Airport display device

• US 6,927,782 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Fetzmann, Fabien, Coldefy, Pierre, Lemoult, Frédéric
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMJOO, MANUCHER
• Application Number:
  US10/214,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20030179215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345/626, 345/629, 345/660, 345/661, 345/670, 345/671
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

The display device (1) comprises display means (2) comprising a screen (3), a data base (4) provided with data on the airport, an actuating system (5) for selecting a degree of zoom, a central unit (6) that controls the display means (2) such that it shows the airport on the screen (3) according to a scale value representative of a selected degree of zoom, and a means (10) making it possible to parameterize scale values. The display means (2) shows the airport solely in plan view on the screen (3), and the central unit (6) controls it such that it shows on the screen (3) details, according to one of a plurality of different levels of detail, each of the said levels of detail being dependent on the selected degree of zoom.

Claims

1. An airport display device, comprising:

at least one display unit that comprises at is least one display screen;

at least one data base that contains data relating to an airport;

an actuating system that selects a degree of zoom for the airport to be displayed, from among a plurality of different degrees of zoom;

a central unit which is connected to said display unit, to said data base and to said actuating system and which controls said display unit such that it exhibits on said display screen at least a part of the airport, and that it does so according to one of a plurality of scale values representative of the degree of zoom selected by an intermediary of said actuating system; and

at least one parameterization unit that is operable by an operator to parameterize at least certain ones of aid scale values, in that said display unit exhibits said part of the airport solely in plan view on said display screen, and in that said central unit controls said display unit such that it exhibits details of the airport on the display screen, according to one of a plurality of different levels of detail, each of said levels of detail being dependent at least on the selected degree of zoom, wherein;

said actuating system comprises at least one third actuating unit that controls the display unit in such a way that it automatically centers the part of the airport that it is showing on said display screen on a characteristic sign illustrating the position of a moving object provided with said device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said actuating system comprises at least one first actuating unit that modifies the selected degree of zoom, in both directions, between two limit degrees.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said actuating system comprises at least one second actuating unit that selects directly one of at least three different degrees of zoom, respectively relating to:

general navigation

proximity navigation; and

precision taxiing.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said actuating system furthermore comprises at least one fifth actuating unit that is operable by an operator to:

starting from a first degree of zoom, gain access, by a first actuation of said fifth actuating unit, to a second degree of zoom allowing a presentation of the whole of the airport on said display screen; and

starting from this second degree of zoom, return, by a second actuation of said fifth actuating unit, to said first degree of zoom.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a displacement unit that displaces a display of the part of the airport that is displayed on the display screen.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said central unit is made such that a variation of zoom between two different degrees of zoom appears continuous to the operator looking at said display screen.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said central unit is made much that a displacement of the display of the part of the airport that is displayed on the display screen appears continuous to the operator looking a said display screen.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said display unit comprises at least two different display modes, and in that said central unit is made such that, during a change of mode from a first mode to a second mode, it successively causes on said display screen at least the disappearance of a mask relating to said first mode, a displacement of a display of an aircraft part that is displayed and the appearance of a mask relating to said second mode.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a loading unit that loads data in real time into said data base.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is integrated in a portable computer.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said display unit is a display system of the aircraf in which said device is installed, and in that elements of said device, other than said display unit, are part of a specific assembly.

12. An airport display device, comprising:

at least one display unit that comprises at least one display screen;

at least one data base that contains data relating to an airport;

an actuating system that selects a degree of zoom for the airport to be displayed, from among a plurality of different degrees of zoom;

a central unit which is connected to said display unit, to said data base and to said actuating system and which controls said display unit such that it exhibits on said display screen at least a part of the airport, and that it does so according to one of a plurality of scale values representative of the degree of zoom selected by an intermediary of said actuating system; and

at least one parameterization unit that is operable by an operator to enter new scale vales in order to adapt these new scale values to the characteristics of the airport to be displayed, in that said display unit exhibits said part of the airport solely in plan view on said display screen, and in that said central unit controls said display unit such that it exhibits details of the airport on the display screen, according to one of a plurality of different levels of detail, each of said levels of detail being dependent at least on the selected degree of zoom, wherein

said actuating system comprises at least one fourth actuating unit that controls the display unit such that at it centers the part of the airport that it is showing on said display screen on predefined points of the airport, in a cyclic manner, whilst modifying the view at each new actuation of said fourth actuating unit.

13. An airport display device, comprising:

at least one display unit that comprises at least one display screen;

at least one data base that contains data relating to an airport;

an actuating system that selects a degree of zoom for the airport to be displayed, from among a plurality of different degrees of zoom;

a central unit which is connected to said display unit, to said data base and to said actuating system and which controls said display unit such that it exhibits on said display screen at least a part of the airport, and that it does so according to one of a plurality of scale values representative of the degree of zoom selected by an intermediary of said actuating system; and

at least one parameterization unit that is operable by an operator to enter new scale vales in order to adapt these new scale values to the characteristics of the airport be displayed, in that said display unit exhibits said part of the airport solely in plan view on said display screen, and in that said central unit controls said display unit such that it exhibits details of the airport on the display screen, according to one of a plurality of different levels of detail each of said levels of detail being dependent at least on the selected degree of zoom, wherein

said actuating system furthermore comprises at least one sixth actuating unit that selects a point of the airport upon which the part of the airport which is shown on the display screen is then centered.