft, wherein a spatial representation of the airspace, comprising at least one horizon and the precalculated flight path of the host aircraft, is produced with the aid of a graphic image generating device and displayed on an image display, the improvement comprising means for transmitting the position of one or more other aircraft to the host aircraft, and wherein symbols representing these other aircraft are superimposed on the representation of the airspace on the display, wherein the other aircraft are each represented by a symbol corresponding to their position in the airspace and by at least one straight strip, wherein the at least one strip starts at the symbol for the other aircraft, extends forward in a direction corresponding to the actual course of the other aircraft and is displayed on the display in perspective from the viewpoint of the host aircraft, and wherein additional numerical indications of the pitch angle are superimposed, in an imaginary extension of the plane of the host aircraft in the airspace, the indications being figures inside a frame, wherein that part of the area encompassed within the frame which is not covered by the figures is transparent.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the indications are figures inside a frame, and wherein a background of sky or ground is visible in the part of the frame which is not covered by the figures.

13. The method defined in claim 11, wherein there are two numerical indications of the pitch angle.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one strip has a predetermined length.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one strip is displayed in transparent form.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one strip is also displayed when the strip, but not the associated other aircraft, is situated in the displayed airspace.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein two strips are displayed for each other aircraft, which strips radiate upwards and downwards from the symbol of the other aircraft with an acute angle between them.

18. In a method of representing flight guidance information of a host aircraft, wherein a spatial representation of the airspace, comprising at least one horizon and the precalculated flight path of the host aircraft, is produced with the aid of a graphic image generating device and displayed on an image display, the improvement comprising means for transmitting the position of one or more other aircraft to the host aircraft, and wherein symbols representing these other aircraft are superimposed on the representation of the airspace on the display, wherein the other aircraft are each represented by a symbol corresponding to their position in the airspace and by at least one straight strip, wherein the at least one strip starts at the symbol for the other aircraft, extends forward in a direction corresponding to the actual course of the other aircraft and is displayed on the display in perspective from the viewpoint of the host aircraft, and wherein the area above the horizon which is displayed blue, is subdivided into stripes of different hue which run parallel to the horizon, and that a predetermined range of pitch angles corresponds to each stripe.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein a predetermined pitch angle range is 10°

.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein a warning is exhibited when a predetermined maximum pitch angle is exceeded.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the at least one strip has a predetermined length.

22. A method according to claim 18, wherein the at least one strip is displayed in transparent form.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein the at least one strip is also displayed when the strip, but not the associated other aircraft, is situated in the displayed airspace.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein two strips are displayed for each other aircraft, which strips radiate upwards and downwards from the symbol of the other aircraft with an acute angle between them.