Aviation navigational and flight management systems and methods utilizing radar vectoring

• US 7,885,733 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Simon, Jeffrey Mitchell
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/695,866
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3- 4, 701/14, 701200-202, 701/211, 701/1, 340/963, 340/971, 340/973, 340/979
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32

Abstract

The present application provides systems and methods for providing navigational guidance during off-course operations, and techniques to revert back to a desired flight destination upon completion of such operations. In one aspect, an aviation navigational and/or flight management system is configured to alter guidance instructions from a predetermined flight plan for a desired destination to a particular set of radar vectors resulting in off-course flight operations. In another aspect, the system is configured to recalculate a flight plan to the desired final destination upon completion of the off-course operations without resulting in the loss of current historical flight data.

Claims

1. An aviation navigational apparatus for use with an aerial vehicle and capable of accommodating real-time vectoring operations, comprising:

a display;

a processor in coupling communication to the display, the processor configured to generate signals for effecting presentation on the display of a current location of the aerial vehicle relative to at least one displayed path;

the processor being further configured to generate signals for effecting presentation on the display of

(i) a desired path between a first location and a second location,

(ii) an off-course path for at least one real-time radar vectoring operation, and

(iii) a revised path between a recalculation location and the second location.

2. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 1, wherein the revised path is between an aerial vehicle location at the time the revised path is initiated (“

recalculation location”

) and the second location, the revised path being presented on the display after the display presents the off-course path.

3. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 1, wherein the off-course path is presented on the display after the processor receives a real-time input corresponding to the at least one real-time vectoring operation.

4. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

an input device coupled to the processor, the input device configured to accept the real-time input.

5. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 4, wherein the input device is configured to access the real-time input by any of keyboard or touchpad.

6. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 4, wherein the input device is configured to access the real-time input by voice.

7. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 1, wherein the revised path is presented on the display after the processor receives an activation signal.

8. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

an input device coupled to the processor, the input device configured to provide the activation signal to the processor upon receiving an external input.

9. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one sensor for providing data to the processor for calculating at least one of the desired path, the off-course path, and the revised path.

10. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to maintain historical flight data of the aerial vehicle after generating signals for effecting presentation on the display of any one of the off-course path and the revised path.

11. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate signals effecting presentation on the display corresponding to the historical flight data.

12. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate signals for effecting presentation on the display of at least one of the desired path, the off-course path, and the revised path, the representation being at least one of a two-dimensional representation and a three-dimensional representation.

13. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate signals for effecting presentation on the display of text indicating at least one of desired path data, revised path data, and the current location of the aerial vehicle.

14. The aviation navigational apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is portable.

15. A method of accommodating real-time vectoring operations during an aerial vehicle'"'"'s flight, comprising:

tracking progress of the aerial vehicle along a desired path between a first location and a second location on a display;

creating an off-course path responsive to at least one real-time vector command directing the aerial vehicle to deviate from the desired path while the aerial vehicle is in flight, and tracking the aerial vehicle'"'"'s progress along the off-course path on the display; and

presenting a revised path beginning at a recalculation location to provide tracking of the aerial vehicle'"'"'s progress between the recalculation location and the second location on the display.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one real-time vector command includes an altitude and a heading.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of creating the off-course path comprises:

issuing a plurality of real-time vector commands; and

changing the off-course path in accordance with each of the real-time vector commands.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of presenting the revised path comprises concluding real-time vector command with direct instruction.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of tracking progress of the aerial vehicle comprises utilizing data from a sensor to track progress of the aerial vehicle along the desired path.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a representation of geography over which the aerial vehicle is flying and presenting at least one of the desired path, the off-course path, and the revised path relative to that representation, the representation being at least one of a two-dimensional representation and a three-dimensional representation.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

maintaining historical flight data of the aerial vehicle after creating the off-course path or presenting the revised path.

22. An aviation vehicle tracking system capable of accommodating real-time vectoring operations, comprising:

a first tracking mode configured to visually display progress of the aerial vehicle relative to a desired path between a first location and a second location;

a second tracking mode configured to accept at least one real-time vector operation that deviates from the desired path and to visually display progress of the aerial vehicle relative to the at least one real-time vector operation; and

a third tracking mode configured to visually display progress of the aerial vehicle relative a revised path toward the second location.

23. The aviation vehicle tracking system of claim 22, wherein the third tracking mode is further configured to provide the revised path between a recalculation location and the second location.

24. The aviation vehicle tracking system of claim 23, wherein the recalculation location is an aerial vehicle location when the system initiates the third tracking mode.

25. The aviation vehicle tracking system of claim 22, wherein each tracking mode includes an indicator signal configured to visually display a current position of the aerial vehicle.

26. The aviation vehicle tracking system of claim 22, wherein the third tracking mode is configured to maintain historical flight data of the aerial vehicle after the at least one real-time vector operation.

27. The aviation vehicle tracking system of claim 22, wherein each tracking mode is configured to visually display the progress of the aerial vehicle with at least one of a two-dimensional graphical representation and a three-dimensional graphical representation.

28. The aviation vehicle tracking system of claim 22, wherein the third tracking mode is configured to provide the revised path based at least upon direct instruction.

29. The aviation vehicle tracking system of claim 22, wherein each tracking mode is configured to visually display the progress of the aerial vehicle using data acquired from at least one sensor.

30. The aviation vehicle tracking system of claim 22, wherein the system is configured as a portable system.