Navigation assisting apparatus, aircraft in which the navigation assisting system is mounted, navigation assisting method and navigation assist processing program recorded in a storage medium

• US 6,970,784 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Shinagawa, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/319,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20030139876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 701/121, 701/120, 701/122, 701/204, 701/206, 701/207, 701/213, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 340/994, 340/990, 340/961, 340/995.23, 340/988, 342/47
• US Class Current: 701/204
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32

Abstract

An arithmetic unit calculates an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of an aircraft at a target point, and obtains a difference between ETA and a required time of arrival (RTA) at the target point. It multiplies a time error corresponding to the difference in time by the velocity of the aircraft, thereby converting the time error to a distance error. The distance error is symbol-displayed as ΔP_TIME in a display unit. Thus, the time error concerning a flight of the aircraft is visually displayed as a distance error. If the distance error exceeds a preset threshold value, a caution such as a display message or a voice message is generated.

Claims

1. A navigation assisting apparatus mounted in an aircraft, comprising:

an error calculator configured to obtain an estimated time of arrival of the aircraft when the aircraft is estimated to arrive at a target point for which a required time of arrival of the aircraft is set in advance and calculate a time error between the estimated time of arrival and the required time of arrival;

a converter which converts the time error calculated by the error calculator to a distance error based on a velocity of the aircraft; and

a display which visually displays the distance error obtained by the converter, an aircraft symbol representing the aircraft, and an error symbol having a length corresponding to the distance error.

2. The navigation assisting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display displays the error symbol one of ahead and behind the aircraft symbol in a direction of travel of the aircraft in accordance with a sign of the time error calculated by the error calculator.

3. The navigation assisting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display displays the error symbol along a preset flight route of the aircraft.

4. A navigation assisting apparatus mounted in an aircraft, comprising:

an error calculator configured to obtain an estimated time of arrival of the aircraft when the aircraft is estimated to arrive at a target point for which a required time of arrival of the aircraft is set in advance and calculate a time error between the estimated time of arrival and the required time of arrival;

a converter configured to convert the time error calculated by the error calculator to a distance error based on a velocity of the aircraft;

a display configured to visually display the distance error obtained by the converter; and

a caution generator configured to generate a caution if the distance error obtained by the converter exceeds a threshold value,

wherein the caution generator varies a level of the caution stepwise in accordance with a difference between the distance error and the threshold value.

5. A navigation assisting apparatus mounted in an aircraft, comprising:

an error calculator configured to obtain an estimated time of arrival of the aircraft when the aircraft is estimated to arrive at a target point for which a required time of arrival of the aircraft is set in advance and calculate a time error between the estimated time of arrival and the required time of arrival;

a converter configured to convert the time error calculated by the error calculator to a distance error based on a velocity of the aircraft;

a display configured to visually display the distance error obtained by the converter; and

a caution generator configured to generate a caution if the distance error obtained by the converter exceeds a threshold value,

wherein the caution generator varies the threshold value in accordance with an accuracy of the distance error.

6. A navigation assisting method for use in an aircraft, comprising:

obtaining an estimated time of arrival of the aircraft when the aircraft is estimated to arrive at a target point for which a required time of arrival of the aircraft is set in advance;

calculating a time error between the estimated time of arrival and the required time of arrival;

converting the time error to a distance error based on a velocity of the aircraft;

visually displaying the distance error;

generating a caution if the distance error exceeds a threshold value; and

varying a level of the caution stepwise in accordance with a difference between the distance error and the threshold value.