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

• US 7,167,782 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/962,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/9, 701/16, 701/17, 701/120, 701/301, 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 a plurality of potential landing locations relative to said aircraft on a moving map display;

means for calculating glide ranges for the aircraft based on an aircraft'"'"'s glide ratio and an altitude differential between said aircraft and each of said plurality of potential landing locations;

means for displaying a generally circular symbol in centered relation around each potential landing location displayed, each circular symbol having a radius corresponding to the aircraft'"'"'s glide range as calculated from the altitude differential between said aircraft and said landing location corresponding to said circular symbol.

2. An electronic aviation flight navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said potential landing locations include airports, airstrips, and runways.

3. An electronic aviation flight navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said means for calculating glide ranges for the aircraft to each of a plurality of potential landing locations includes:

obtaining an altitude of the aircraft above sea level from GPS data;

obtaining the altitude of each of said plurality of potential landing locations from a database;

obtaining the differential between the aircraft altitude and landing location altitude for each potential landing location; and

multiplying said differential by said glide ratio for each potential landing location.

4. 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 a plurality of potential landing locations relative to said aircraft on a moving map display;

means for calculating glide ranges for the aircraft based on an aircraft'"'"'s glide ratio and an altitude differential between said aircraft and each of said plurality of potential landing locations;

said means for calculating glide ranges for an aircraft to each of a plurality of potential landing locations includes, obtaining the altitude of the aircraft above sea level from GPS data, obtaining the altitude of each of said plurality of potential landing locations from a database, obtaining the differential between the aircraft altitude and landing location altitude for each potential landing location, and multiplying said differential by said glide ratio for each potential landing location; and

means for displaying a generally circular symbol in centered relation around each potential landing location displayed, each circular symbol having a radius corresponding to the aircraft'"'"'s glide range as calculated from the altitude differential between said aircraft and said landing location corresponding to said circular symbol.

5. An electronic aviation flight navigation system according to claim 4, wherein said potential landing locations include airports, airstrips, and runways.