Vertical speed indicator and traffic alert collision avoidance system

• US 6,683,541 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Brandao, Ruy C. P., King, Larry, Bateman, C. Don, Kuntman, Daryal, Staggs, Thomas J., Brooke, Daryl
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/489,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20020089432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 340/961, 340/963, 340/968, 340/949, 340/971, 340/973, 340/974, 340/975, 340/970, 340/969, 342/29, 342/36, 342/30, 701/9, 701/14, 701/120, 701/301, 701/5, 701/7
• US Class Current: 340/961
• 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 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

A method and device for deriving and displaying advanced TCAS information.

Claims

1. A method for displaying advanced information on a host aircraft display, the method comprising:

displaying an icon representing another aircraft within a predetermined range;

delineating said icon;

displaying a first visual symbol describing a relative velocity of the other aircraft; and

displaying a second visual symbol describing a wake vortex created by the other aircraft, wherein said second visual symbol further comprises visual symbology describing location and intensity information that is prepared by a process comprising the steps of;

a) collecting position of the other aircraft relative to host aircraft;

b) collecting weight class and aircraft type information of the other aircraft;

c) collecting barometric elevation above mean sea level of the other aircraft;

d) collecting terrain elevation information;

e) determining elevation of the other aircraft based on position information of the other aircraft in combination with said terrain elevation information,

f) collecting local runway information from a database of airport information;

g) collecting predicted configuration of the other aircraft;

h) collecting local wind information;

i) collecting local temperature; and

j) determining an estimate of the severity, extent, and drift of said wake vortex.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said delineating further comprises delineating one said icon of one or more of said icons representing respective other aircraft within said predetermined range in response to a selection input.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein said delineating said icon further comprises a method of delineating selected from the group consisting of:

a) forming a delineator around said icon,

b) flashing said icon alternately on and off;

c) changing the color of said icon, and

d) changing the shape of said icon.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said displaying the first visual symbol describing a relative velocity of said aircraft further comprises displaying a first visual symbol indicative of a relative velocity greater than a predetermined threshold.

5. The method recited in claim 4, wherein said displaying the first visual symbol describing a relative velocity further comprises displaying a relative heading of the other aircraft.

6. The method recited in claim 4, wherein said displaying the first visual symbol describing said relative velocity further comprises displaying a visual symbol indicative of a relative velocity less than said predetermined threshold.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said visual symbol describing said wake vortex includes information describing the orientation of said wake vortex, and said orientation information comprises an orientation information selected from the group of:

a) a visual symbol aligned with a relative heading of the other aircraft,

b) a visual symbol aligned with an average position of said wake vortex, and

c) a visual symbol aligned with a path of said wake vortex.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said visual symbol describing said wake vortex includes information describing the intensity of said wake vortex in combination with information describing the orientation of said wake vortex.

9. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said visual symbol describing said wake vortex includes information describing the intensity of said wake vortex.

10. The method recited in claim 9, wherein said information describing intensity of said wake vortex comprises intensity information selected from the group of:

a) information describing the speed of the other aircraft, and

b) information describing the geographic length of said wake vortex.

11. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying a textual message including flight identification of the other aircraft.

12. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying a visual symbol defining a zone of protected airspace between the host aircraft and the other aircraft represented by said icon during parallel approach.

13. The method recited in claim 12, further comprising displaying a visual symbol identifying a probable incursion of said zone of protected airspace within a predetermined time period.

14. The method recited in claim 12, further comprising displaying a visual symbol identifying an incursion of said zone of protected airspace.

15. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying vertical speed.

16. The method recited in claim 15, wherein said displaying vertical speed further comprises displaying vertical speed on a linearly oriented scale.

17. The method recited in claim 16, wherein said displaying vertical speed further comprises displaying a recommended minimum vertical speed.

18. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising describing a zone of protected airspace between the host aircraft and the other aircraft.

19. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising:

predicting an incursion of said zone of protected airspace within a predetermined time period; and

generating an alert responsive to said predicted incursion.

20. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising:

determining an incursion of said zone of protected airspace; and

generating an alert responsive to said incursion.

21. An advanced TCAS display for displaying air traffic within a predetermined range of a host aircraft, the advanced TCAS display comprising:

a display screen;

at least one icon displayed on said display screen, said icon representative of another aircraft within a predetermined range of the host aircraft;

a first textual message displayed on said display screen, said first textual message defining said predetermined range;

a delineator highlighting a selected one of said icons;

a second textual message displayed on said display screen, said second textual message identifying the aircraft represented by said icon;

a first visual symbol displayed on said display screen, said visual symbol describing a relative velocity vector of the aircraft represented by said selected icon; and

a second visual symbol displayed on said display screen, said second visual symbol describing a wake vortex formed by the aircraft represented by said selected icon, wherein said second visual symbol further comprises visual symbology describing location and intensity information that is prepared by a process comprising the steps of;

a) collecting position of the other aircraft relative to host aircraft;

b) collecting weight class and aircraft type information of the other aircraft;

c) collecting barometric elevation above mean sea level of the other aircraft;

d) collecting terrain elevation information;

e) determining elevation of the other aircraft based on position information of the other aircraft in combination with said terrain elevation information,

f) collecting local runway information from a database of airport information;

g) collecting predicted configuration of the other aircraft;

h) collecting local wind information;

i) collecting local temperature; and

j) determining an estimate of the severity, extent, and drift of said wake vortex.

22. The advanced TCAS display recited in claim 21, wherein said first visual symbol describing a relative velocity vector further comprises one of a plurality of visual symbols describing different values of relative velocity.

23. The advanced TCAS display recited in claim 22, wherein said one of said plurality of visual symbols describing different values of relative velocity is determined as a function of said value of relative velocity in relation to a predetermined threshold value.

24. The advanced TCAS display recited in claim 21, further comprising a visual symbol describing a minimum flight path separation between the aircraft represented by said selected icon and the host aircraft.

25. The advanced TCAS display recited in claim 24, comprising a visual symbol describing a probable incursion into said minimum flight path separation within a predetermined time period.

26. The advanced TCAS display recited in claim 24, further comprising a visual symbol describing a reduction in the flight path separation between the aircraft represented by said selected icon and the host aircraft below said minimum flight path separation.

27. The advanced TCAS display recited in claim 21, further comprising a vertical speed indicator.

28. The advanced TCAS display recited in claim 27, wherein said vertical speed indicator further comprises linearly oriented indicia approximately aligned with one of a vertical and a horizontal edge of said display screen.

29. The advanced TCAS display recited in claim 28, wherein said vertical speed indicator further comprises a first portion indicating a recommended rate of vertical speed, said first portion delineated by a color different from a second adjacent portion of said vertical speed indicator.

30. The advanced TCAS display recited in claim 21, wherein said second visual symbol describing a wake vortex further comprises visual symbology describing the intensity of said wake vortex.

31. The advanced TCAS display recited in claim 21, wherein said second visual symbol describing a wake vortex further comprises visual symbology describing the location of said wake vortex.