Method and system for approach decision display

• US 8,195,347 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Boorman, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US12/474,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 701/16, 701/1, 701/3, 701/14, 701/208, 701/15, 701/29, 701/82, 701/11, 701/5, 701/9, 701/400, 340/945, 340/951, 340/977, 340/973, 340/974, 342/33
• US Class Current: 701/16
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

Approach Decision Display and associated methods and systems are disclosed. A method and system in accordance to one embodiment of the disclosure includes a display of operationally-relevant information for final approach and landing on a cockpit graphical display. Approach Decision Display System (ADDS) provides, in a graphical display, dynamic decision parameters as a function of the health of required equipment for the selected approach and the aircraft'"'"'s ability to execute the approach and landing.

Claims

1. A final approach decision display device, the device indicating dynamic decision parameters corresponding to a selected approach and an airplane'"'"'s ability to execute the approach and landing, comprising:

quasi-static referents comprising at least one of a ground level indicator, a runway indicator, a touchdown zone elevation tag, an approach path indicator, a missed approach altitude tag, a required visibility tag, a runway visual range tag, a thrust retard capability indicator, and an autopilot disconnect cue;

dynamic referents comprising at least one of an own-ship symbol, an approach minima tag, an approach minima indicator, an approach minima alert tag, an approach minima alert indicator, a radio altitude tag, a radio altitude indicator, an approach-reference distance tag, an actual runway visual range tag, and a missed approach point symbol; and

status referents comprising at least one of an approach name, a landing clearance status tag, and an autoland status tag wherein the quasi-static, the dynamic, and the status referents are updated as a function of required equipment health for the selected approach and landing to graphically depict the airplane'"'"'s landing performance capability.

2. A system for indicating dynamic decision parameters corresponding to a selected approach and an airplane'"'"'s ability to execute the approach and landing, comprising:

an approach decision display system, the approach decision display system providing operationally-relevant information for final approach and landing;

a flight management system operatively connected to the approach decision display system;

a cockpit graphical display system operatively connected to the approach decision display system;

an aircraft control system operatively connected to the approach decision display system;

a communications system operatively connected to the approach decision display system

a navigation system operatively connected to the approach decision display system; and

a control input device operatively connected to the approach decision display system; and

a graphical display of operationally-relevant information displayed on the cockpit graphical display system, wherein the operationally-relevant information comprises of a quasi-static referent, a dynamic referent, and a status referent, further wherein the quasi-static referent, the dynamic referent, and the status referent are updated as a function of required equipment health for the selected approach and landing to graphically depict the airplane'"'"'s landing performance capability.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the quasi-static referent comprises at least one of a ground level indicator, a runway indicator, a touchdown zone elevation tag, an approach path indicator, a missed approach altitude tag, a required visibility tag, a runway visual range tag, a thrust retard capability indicator, and an autopilot disconnect cue.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the dynamic referent comprises at least one of an own-ship symbol, an approach minima tag, an approach minima indicator, an approach minima alert tag, an approach minima alert indicator, a radio altitude tag, a radio altitude indicator, an approach-reference distance tag, an actual runway visual range tag, and a missed approach point symbol.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the approach-reference distance comprises at least one of distance to a navigation transmitting station, distance to runway threshold, and distance to a geographically relevant position.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the status referent comprises at least one of an approach name, a landing clearance status tag, and an autoland status tag.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the cockpit graphical display system comprises at least one of a Primary Flight Display (PFD), a Heads-up Display (HUD), a Navigation Display (ND), an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) display, a Multi-Function Display (MFD), and an Approach Decision Display (ADDS).

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the control input device is at least one of a control panel, a keyboard, a cursor with a cursor control device, line select keys (LSK) on a control display unit, and a touchscreen, further wherein the control input device may be integrated into at least one of a Mode Control Panel (MCP), a Multifunction Control Display Unit (MCDU), an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), and an Approach Decision Display System (ADDS) control panel.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein the navigation system comprises at least one of an Instrument Landing System (ILS) unit, a Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) unit, Global Positioning System (GPS) unit.

