Flight management system and method for providing navigational reference to emergency landing locations

• US 6,804,585 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vision Controls Corporation (Converge Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Vision Controls Corporation (Converge Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Inventors: Humbard, John Jay, Putman, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/175,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20030060940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/9, 701/16, 701/120, 701/301, 701/17, 701/14, 701/300, 340/961, 340/947, 340/972, 340/973, 340/974, 340/975, 340/977, 340/979, 342/29, 342/32, 342/33, 342/455, 342/357.03, 342/357.06
• 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 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

An aviation navigational system and method for predicting glide range for an aircraft for specific airports and other potential emergency landing locations in proximity to the aircraft. Information is presented to the pilot by complementing a conventional moving map display with symbols centered on each landing location. GPS altitude, airport elevation, and the aircraft'"'"'s glide ratio are factored into an equation to determine glide range for each airport within proximity to the aircraft. A circular symbol representing the glide range boundary is displayed around each airport. Each circular symbol represents a sectional view of an imaginary inverted cone, having the apex thereof centered on a given landing location. The size and shape of the cone is based on the gliding performance of the aircraft and the altitude differential between the aircraft and the target landing location. As the altitude differential increases the radius of the circle increases. Conversely as the altitude differential decreases, the radius of the circle decreases. As long as the aircraft is anywhere within any one of the three-dimensional inverted cones displayed, as represented by one or more circles on a two dimensional display, it can safely glide to the landing location. This display concept is selectively referred to herein as “cones of safety.”

Claims

1. An electronic aviation flight navigation system comprising:

a computer having an electronic display for use onboard an aircraft, said computer enabled with moving map GPS for displaying navigational positioning information;

means for displaying an airport location relative to said aircraft along a flight path on a moving map display;

means for calculating a glide range for the aircraft based on the aircraft'"'"'s glide ratio and the altitude differential between said aircraft and said airport by obtaining the altitude of the aircraft above sea level from GPS data, obtaining the altitude of the airport above sea level from a database, calculating the differential between said airport altitude and said aircraft altitude, and multiplying said differential by said glide ratio; and

means for displaying a generally circular symbol having a radius coresponding to said glide range and centering said circular symbol on said airport, thereby providing an indication of whether the aircraft is within gliding range of said airport.

2. A method for generating and displaying aviation navigational information comprising:

receiving data from a GPS system and determining the approximate latitude, longitude, and altitude above sea level of an aircraft;

receiving data from a database including the latitude, longitude, an elevation of airports above sea level;

displaying a moving map depicting the position of said aircraft relative to airports in proximity to said aircraft;

calculating a glide range for said aircraft relative to each of said airports by determining the altitude differential between said aircraft and each of said airports, and multiplying said altitude differential for each of said airports by the glide ratio corresponding to said aircraft;

displaying a generally circular symbol around and centered on each of said airports, said symbol having a radius corresponding to said calculated glide range.

3. A method for generating and displaying aviation navigational information according to claim 2 further comprising:

receiving data corresponding to wind speed and direction for each displayed airport;

shifting said generally circular symbols for each displayed airport toward the direction from which the wind is blowing to reflect a shorter available glide range into a head-wind, or a longer available glide range with a tail-wind.

4. A method for generating and displaying aviation navigational information according to claim 2 further comprising:

receiving information regarding the location and height of obstacle in proximity to displayed airports;

modifying the shape of said circular symbols when said obstacles would prevent the aircraft from safely gliding to an airport from a given direction.

5. An aircraft moving map information system for providing a visual display of airports to the pilot, the moving map information system comprising:

position means for receiving signals representative of the position and elevation of the aircraft;

airport data means for storing airport data representative of the locations of airports;

a cockpit display; and

glide range means, responsive to said position means and said airport data means, for calculating a glide range for each airport displayed by obtaining altitude information for the aircraft from a GPS system, obtaining altitude information for each airport displayed, calculating the differential between said airport altitude and said aircraft altitude, and multiplying said differential by said glide ratio to determine glide range, said glide range corresponding to the radius of a circular symbol displayed around each airport displayed.