Methods and apparatus for real-time projection and rendering of geospatially organized data

• US 6,922,703 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2000
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Blake W., Hilbert, Matt, Teskey, Gary, Snyder, Mark I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): GODDARD, BRIAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/661,674
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 348113-119, 345 7- 9, 345418-427, 345619-623, 345629-633, 707/101, 707/100, 707/104.1, 701/3, 701/300, 701/200, 701/208, 342/29, 342/36
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/92 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for real-time projection and rendering of one or more geospatially organized navigation databases. A system stores, processes, and displays a navigation database (including, e.g., terrain, navigation aids, obstructions, political boundaries, and the like) and avionics data to accomplish real-time display while maintaining correct projections of the data from latitude and longitude coordinates to Cartesian (nautical-mile) coordinates. Flight-plans may be graphically modified via an intuitive user interface.

Claims

1. A method for displaying navigational data associated with an aircraft on a display having a display coordinate system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing one or more databases, each database including navigational data stored as geospatially organized data structures that include data representative of latitude and longitude coordinates;

retrieving data from one or more of said databases;

dynamically tiling the retrieved data onto one or more other data structures that represent display elements projected into the display coordinate system;

culling the dynamically tiled data to a current display range, to thereby generate display into the display data structures;

updating, in real-time, a projected display database that includes the generated display data structures and that substantially maintains correct projections of the dynamically tiled and culled data from latitude and longitude coordinates to Cartesian coordinates;

modifying said display database in accordance with avionics data associated with said aircraft; and

displaying said display database in accordance with said modifying step.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of unifying map and plan mode presentations into a virtual map.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of simultaneously displaying at least two profiles.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a map from a variable perspective, wherein the angle of incidence between the pilot'"'"'s view and earth'"'"'s surface is set at an angle of less than ninety degrees.

5. A display system comprising:

a cursor control device (CCD) configured to accept input from a user;

a display computer coupled to said CCD and configured to process avionics data and said input from said user, wherein said display computer is further coupled to a display having a display coordinate system and at least one database including navigational data stored as geospatially organized data structures that include data representative of latitude and longitude coordinates;

said display computer further configured to;

dynamically tile data retrieved from the at least one database onto one or more other data structures that represent display elements projected into the display coordinate system;

cull the dynamically tiled data to a current display range, to thereby generate display data structures;

update, in real-time, a projected display database that includes the generated display data structures and that substantially maintains correct projections of the dynamically tiled and culled data from latitude and longitude coordinates to Cartesian coordinates;

modify said display database in accordance with avionics data associated with an aircraft; and

display said display database in accordance with said modifying step.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the display computer is configured to display a map from a variable perspective.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a map of layered information, wherein said layers are controllable via graphical interfaces.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said CCD is a graphical user interface.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said display is configured to display flight plan transitions as curved paths from one flight leg to the next.