Perspective vertical situation display system and method

• US 7,603,209 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hilbert, Matthew, Little, Michael C., Nichols, Troy A., Dwyer, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behncke; Christine M
• Application Number:
  US10/856,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 701/4, 701/14, 701/9, 701/18, 340/971, 340/947, 340/973, 340/976, 340/963, 340/967, 340/974, 340/979, 434/38, 348/116, 348/117, 348/123
• US Class Current: 701/14
• 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 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

A display system and method for an aircraft simultaneously displays the terrain under the flight plan, or under the current track of the aircraft, as both a two-dimensional lateral situation view image and as a perspective vertical situation view image. This provides improved tactical flight planning, and that does not erroneously show the flight plan passing through the displayed terrain.

Claims

1. A flight deck display system for an aircraft, comprising:

a processor adapted to receive terrain data and flight plan data, the flight plan data representative of a lateral and a vertical path of a flight plan, the processor operable, in response to the terrain data and the flight plan data, to supply image rendering display commands; and

a display device coupled to receive the image rendering display commands and operable, in response thereto, to simultaneously render (i) a two-dimensional lateral situation view image representative of the terrain data, (ii) a three-dimensional perspective vertical situation view image representative of the terrain data, and (iii) flight plan indicia representative of the flight plan data, at least a portion of the flight plan indicia being rendered on the three-dimensional perspective vertical situation view image as a ribbon that represents the lateral and vertical path of the flight plan and having dimensions based on aircraft vertical accuracy and a predetermined probability of error in aircraft lateral position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the rendered ribbon has a width and a height;

the rendered ribbon width is based on the aircraft lateral uncertainty error predetermined probability of error in aircraft lateral position; and

the rendered ribbon height is based on the aircraft vertical accuracy.

3. A method of displaying terrain on an aircraft flight deck display system, the method comprising the steps of:

processing terrain data and flight plan data, the flight plan data representative of a lateral and a vertical path of a flight plan; and

simultaneously displaying (i) a two-dimensional lateral situation view image representative of the terrain data, (ii) a three-dimensional perspective vertical situation view image representative of the terrain data, and (iii) flight plan indicia representative of the flight plan data,

wherein at least a portion of the flight plan indicia are displayed on the three-dimensional perspective vertical situation view image as a ribbon that represents the lateral and vertical path of the flight plan and having dimensions based on aircraft vertical accuracy and a predetermined probability of error in aircraft lateral position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the rendered transparent ribbon has a width and a height, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the ribbon with a width that is based on the predetermined probability of error in aircraft lateral position; and

displaying the ribbon with a height that is based on the aircraft vertical accuracy.