Method and apparatus for displaying real time navigational information

• US 6,308,132 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Blake W., Snyder, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/592,326
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/206, 701/208, 701/212, 701/213, 340/988, 340/982, 340/990, 340/995, 340/825.15
• US Class Current: 701/200
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying real time navigational information on a vehicle including an informational database which is loaded and stored on an electronic medium within the vehicle. An intermediate database is created from the informational database and stored on the electronic medium. The contents of the intermediate database are transmitted to a color display unit for continuous real time display to the vehicle'"'"'s operator based upon a desired reference point. In one embodiment, the intermediate database is created by fusing preselected information from the informational database and projecting the preselected information to correspond to a common graphical coordinate axis. In another embodiment, the intermediate database is created by each intermediate database created by spatially and coordinately culling the informational database to obtain spatial data stored on the electronic medium, filtering the spatial data by the software means to obtain displayable data corresponding to a geographic vicinity of a desired reference point and projecting the displayable data to a mapping system which contains a common graphical coordinate axis based upon the desired reference point.

Claims

1. On a vehicle having a navigational system and an electronic medium attached to the navigational system, a method for displaying navigational information on a display unit within the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

a) creating at least one informational database by a software means, each informational database loaded and stored on the electronic medium;

b) generating at least one intermediate database by the software means, each intermediate database containing projection data representing navigational information, the intermediate database and the software means both being loaded and stored on the electronic medium;

c) allowing the software means to transmit selected portions of the intermediate database to the display unit; and

d) allowing the software means to continuously display and render the selected portions of the intermediate database on the display unit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the projection data is created by fusing preselected data from each informational database and projecting the fused preselected data to a common graphical coordinate axis, the axis based on a desired reference point.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the informational database is selected from the group consisting of environmental terrain data, obstacle data, adjacent vehicle data, special use airspace data, political boundary data, civic boundary data, geographic feature data, navigation aid data, airport information data, airway and intersection data, weather data, cultural data, man-made object data, air traffic data, wind data and flight plan data.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the electronic medium is a computer means including a control input device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of generating an informational database further comprises the step of obtaining preselected static information and preselected dynamic information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of obtaining preselected static information is executed when the vehicle is not operated and the step of obtaining preselected dynamic information is executed when the vehicle is operated.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating an intermediate database further comprises the steps of allowing the software means to employ spatial and coordinate culling on the informational database to obtain spatial data stored on the electronic medium, filtering the spatial data by the software means to obtain displayable data corresponding to a geographic vicinity of a desired reference point and projecting the displayable data to a mapping system which contains a common graphical coordinate axis based upon the desired reference point.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the desired reference point is the vehicle'"'"'s coordinate position relative to the earth.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the desired reference point is a preselected geographical coordinate location.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of projecting the displayable data to a mapping system further includes the step of transforming all preselected information containing latitude and longitude information into nautical mile information.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of displaying and rendering the selected portions of the intermediate database on the display unit further comprises the step of displaying text information in a right-side-up view with respect to the vehicle'"'"'s operator.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of displaying and rendering the selected portions of the intermediate database on the display unit further comprises the step of providing an audible or visual warning when the vehicle is threatened by an obstacle.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of displaying and rendering the selected portions of the intermediate database on the display unit further comprises the step of displaying at least one desired icon on the display, each icon corresponding to the selected portions of the intermediate database.

14. A method for displaying real time navigational information on a single display device coupled to a vehicle having a navigational system, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an electronic medium in communication with the navigational system;

b) creating and storing at least one informational database by a software means stored on the electronic medium;

c) generating and storing an intermediate database on the electronic medium by the software means, the intermediate database containing projection data representing navigational information, the projection data created by fusing preselected data from each informational database and projecting the fused preselected data to a common mapping system containing nautical mile information;

d) transmitting selected portions of the intermediate database to a multicolor display device by the software means; and

e) continuously displaying the selected portions of the intermediate database on the display device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the informational database is selected from the group consisting of environmental terrain data, obstacle data, adjacent vehicle data, special use airspace data, political boundary data, civic boundary data, geographic feature data, navigation aid data, airport information data, airway and intersection data, weather data, cultural data, man-made object data, air traffic data, wind data and flight plan data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of generating an informational database further comprises the step of obtaining preselected static information and preselected dynamic information, the step of obtaining preselected static information being executed when the vehicle is not operated and the step of obtaining preselected dynamic information being executed when the vehicle is operated.

17. An apparatus for displaying a vehicle'"'"'s coordinate location on a display unit within a vehicle, the vehicle having a navigational system, the apparatus comprising:

a) an electronic medium in communication with the navigational system;

b) an informational database loaded and stored on the electronic medium, the informational database created by a software means stored on the electronic medium;

c) an intermediate database created from the informational database by the software means, the intermediate database being loaded and stored on the electronic medium, the intermediate database containing projection data representing navigational information, the projection data created by fusing preselected data from the informational database and projecting the fused preselected data to a common graphical coordinate axis, the axis based on a desired reference point; and

d) a display device in communication with the electronic medium, the display device receiving selected portions of the projection data and simultaneously and continuously displaying and rendering the selected portions of the projection data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the informational database is selected from the group consisting of environmental terrain data, obstacle data, adjacent vehicle data, special use airspace data, political boundary data, civic boundary data, geographic feature data, navigation aid data, airport information data, airway and intersection data, weather data, cultural data, man-made object data, air traffic data, wind data and flight plan data.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the electronic medium is a computer means including a control input device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the informational database contains preselected static information and preselected dynamic information.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the preselected static information is obtained when the vehicle is not operated and the preselected dynamic information is obtained when the vehicle is operated.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the desired reference point is the vehicle'"'"'s coordinate position relative to the earth.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the desired reference point is a geographical coordinate location.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the projection data contains nautical mile information.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the display device displays at least one icon, each icon corresponding to the selected portions of the projection data.

26. An apparatus for displaying a vehicle'"'"'s coordinate location on a display unit within a vehicle having a navigational system, comprising:

a) and an electronic medium attached to the navigational system;

b) a software means loaded and stored on the electronic medium;

c) at least one informational database created by a software means, each informational database loaded and stored on the electronic medium, each intermediate database created by spatially and coordinately culling the informational database to obtain spatial data stored on the electronic medium, filtering the spatial data by the software means to obtain displayable data corresponding to a geographic vicinity of a desired reference point and projecting the displayable data to a mapping system which contains a common graphical coordinate axis based upon the desired reference point;

d) allowing the software means to transmit selected portions of the displayable data to the display unit; and

e) allowing the software means to continuously display and render the selected portions of the displayable data on the display unit.