Aircraft taxi planning system and method

• US 6,751,545 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Aerospace, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Aerospace, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Walter, Randy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/078,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120, 701/16, 701/207, 701/11, 701/13, 701/14, 701/214, 340/961, 340/947, 340/933, 340/453, 340/972, 340/979, 340/990, 340/995, 342/450, 342/454, 342/34, 342/118, 342/36, 244/158.R, 244/183, 455/456
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/06 for control when on the ground

Abstract

A taxi planning system for aircraft provides an intuitive user interface for entering and selecting taxi plans quickly and easily. The system includes predefined reduced selection menus that prompt the pilot with feasible taxi choices. Predefined standard routes allow the pilot to select a taxi route with a minimum of keystrokes and in a minimum of time. A display screen communicates the selection menus and standard routes to the pilot who makes a selection with as little as one keystroke. A database comprising a linked list structure facilitates a flexible system that is able to represent a wide variety of airport runways, taxiways, gates, ramps, and other airport structures. The selected taxi route is communicated to other aircraft systems such as head-down displays, head-up displays, flight management computers, communication systems, and the like.

Claims

1. An aircraft taxi planning system comprising:

a user interface comprising,

a display screen, and

a selection input;

a data storage device storing airport taxi data; and

a processor in communication with said display screen and said selection input, wherein said processor generates a menu of possible taxi legs as a function of said airport taxi data and a prior taxi leg selection, wherein said taxi legs are appropriate to the aircraft location, and said processor communicates said menu to said display screen.

2. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein said airport taxi data comprises runway data, taxiway data, and gate data.

3. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein said data storage device stores a predefined standard taxi route.

4. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein display screen comprises a head-down display system.

5. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein display screen comprises a head-up display system.

6. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein display screen is selected from the group consisting of an electronic flight instrument system, a head-up display, a transponder, and a wireless communications system.

7. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a multifunction control display unit.

8. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein said processor comprises a flight management computer.

9. An aircraft taxi planning system comprising:

a user interface comprising,

a display screen, and

a selection input;

a data storage device storing airport taxi data; and

a processor in communication with said display screen and said selection input, wherein said processor generates a menu of possible taxi legs as a function of said airport taxi data, wherein said taxi legs are appropriate to the aircraft location and said processor communicates said menu to said display screen, and wherein said airport taxi data is stored as a linked list.

10. A method of aircraft taxi planning comprising the steps of:

receiving aircraft position data indicative of a position of an aircraft at an airport;

generating a first menu of taxi legs appropriate for said aircraft position data;

receiving a taxi leg selection signal indicative of a selected taxi leg from said first menu of taxi legs;

generating a second menu of taxi legs appropriate for said selected taxi leg;

generating a taxi path indicative of said selected taxi leg; and

communicating a taxi path signal indicative of said taxi path to a display system.

11. The method of aircraft taxi planning of claim 10 further comprising the step of receiving aircraft destination data indicative of a destination position at said airport.

12. The method of aircraft taxi planning of claim 10, wherein the first generating step comprises generating a standard taxi route.

13. The method of aircraft taxi planning of claim 10 further comprising the step of transmitting said taxi path to a ground control system.

14. The method of aircraft taxi planning of claim 10, wherein said display system is selected from the group consisting of a head-down display system and a head-up display system.

15. A method of aircraft taxi planning comprising the steps of:

receiving aircraft position data indicative of a position of an aircraft at an airport;

generating a first menu of taxi legs appropriate for said aircraft position data;

receiving a taxi leg selection signal indicative of a selected taxi leg from said first menu of taxi legs;

generating a second menu of taxi legs appropriate for said selected taxi leg;

generating a taxi path indicative of said selected taxi leg; and

communicating a taxi path signal indicative of said taxi path to a display system, wherein the steps of generating a menu comprise searching a linked list of airport taxi data.

16. The method of aircraft taxi planning of claim 15, wherein said linked list comprises a taxi point table.

17. The method of aircraft taxi planning of claim 15, wherein said linked list comprises a taxi path ID table.

18. The method of aircraft taxi planning of claim 15, wherein said linked list comprises a point type field.

19. The method of aircraft taxi planning of claim 18, wherein said point type field comprises a HOLD value.

20. The method of aircraft taxi planning of claim 19 further comprising the step of soliciting an action by a pilot as a function of said aircraft approaching a taxi point associated with said HOLD value.