Methods and devices of an aircraft taxi navigation system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for providing taxi navigation information to a pilot of an aircraft, the system comprising:
- an aircraft navigation system for providing aircraft position data;
a database comprised of taxi navigation data;
a processor configured toreceive aircraft position data from the aircraft navigation system,retrieve taxi navigation data corresponding to the aircraft position data from the database,determine a first surface and at least one intersection of airport surfaces based upon the taxi navigation data, wherethe first surface is the airport surface on which the aircraft is located, andeach intersection of airport surfaces is located in front of the aircraft and is formed by the intersection of the first surface and a second surface, further wherea left intersection of airport surfaces is an intersection at which the aircraft may turn left onto a second surface from the first surface, anda right intersection of airport surfaces is an intersection at which the aircraft may turn right onto a second surface from the first surface,provide taxi navigation symbology data to an aircraft indicating system, wherethe taxi navigation symbology data is representative of at least one airport sign, where each intersection of airport surfaces is denoted by one airport sign comprised of a visible graphical object within which the identifier of the second surface of such intersection is depicted along with a directional symbol if applicable, such thatone airport sign indicative of the closest left intersection is presented in a left presenting area when at least one left intersection exists, andone airport sign indicative of the closest right intersection is presented in a right presenting area when at least one right intersection exists, where
the left presenting area is found to the left of a first area,
the right presenting area is found to the right of the first area, and
a bottom presenting area is found below the first area, below the left presenting area, and below the right presenting area, where such presenting areas are located outside of the first area but inside a second area, where
the first area is the area within which navigation symbology representative of at least speed, attitude, and altitude is presented,
the second area is larger than the first area, and
the second area encompasses the first area; and
the indicating system configured to receive the taxi navigation symbology data, wherebyan egocentric view of at least one airport sign is presented on a display unit of the aircraft indicating system, and thusairport surface intersection information is presented to the side of the area of navigation symbology.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for providing taxi navigation information to a pilot of an aircraft is comprised of a navigation system; a taxi navigation module consisting of, in part, a processor and database; and an indicating system consisting of, in part, a tactical display unit system (e.g., a primary flight director (“PFD”), and head-up display (“HUD”) of an aircraft. A navigation system may provide aircraft position data of the aircraft while it is on the ground. A processor receives the aircraft position data, retrieves taxi navigation symbology based upon the aircraft position data from a taxi navigation database, and provides this data to the indicating system. The indicating system generates the display of taxi navigation information on a display unit which, in turn, provides the pilot with an egocentric view of airport signage using colored aviation signage symbology.
51 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A system for providing taxi navigation information to a pilot of an aircraft, the system comprising:
-
an aircraft navigation system for providing aircraft position data; a database comprised of taxi navigation data; a processor configured to receive aircraft position data from the aircraft navigation system, retrieve taxi navigation data corresponding to the aircraft position data from the database, determine a first surface and at least one intersection of airport surfaces based upon the taxi navigation data, where the first surface is the airport surface on which the aircraft is located, and each intersection of airport surfaces is located in front of the aircraft and is formed by the intersection of the first surface and a second surface, further where a left intersection of airport surfaces is an intersection at which the aircraft may turn left onto a second surface from the first surface, and a right intersection of airport surfaces is an intersection at which the aircraft may turn right onto a second surface from the first surface, provide taxi navigation symbology data to an aircraft indicating system, where the taxi navigation symbology data is representative of at least one airport sign, where each intersection of airport surfaces is denoted by one airport sign comprised of a visible graphical object within which the identifier of the second surface of such intersection is depicted along with a directional symbol if applicable, such that one airport sign indicative of the closest left intersection is presented in a left presenting area when at least one left intersection exists, and one airport sign indicative of the closest right intersection is presented in a right presenting area when at least one right intersection exists, where
the left presenting area is found to the left of a first area,
the right presenting area is found to the right of the first area, and
a bottom presenting area is found below the first area, below the left presenting area, and below the right presenting area, where such presenting areas are located outside of the first area but inside a second area, where
the first area is the area within which navigation symbology representative of at least speed, attitude, and altitude is presented,
the second area is larger than the first area, and
