Flight management system (FMS) with integrated bit mapped data charts

• US 6,240,341 B1
• Filed: 01/18/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Snyder, Mark Issac
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis-Jacques, Jacques H.
• Application Number:
  US09/232,317
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/200, 701/207, 701/120, 701/211, 701/14, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 345/509, 345/507, 345/97, 345/98, 345/353
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan

Abstract

An aircraft Flight Management System (FMS) simultaneously displaying FMS navigation data and geographically referenced bitmap data charts. The bitmap data charts are properly registered with the various FMS navigation data to achieve proper registration of the data. A common distance algorithm, known as Sedonos Equations, are utilized to determine the distance of each data point with reference to a map center position, such as the current position of the aircraft, a waypoint or a map corner. The system and technique allows for an arbitrary number of bitmapped data charts to be tiled, overlapped, rotated and scaled. The latitude and longitude coordinates of each data point, as well as the corners of the charts, are utilized to determine the distance of the various data points from the aircraft to achieve proper registration when simultaneously displayed.

Claims

1. An aircraft display device, comprising:

a texture mapping memory storing at least one bitmapped image data chart comprising geographically referenced bitmapped image data;

a display; and

a processor configured to receive a predetermined position, to process navigation data and said bitmapped image data according to an algorithm which computes a distance from said navigation data and said bitmapped image data to said predetermined position, and to display said processed bitmapped image data on said display simultaneously with said navigation data.

2. The aircraft display device as specified in claim 1 wherein said algorithm is based on Sedonos Equations.

3. The aircraft display device as specified in claim 2 wherein said bitmapped image data chart comprises a rectangular chart, wherein said processor renders said bitmapped image data chart to a polygon image.

4. The aircraft display device as specified in claim 3 wherein said processor performs texture mapping to apply said rectangular chart to said polygon image.

5. The aircraft display device as specified in claim 3 wherein said texture mapping memory stores a plurality of said bitmapped image data charts, wherein said charts are tiled when displayed as said polygon images on said display.

6. The aircraft display device as specified in claim 3 wherein said texture mapping memory stores a plurality of said bitmapped image data charts, wherein said charts are overlapped when displayed on said display.

7. The aircraft display device as specified in claim 3 wherein said texture mapping memory stores a plurality of said bitmapped image data charts, wherein said bitmapped image data charts are rotated when displayed on said display.

8. The aircraft display device as specified in claim 3 wherein said texture mapping memory stores a plurality of said bitmapped image data charts, wherein said bitmapped image data charts are scaled when displayed on said display.

9. The aircraft display device as specified in claim 1 wherein said predetermined position comprises a current aircraft position.

10. The aircraft display device as specified in claim 1 wherein said predetermined position comprises a waypoint.

11. A method of processing and displaying aircraft image data in a flight management system, comprising the steps of:

processing at least one bitmapped image data chart comprising geographically referenced bitmapped image data and navigation data, said processing step comprising the step of determining according to an algorithm a distance from said bitmapped image data and said navigation data to a predetermined position; and

simultaneously displaying said processed bitmapped data and said navigation data on a display as a function of said distance.

12. The method as specified in claim 11 wherein said bitmapped image data chart is stored in a texture memory and comprises a rectangular image, further comprising the step of rendering said rectangular image into a polygon image in said processing step.

13. The method as specified in claim 12 further comprising the step of overlaying geographically referenced navigation data on said rendered polygon image, whereby said navigation data is processed to determine a distance from said predetermined position.

14. The method as specified in claim 13 wherein said rectangular image is rendered said polygon image using a texture mapping technique.

15. The method as specified in claim 13 wherein said bitmapped image data is properly registered with said navigation data on said display.

16. The method as specified in claim 15 wherein said navigation data comprises waypoints, airports and navaids.

17. The method as specified in claim 15 wherein said bitmapped image data represents Visual Flight Rules (VFR) charts.

18. The method as specified in claim 12 wherein a plurality of said bitmapped image data charts are processed and rendered into separate polygon images.

19. The method as specified in claim 18 wherein said polygon images are tiled when displayed on said display.

20. The method as specified in claim 18 wherein said polygon images are overlapped when displayed on said display.

21. The method as specified in claim 18 wherein said polygon images are rotated when displayed on said display.

22. The method as specified in claim 18 wherein said polygon images are scaled when displayed on said display.

23. The method as specified in claim 11 wherein an X and a Y distance of said bitmapped image data is computed to determine said distance from said predetermined position.

24. The method as specified in claim 11 wherein Sedonos Equations are utilized to determine said distance of said bitmapped image data and said navigation data from said predetermined position.

25. The method as specified in claim 11 wherein said predetermined position comprises a current position of an aircraft.

26. The method as specified in claim 11 wherein said predetermined position comprises a waypoint.

27. An aircraft display device, comprising:

a display;

a texture mapping memory comprising geographically-referenced bitmapped image data;

a processor configured to receive a predetermined position and navigation data, to process said bitmapped image data and said navigation data by computing a distance from said bitmapped image data and said navigation data to said predetermined position, and to simultaneously display said bitmapped image data and said navigation data on said display as a function of said distance.