Graphic closure indicator for cockpit traffic display
First Claim
1. A system for displaying aeronautical information, said system comprising:
- a central processing unit;
a memory coupled to said processing unit; and
a display screen coupled to said central processing unit, said central processing unit being configured for executing the steps of;
determining whether a target aircraft is within a pre˜
determined monitoring zone;
responsive, at least in part, to said target aircraft being within said predetermined monitoring zone, displaying a closure indicator on said display screen;
allowing a user to at least partially modify at least one boundary of said monitoring zone; and
comparing a track of said target aircraft with a track of an Own Ship aircraft; and
responsive, at least in part, to said track of said target of said Own Ship aircraft, performing said step of displaying said closure indicator on said display screen.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for graphically displaying on a cockpit display an indication of closure (i.e. a “closure indictor”) with a selected target aircraft. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system only displays a closure indicator if: (1) the selected target aircraft is within a predetermined monitoring zone; and (2) the track of the selected target aircraft is within a pre-determined variation angle of the track of the Own Ship aircraft. If the rate of closure between the selected target aircraft and the Own Ship aircraft is within a predetermined range of values, the closure indicator includes a closing/receding indicia (such as an upwardly or downwardly directed arrow) that indicates whether the Own Ship aircraft is closing in on or receding from the selected target aircraft. The system preferably removes the closure indicator from display when the Own Ship aircraft or the selected target aircraft ceases to be airborne.
82 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A system for displaying aeronautical information, said system comprising:
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a central processing unit;
a memory coupled to said processing unit; and
a display screen coupled to said central processing unit, said central processing unit being configured for executing the steps of;
determining whether a target aircraft is within a pre˜
determined monitoring zone;
responsive, at least in part, to said target aircraft being within said predetermined monitoring zone, displaying a closure indicator on said display screen;
allowing a user to at least partially modify at least one boundary of said monitoring zone; and
comparing a track of said target aircraft with a track of an Own Ship aircraft; and
responsive, at least in part, to said track of said target of said Own Ship aircraft, performing said step of displaying said closure indicator on said display screen.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35)
responsive, at least in part, to said target aircraft being outside of said predetermined monitoring zone, displaying no closure indicator on said display screen.
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3. The system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined monitoring zone is adjacent a front portion of an Own Ship aircraft.
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4. The system of claim 3, wherein said monitoring zone is a substantially cone-shaped segment of airspace.
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5. The system of claim 4, wherein an apex of said cone-shaped segment of airspace is positioned adjacent a front end of said Own Ship aircraft, and wherein an axis of said cone-shaped segment of airspace is substantially colinear with a track of said Own Ship aircraft.
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6. The system of claim 4, wherein a vertex angle of said cone-shaped segment of airspace is about 40 degrees.
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7. The system of claim 1, wherein said central processing unit is configured for executing the step of:
in response to said track of said target aircraft being outside of said predetermined variation angle of said track of said Own Ship, displaying no closure indicator on said display screen.
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8. The system of claim 1, wherein said central processing unit is configured for allowing a user to modify said predetermined variation angle.
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9. The system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined variation angle is about 20 degrees.
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10. The system of claim 1, wherein said closure indicator comprises a closing/receding indicia that indicates whether said Own Ship aircraft is closing in on, or receding from, said target aircraft.
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11. The system of claim 10, wherein said closure indicator comprises a closure rate indicator.
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12. The system of claim 11, wherein said closure rate indicator comprises an alphanumeric value indicating the current rate at which said Own Ship aircraft is closing in on, or receding from, said target aircraft.
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13. The system of claim 1, wherein said central processing unit is configured for displaying said closure indicator to one side of a symbol representing said Own Ship aircraft in response to a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft being outside of a predetermined range.
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14. The system of claim 1, wherein, if a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft is within a predetermined range, said closure indicator comprises a closing/receding indicia that indicates whether said Own Ship aircraft is closing in on, or receding from, said target aircraft.
