Enhanced vertical situation display

• US 7,783,393 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Tucker, Michael J., Chen, Sherwin S., Hammack, Jason L., Wiedemann, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiswanto; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/883,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,246 Days
• Field of Search: 340/959, 340/961, 340/963, 340/967, 340/969, 340/970, 340/971, 340/973, 340/974, 340/975, 340/976, 340/977, 340/979, 701/14, 701/15, 701/18, 701/4, 701/7, 701/9, 731/78.T
• US Class Current: 701/4
• 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

Abstract

A vertical situation display system for use in a vehicle such as, for example, an aircraft, is provided. A side view of an intended route of flight may be shown with altitude restrictions, airspace and instrument approach information, a projected flight path and range to airspeed symbol. The system may show terrain, weather, and traffic information along the intended route of flight. The system may be used in conjunction with a navigational display to enhance situational awareness. The system includes a computer, an electronic display device, an electronic entry device, a memory and a database. The database may contain terrain, airspace and flight planning data and may be updatable.

Claims

1. A flight information display for depicting flight path information of an aircraft, the flight information display comprising:

a navigation display showing a top view of the aircraft;

a vertical situation display showing a side view of the aircraft;

a first symbol displayed in the vertical situation display representing an aircraft position;

a second symbol displayed in the vertical situation display representing a planned flight path of said aircraft;

a third symbol displayed in the vertical situation display representing a projected flight path of said aircraft;

a fourth symbol displayed in the navigation display representing a corridor about at least one of the planned flight path and the projected flight path;

a fifth symbol displayed in the vertical situation display representing an estimated location at which said aircraft will attain a target airspeed; and

a sixth symbol in the vertical situation display, generated based only on the corridor displayed in the navigation display about said at least one planned flight path and projected flight path, showing terrain information within only the displayed corridor about said at least one planned flight path and projected flight path of the navigation display.

2. A flight information display according to claim 1, further including a representation of weather information.

3. A flight information display according to claim 1, further including at least one symbol representing other aircraft traffic.

4. A flight information display according to claim 1, further including vertical information of at least one airspace type.

5. A flight information display according to claim 1, further including a depiction of energy management information.

6. A flight information display according to claim 5, wherein said energy management information includes an estimated range of altitudes that said aircraft can attain without increasing kinetic energy, with engines at idle and drag devices in various positions.

7. A flight information display according to claim 5, wherein said energy management information includes an estimated range of altitudes said aircraft can attain at a given point without increasing kinetic energy, with engines at idle and drag devices in various positions.

8. A flight information display according to claim 1, further including a depiction of at least one altitude restriction.

9. A flight information display according to claim 8, wherein said altitude restriction is at least one of a manually entered altitude restriction and an altitude restriction stored in a database.

10. A flight information display according to claim 1, further including a depiction of a particular altitude.

11. A flight information display according to claim 1, further including a depiction of at least one of a top of climb point and a top of descent point.

12. A flight information display according to claim 1, further including instrument approach information.

13. A flight information display according to claim 1, wherein the sixth symbol represents the terrain information along the corridor in the planned flight path unless the aircraft deviates more than a preset distance from the planned flight path in which case the sixth symbol represents the terrain information along the projected flight path.

14. A system for display of a planned navigation route, said system comprising:

an electronic display device comprising a navigation display showing a top view and a vertical situation display showing a side view;

a computer operatively connected to said electronic display device;

a database accessible by said computer, wherein said database includes terrain information and said computer generates symbols to depict in the navigation display at least one of a planned path and a projected path for a vehicle, a corridor displayed in the navigation display about at least one of the planned path and the projected path, and terrain information in the vertical situation display generated based only on terrain within the displayed corridor of the navigation display about said at least one planned flight path and projected flight path; and

an electronic input device operatively connected to said computer, wherein said computer generates a symbol on said electronic display representing an estimated point at which said vehicle will attain a target speed.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein said computer generates a depiction on said electronic display device to show a planned path from an origin to a destination.

16. A system according to claim 14, wherein said computer is adapted to generate a depiction of other vehicle traffic on said electronic display device.

17. A system according to claim 14, wherein said computer is adapted to generate a depiction of energy management information on said electronic display device.

18. A system according to claim 14, wherein said computer is adapted to generate a depiction of at least one altitude restriction on said electronic display device.

19. A system according to claim 14, wherein said computer is adapted to generate a depiction of at least one of a top of climb point and a top of descent point on said electronic display device.

20. A system according to claim 14, wherein said database contains airspace information and said computer is adapted to display said airspace information on said electronic display device.

21. A system according to claim 14, further including a wireless transmitter and receiver for the transmittal and receipt of at least one of flight plan data and weather data.

22. A system according to claim 14, further including a weather radar adapted to transmit radar information to said computer for display on said electronic display device.

23. A system according to claim 14, wherein said database contains instrument approach information and said computer is adapted to display said instrument approach information on said electronic display device.

24. A system according to claim 14, wherein a deviation, from the planned path, of a preset distance will change said terrain information displayed along the corridor from terrain information along said planned path to terrain information along said projected path.