10. The system of claim 2 further comprising an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) system.

11. A method of providing a tool for approach decision making on a cockpit display system, the tool providing operationally-relevant information corresponding to a selected approach and an airplane'"'"'s ability to execute the approach and landing, comprising:

initiating an Approach Decision Display System (ADDS) system;

receiving flight plan information;

receiving landing clearance information;

receiving system performance and system health information;

processing received the flight plan, the landing clearance, the system performance, and the system health information for display;

displaying operationally-relevant information wherein the operationally-relevant information comprises of processed information from the flight plan, the landing clearance, the system performance, and the system health information;

monitoring for landing performance capability degradation;

updating dynamic referents continuously; and

updating the display of the operationally-relevant information as a function of required equipment health for the selected approach and landing to graphically depict the airplane'"'"'s landing performance capability.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the flight plan information comprises at least one of en route phase of flight and approach phase of flight.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving landing clearance information comprises at least one of receiving the landing clearance information from a communications datalink system or from a control input device.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving system performance and system health information comprises of receiving system performance and system health information from at least one of an aircraft control system, a navigation system, a flight management system, a communications system, and an electronic flight bag system.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein processing received information comprises filtering, transforming, and arranging received information into a reduced set of operationally-relevant information for display on a plurality of Approach Decision Display System (ADDS) displays.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein processing received information further comprises transforming the received information for display on a plurality of Approach Decision Display System (ADDS) displays.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the ADDS is initiated by an on-board computer as a function of phase of flight.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein initiating the ADDS comprises at least one of initiating the ADDS via a control input device and initiating the ADDS via a Flight Management System.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein monitoring landing performance degradation comprises of monitoring for performance and health of onboard and off-board systems and equipment needed for executing the final approach and landing for the selected approach.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising activating an alternate approach plan from a plurality of approach plans.

21. A final approach decision display device, the device having dynamic decision parameters corresponding to a selected approach and an airplane'"'"'s ability to execute the approach and landing, comprising:

a quasi-static referent, a dynamic referent, and a status referent wherein the quasi-static, the dynamic, and the status referents are automatically updated as a function of required equipment health for the selected approach and landing to graphically depict the airplane'"'"'s landing performance capability.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the quasi-static referent comprises at least one of a ground level indicator, a runway indicator, a touchdown zone elevation tag, an approach path indicator, a missed approach altitude tag, a required visibility tag, a runway visual range tag, a thrust retard capability indicator, and an autopilot disconnect cue.

23. The device of claim 21 wherein the dynamic referent comprises at least one of an own-ship symbol, an approach minima tag, an approach minima indicator, an approach minima alert tag, an approach minima alert indicator, a radio altitude tag, a radio altitude indicator, an approach-reference distance tag, an actual runway visual range tag, and a missed approach point symbol.

24. The device of claim 21 wherein the status referent comprises at least one of an approach name, a landing clearance status tag, and an autoland status tag.

25. A method of providing dynamic decision parameters corresponding to a selected approach and an airplane'"'"'s ability to execute the approach and landing, comprising:

receiving approach-relevant information from other on-board systems;

processing for display a quasi-static referent, a dynamic referent, and a status referent based on the received approach-relevant information;

providing a graphical indication of the current landing performance capability of the airplane for the selected approach;

monitoring for a changed condition in the airplane'"'"'s landing performance capability, the changed condition corresponding to a degradation of required equipment health for the selected approach and landing; and

responsive to the changed condition, automatically updating the quasi-static referent, the dynamic referent, and the status referent as a function of required equipment health for the selected approach and landing to graphically depict the airplane'"'"'s landing performance capability.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the quasi-static referent comprises at least one of a ground level indicator, a runway indicator, a touchdown zone elevation tag, an approach path indicator, a missed approach altitude tag, a required visibility tag, a runway visual range tag, a thrust retard capability indicator, and an autopilot disconnect cue.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the dynamic referent comprises at least one of an own-ship symbol, an approach minima tag, an approach minima indicator, an approach minima alert tag, an approach minima alert indicator, a radio altitude tag, a radio altitude indicator, an approach-reference distance tag, an actual runway visual range tag, and a missed approach point symbol.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the status referent comprises at least one of an approach name, a landing clearance status tag, and an autoland status tag.