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15. The system of claim 14, wherein, if a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft is outside of said predetermined range, said closure indicator does not comprise a closing/receding indicia that indicates whether said Own Ship aircraft is closing in on, or receding from, said target aircraft.
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16. The system of claim 14, wherein if a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft is above a predetermined upper threshold value, said closure indicator comprises a closing/receding indicia that indicates that said Own Ship aircraft is closing in on said target aircraft.
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17. The system of claim 16, wherein said predetermined upper threshold value is about 5 knots.
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18. The system of claim 14, wherein, if a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft is below a predetermined lower threshold value, said closure indicator comprises a closing/receding indicia that indicates that said Own Ship aircraft is receding from said target aircraft.
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19. The system of claim 18, wherein said predetermined lower threshold value is about −
- 5 knots.
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20. The system of claim 14, wherein said closing/receding indicia comprises an upwardly-directed arrow if said Own Ship aircraft is closing in on said target aircraft.
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21. The system of claim 14, wherein said closing/receding indicia is displayed above a symbol representing said Own Ship aircraft if said Own Ship aircraft is closing in on said target aircraft.
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22. The system of claim 14, wherein said closing/receding indicia comprises a downwardly-directed arrow if said Own Ship aircraft is receding from said target aircraft.
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23. The system of claim 14, wherein said closing/receding indicia is displayed below a symbol representing said Own Ship aircraft if said Own Ship aircraft is receding from said target aircraft.
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24. The system of claim 1, wherein said central processing unit is configured for executing the steps of:
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determining whether a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft is above a predetermined upper threshold value; and
responsive, at least in part, to said closure rate being above said predetermined upper threshold value, displaying said closure indicator in a predetermined position on said display screen.
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25. The system of claim 24, wherein said predetermined position is immediately above an Own Ship icon displayed on said display screen.
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26. The system of claim 1, wherein said central processing unit is configured for executing the steps of:
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determining whether a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft is above a predetermined upper threshold value; and
responsive, at least in part, to said closure rate being above said predetermined upper threshold value, displaying a closing/receding indicia on said display screen.
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27. The system of claim 26, wherein said predetermined upper threshold value is about 5 knots.
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28. The system of claim 1, wherein said central processing unit is configured for executing the steps of:
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determining whether a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft is below a predetermined lower threshold value; and
responsive, at least in part, to said closure rate being below said predetermined lower threshold value, displaying said closure indicator in a predetermined position on said display screen.
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29. The system of claim 28, wherein said predetermined position is immediately below an Own Ship icon displayed on said display screen.
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30. The system of claim 1, wherein said central processing unit is configured for executing the steps of:
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determining whether a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft is below a predetermined lower threshold value; and
responsive, at least in part, to said closure rate being below said predetermined lower threshold value, displaying a closing/receding indicia on said display screen.
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31. The system of claim 30, wherein said lower threshold value is about −
- 5 knots.
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33. The system of claim 1 wherein said central processing unit is configured for executing the step of:
in response to (1) a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft being above a predetermined lower threshold value; and
(2) said closure rate being below a predetermined upper threshold value, executing a step of displaying no closing/receding indicia on said display screen.
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34. The system of claim 33, wherein said central processing unit is configured for allowing a user to modify said predetermined upper threshold value.
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35. The system of claim 33, wherein said central processing unit is configured for allowing a user to modify said predetermined lower threshold value.
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32. A system for displaying aeronautical information, said system comprising:
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a central processing unit;
a memory coupled to said processing unit; and
a display screen coupled to said central processing unit, said central processing unit being configured for executing the steps of;
determining whether a target aircraft is within a pre˜
determined monitoring zone;
responsive, at least in part, to said target aircraft being within said predetermined monitoring zone, displaying a closure indicator on said display screen;
allowing a user to at least partially modify at least one boundary of said monitoring zone; and
executing the step of;
in response to (1) a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft being above a predetermined lower threshold value; and
(2) said closure rate being below a predetermined upper threshold value, executing a step of displaying no closure indicator on said display screen.
