Method and system for the cursor-aided manipulation of flight plans in two and three dimensional displays

• US 8,073,578 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: McCusker, Patrick D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US12/284,319
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701 8- 10, 701/14, 701/208, 701/300, 701/301, 340/903, 340/963, 340/970, 340/438
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

A method of creating and modifying a flight plan using a cursor control device and a display to represent the flight plan in the context of terrain. The method includes inserting waypoints, including origin and destination waypoints, into a flight plan using a cursor control device to position the waypoints in a display and commanding a flight management system (FMS) to connect the waypoints into a flight plan. The flight plan is drawn in the context of terrain on a display where conflicts between the flight plan and terrain are indicated. Selected elements of the flight plan are selected with a cursor control device and the selected elements are dragged to new positions on the display until terrain conflicts are eliminated, thus generating a modified flight plan. The modified flight plan is reviewed in the context of terrain to determine its acceptability and making further modifications thereof if desired. The modified flight plan is selected from the review thereof, the modified flight having no conflicts with terrain. Finally, the modified flight plan is activated using the FMS.

Claims

1. A method of creating and modifying a flight plan using a cursor control device and a display to represent the flight plan in the context of terrain, comprising the steps of:

a) inserting waypoints, including origin and destination waypoints, into a flight plan using a cursor control device to position the waypoints in a display and commanding a flight management system (FMS) to connect the waypoints into a flight plan;

b) drawing said flight plan in the context of terrain on a display where conflicts between the flight plan and terrain are indicated;

c) grabbing selected elements of said flight plan with said cursor control device and dragging said selected elements to new positions on the display until terrain conflicts are eliminated, thus generating a modified flight plan;

d) reviewing the modified flight plan in the context of terrain to determine its acceptability and making further modifications thereof if desired;

e) selecting the modified flight plan from said review thereof, said modified flight plan having no conflicts with terrain; and

,

f) activating the modified flight plan using said FMS.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of drawing a flight plan on a display comprises drawing on a top-down, two-dimensional flight plan map showing said flight plan in the context of a top-down topographic display of terrain.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of drawing a flight plan on a display comprises drawing on a side-view, two-dimensional flight plan map showing said flight plan in the context of a side-view, profile display of the terrain under the flight plan.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of drawing a flight plan on a display comprises drawing on both a top-down, two-dimensional flight plan map and a side-view, two-dimensional flight plan map in the context of terrain, wherein the range and scaling of both maps is synchronized.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of drawing a flight plan on a display comprises drawing on a three-dimensional flight plan map showing said flight plan in the context of a three-dimensional display of terrain.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said terrain conflicts are calculated from comparing the intended path of the aircraft, as defined by the flight plan, with the obstacle clearance requirements of Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of grabbing selected elements comprises the step of grabbing a waypoint with a cursor control device and moving the waypoint in a linear fashion in a desired direction, wherein said FMS recomputes the path of flight segments that connect the waypoint to the two adjacent waypoints in the flight plan.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of grabbing selected elements comprises the step of grabbing a flight segment between two adjacent waypoints in a flight plan with the cursor control device and altering the shape of the flight segment, wherein said FMS uses aircraft performance data to limit shape of the resulting curved flight segment to prohibit flight paths which are beyond the capabilities of the aircraft.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of grabbing selected elements, reviewing said flight plan, and modifying said selected flight plan comprises the steps of:

a) grabbing the approximate middle of a flight segment that is in conflict with terrain and then stretching it until there are no terrain conflicts;

b) grabbing the middle of a next segment in the flight plan and stretching it to achieve a smoother intersect between these two adjacent segments, thus creating a curved path;

c) generating a modified flight plan by converting said curved path into a series of short, straight segments; and

,

d) deleting the old flight plan.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of reviewing the modified flight plan comprises using a cursor control device to rotate or translate the display image to view the flight plan and the terrain from different perspectives.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of reviewing the modified flight plan comprises using a cursor control device to change the range and scaling of the display using a cursor control device to zoom in or out.

12. A system for creating and modifying a flight plan using a cursor control device and a display to represent the flight plan in the context of terrain, comprising:

a) a flight management system (FMS);

b) a cursor control device operatively connectable to said FMS for inserting waypoints, including origin and destination waypoints, into a flight plan to position the waypoints in a display and commanding said FMS to connect the waypoints into a flight plan; and

,

c) a display operatively connected to said cursor control device and to said FMS for drawing said flight plan in the context of terrain, where conflicts between the flight plan and terrain are indicated;

wherein said cursor control device is further utilized for;

i) grabbing selected elements of said flight plan and dragging said selected elements to new positions on the display until terrain conflicts are eliminated, thus generating a modified flight plan;

ii) reviewing the modified flight plan in the context of terrain to determine its acceptability and making further modifications thereof if desired; and

iii) selecting the modified flight plan from said review thereof, said modified flight plan having no conflicts with terrain;

wherein said modified flight plan is activated using said FMS.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said flight plan is displayed on a top-down, two-dimensional flight plan map showing said flight plan in the context of a top-down topographic display of terrain.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said flight plan is displayed on a side-view, two-dimensional flight plan map showing said flight plan in the context of a side-view, profile display of the terrain under the flight plan.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said flight plan is displayed on a top-down, two-dimensional flight plan map and a side-view, two-dimensional flight plan map in the context of terrain, wherein the range and scaling of both maps is synchronized.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said flight plan is displayed on a three-dimensional flight plan map showing said flight plan in the context of a three-dimensional display of terrain.