the second area encompasses the first area; andthe indicating system configured to receive the taxi navigation symbology data, whereby an egocentric view of at least one airport sign is presented on a display unit of the aircraft indicating system, and thus airport surface intersection information is presented to the side of the area of navigation symbology. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A device for providing taxi navigation information to a pilot of an aircraft, the device comprising:
-
an input communications interface to facilitate the receiving of data from an aircraft navigation system and a database comprised of taxi navigation data; a processor configured to receive aircraft position data from the aircraft navigation system, retrieve taxi navigation data corresponding to the aircraft position data from the database, determine a first surface and at least one intersection of airport surfaces based upon the taxi navigation data, where the first surface is the airport surface on which the aircraft is located, and each intersection of airport surfaces is located in front of the aircraft and is formed by the intersection of the first surface and a second surface, further where a left intersection of airport surfaces is an intersection at which the aircraft may turn left onto a second surface from the first surface, and a right intersection of airport surfaces is an intersection at which the aircraft may turn right onto a second surface from the first surface, provide taxi navigation symbology data to an output communications interface, where the taxi navigation symbology data is representative of at least one airport sign, where each intersection of airport surfaces is denoted by one airport sign comprised of a visible graphical object within which the identifier of the second surface of such intersection is depicted along with a directional symbol if applicable, such that one airport sign indicative of the closest left intersection is presented in a left presenting area when at least one left intersection exists, and one airport sign indicative of the closest right intersection is presented in a right presenting area when at least one right intersection exists, where
the left presenting area is found to the left of a first area,
the right presenting area is found to the right of the first area, and
a bottom presenting area is found below the first area, below the left presenting area, and below the right presenting area, where such presenting areas are located outside of the first area but inside a second area, where
the first area is the area within which navigation symbology representative of at least speed, attitude, and altitude is presented,
the second area is larger than the first area, and
the second area encompasses the first area, whereby
an egocentric view of at least one airport sign is presented on a display unit of an aircraft indicating system, and thus
airport surface intersection information is presented to the side of the area of navigation symbology; andthe output communications interface to facilitate the providing of the taxi navigation symbology data to the aircraft indicating system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for providing taxi navigation information to a pilot of an aircraft, the method comprising:
-
receiving aircraft position data from an aircraft navigation system; retrieving taxi navigation data corresponding to the aircraft position data from a taxi navigation database; determining a first surface and at least one intersection of airport surfaces based upon the taxi navigation data, where the first surface is the airport surface on which the aircraft is located, and each intersection of airport surfaces is located in front of the aircraft and is formed by the intersection of the first surface and a second surface, further where a left intersection of airport surfaces is an intersection at which the aircraft may turn left onto a second surface from the first surface, and a right intersection of airport surfaces is an intersection at which the aircraft may turn right onto a second surface from the first surface; and providing taxi navigation symbology data to an aircraft indicating system, where the taxi navigation symbology data is representative of at least one airport sign, where each intersection of airport surfaces is denoted by one airport sign comprised of a visible graphical object within which the identifier of the second surface of such intersection is depicted along with a directional symbol if applicable, such that one airport sign indicative of the closest left intersection is presented in a left presenting area when at least one left intersection exists, and one airport sign indicative of the closest right intersection is presented in a right presenting area when at least one right intersection exists, where the left presenting area is found to the left of a first area, the right presenting area is found to the right of the first area, and a bottom presenting area is found below the first area, below the left presenting area, and below the right presenting area, where such presenting areas are located outside of the first area but inside a second area, where
the first area is the area within which navigation symbology representative of at least speed, attitude, and altitude is presented,
the second area is larger than the first area, and
the second area encompasses the first area, whereby
an egocentric view of at least one airport sign is presented on a display unit of the aircraft indicating system, and thus
airport surface intersection information is presented to the side of the area of navigation symbology. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification
-
- Resources
Litigation Campaign Assessment
Thank you for your request. You will receive a custom alert email when the Litigation Campaign Assessment is available.
×
-
Current AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
-
Original AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
-
InventorsSchultz, Bryan C., Krenz, Michael J., Hahn, Pamela K.
-
Primary Examiner(s)Nguyen; John Q
-
Assistant Examiner(s)Kiswanto; Nicholas
-
Application NumberUS11/820,950Time in Patent Office1,475 DaysField of Search701/120, 340/945, 340/947, 340/951, 340/958, 340/971, 340/972, 340/980US Class Current701/120CPC Class CodesG01C 23/00 Combined instruments indica...G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids...