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36. A system for displaying aeronautical information, said system comprising:
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a central processing unit;
a memory coupled to said processing unit, and a display screen coupled to said central processing unit, said central processing unit being configured for executing the steps of;
determining whether a target aircraft is within a pre˜
determined monitoring zone;
responsive, at least in part, to said target aircraft being within said predetermined monitoring zone, displaying a closure indicator on said display screen;
allowing a user to at least partially modify at least one boundary of said monitoring zone; and
removing said closure indicator from said display screen in response to said Own Ship aircraft landing.
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37. A system for displaying aeronautical information, said system comprising:
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a central processing unit;
a memory coupled to said processing unit; and
a display screen coupled to said central processing unit, said central processing unit being configured for executing the steps of;
determining whether a target aircraft is within a pre˜
determined monitoring zone;
responsive, at least in part, to said target aircraft being within said predetermined monitoring zone, displaying a closure indicator on said display screen;
allowing a user to at least partially modify at least one boundary of said monitoring zone; and
removing said closure indicator from said display screen in response to said target aircraft landing.
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38. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of
comparing a track of a target aircraft with a track of an Own Ship aircraft; - and
responsive, at least in part, to said track of said target aircraft being within a pre-determined variation angle of said track of said Own Ship aircraft, displaying a closure indicator on said display screen, said computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions for;
in response to (1) a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft being above a predetermined lower threshold value; and
(2) said closure rate being below a predetermined upper threshold value, executing a step of displaying no closing/receding indicia on said display screen.- View Dependent Claims (39)
determining whether said target aircraft is within a pre-determined monitoring zone; and
responsive, at least in part, to said target aircraft being within said predetermined monitoring zone, performing said step of displaying a closure indicator on said display screen.
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40. A method of displaying aeronautical information, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining whether a closure rate between a target aircraft and an Own Ship aircraft is above a predetermined upper threshold value; and
responsive, at least in part, to said closure rate being above said predetermined upper threshold value, performing a step of displaying a closure indicator on a display screen, said closure indicator comprising a closing/receding indicia. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
determining whether said closure rate is below a predetermined lower threshold value; and
responsive, at least in part, to said closure rate being below said predetermined lower threshold value, performing a step of displaying a closure indicator on a display screen, said closure indicator comprising a closing/receding indicia.
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42. The method of claim 41, said method further comprising the steps of
in response to (1) a closure rate between said target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft being above a predetermined lower threshold value; - and (2) said closure rate being below said predetermined upper threshold value, executing a step of displaying a closure indicator on a display screen, said closure indicator comprising no closing/receding indicia.
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43. The method of claim 41, said method further comprising the steps of:
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determining whether said target aircraft is within a pre-determined monitoring zone; and
responsive, at least in part, to said target aircraft being within said predetermined monitoring zone, displaying a closure indicator on said display screen.
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44. The method of claim 43, said method further comprising the steps of:
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comparing a track of said target aircraft with a track of said Own Ship aircraft; and
responsive, at least in part, to said track of said target aircraft being within a pre-determined variation angle of said track of said Own Ship aircraft, displaying a closure indicator on said display screen.
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45. The method of claim 41, said method further comprising the steps of:
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comparing a track of said target aircraft with a track of said Own Ship aircraft; and
responsive, at least in part, to said track of said target aircraft being within a pre-determined variation angle of said track of said Own Ship aircraft, displaying a closure indicator on said display screen.
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46. A system for displaying aeronautical information, said system being configured for use within an Own Ship aircraft, and said system comprising:
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a central processing unit;
a memory coupled to said processing unit; and
a display screen coupled to said central processing unit, said central processing unit being configured for executing the steps of;
determining a closure rate between a target aircraft and said Own Ship aircraft;
displaying a symbol representing said Own Ship aircraft on said display screen; and
displaying a closure indicator on said display screen adjacent to said symbol representing said Own Ship aircraft, said closure indicator being operative to visually relate said closure rate to a user. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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Specification