Glide range depiction for electronic flight instrument displays

• US 6,573,841 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genesys Aerosystems Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chelton Flight Systems Incorporated (Genesys Aerosystems Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Price, Ricardo A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/824,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20020140578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 340/963, 340/945, 340/967, 340/971, 340/976, 701/6, 701/9, 701/14, 701/16, 701/18
• US Class Current: 340/963
• 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: G01S 7/12 Plan-position indicators, i.e. P.P.I.
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/24 the display being orientated or displaced in accordance with movement of object carrying the transmitting and receiving apparatus, e.g. true-motion radar

Abstract

The present invention is directed to novel methods for depicting glide range on moving map displays and on perspective-view primary flight displays. These methods involve processing data gathered from various aircraft sensors and, using a variety of electronic databases, generating intuitive symbols that aid the pilot.

Claims

1. A moving map display for an electronic flight instrument system comprising:

a graphical map depiction; and

a graphical glide range depiction.

2. A primary flight display for an electronic flight instrument comprising:

a graphical horizon depiction; and

a graphical glide range depiction.

3. A method of depicting glide range for an aircraft upon the aircraft'"'"'s instrument display comprising the steps of:

collecting data material to the glide range of an aircraft;

calculating from the data a glide range for the aircraft;

graphically displaying the glide range of the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the calculation is iterative.

5. The method of claim 3 in which the data comprises wind speed.

6. The method of claim 3 in which the data comprises current position and heading.

7. The method of claim 3 in which the graphic display is a moving map display.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of graphically displaying a horizon.

9. The method of claim 4 in which the data comprises wind speed.

10. The method of claim 4 in which the data comprises air speed and heading.

11. The method of claim 4 in which the graphic display is a moving map display.

12. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of graphically displaying a horizon.