Method and systems for required time of arrival performance display

• US 8,244,466 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: DeJonge, Michael Kent, Klooster, Joel Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Application Number:
  US12/261,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/465
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06

Abstract

A method and system for a required time of arrival (RTA) performance graphic display is provided. The system includes a processor programmed to receive a required time of arrival and a first visual display communicatively coupled to the processor. The first visual display includes an RTA graphic having a dial substantially symmetric about an axis, a first marker indicative of a current estimated time of arrival (ETA) at a predetermined waypoint, a second marker indicative of a value of the RTA relative to the current ETA value and a selected RTA time tolerance value, a first indication representing a first time the vehicle can attain the predetermined waypoint, a second indication representing a last time the vehicle can attain the predetermined waypoint, a third indication representing the uncertainty of the ETA in an early arrival direction, and a fourth indication representing the uncertainty of the ETA in a late arrival direction.

Claims

1. A required time of arrival (RTA) performance graphic display system for a vehicle, said system comprising:

a processor programmed to receive predetermined parameters associated with a required time of arrival;

a first visual display communicatively coupled to said processor, said display comprising an RTA graphic comprising;

a dial comprising an axis;

a first marker indicative of a current estimated time of arrival (ETA) at a predetermined waypoint;

a second marker indicative of a value of the RTA relative to the current ETA value and a selected RTA time tolerance value

a first indication representing a first time the predetermined waypoint is attainable by the vehicle;

a second indication representing a last time the predetermined waypoint is attainable by the vehicle;

a third indication representing the uncertainty of the ETA in an early arrival direction; and

a fourth indication representing the uncertainty of the ETA in a late arrival direction, and

a second visual display communicatively coupled to said processor, said second display comprising a map mode graphic comprising;

an RTA time box comprising a length indicative of a relative time between the first time and the last time;

a vehicle symbol including an indicia corresponding to the current ETA; and

an RTA symbol indicative of a time the vehicle is required to cross a predetermined waypoint.

2. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said dial is substantially symmetric about an axis.

3. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first visual display comprises an aircraft horizontal situation display.

4. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said map mode graphic is aligned with a lubber line of the vehicle on a horizontal situation display.

5. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the length of the RTA time box represents a distance along the vehicle track using the first time and last time multiplied by the ground speed of the vehicle.

6. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein a difference between the indicia and the RTA symbol represents a difference between the vehicle ETA at the waypoint and the RTA at the waypoint.

7. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein an indication of the indicia positioned outside of the RTA time box represents at least one of an early arrival condition and a late arrival condition.

8. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first visual display comprises an aircraft primary flight display.

9. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said dial comprises a scale graduated in units of time.

10. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first marker is positioned at the center of the dial.

11. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first indication comprises a first bar indication extending from a first limit of the dial towards said first marker and wherein the second indication comprises a second bar indication extending from a second limit of the scale towards said first marker.

12. The RTA display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the third indication comprises a third bar indication extending from the first limit of the scale towards said first marker and wherein the fourth indication comprises a fourth bar indication extending from the second limit of the scale towards said first marker.

13. A method of displaying a required time of arrival (RTA) performance comprising:

receiving waypoint information, including waypoint position information, a required time of arrival (RTA) of a vehicle at the waypoint, a tolerance about the RTA, and an estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the waypoint; and

graphically displaying on a first electronic visual display the RTA relative to the ETA indications representing times the predetermined waypoint is attainable by the vehicle, and indications representing the uncertainty of the ETA; and

graphically displaying on a second electronic visual display, a map mode graphic comprising;

an RTA time box comprising a length indicative of a relative time between a first time the wavpoint is attainable by the vehicle and a last time the waypoint is attainable by the vehicle, a vehicle symbol including an indicia corresponding to the current ETA; and

an RTA symbol indicative of a time the vehicle is required to cross the waypoint.

14. The method of displaying a required time of arrival (RTA) performance in accordance with claim 13, further comprising graphically displaying an uncertainty of the ETA at the waypoint.

15. The method of displaying a required time of arrival (RTA) performance in accordance with claim 14, wherein the uncertainty of the ETA at the waypoint includes at least one of an along track component of a horizontal position uncertainty and an uncertainty due to forecast wind data ahead of the vehicle.

16. The method of displaying a required time of arrival (RTA) performance in accordance with claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a first time of arrival at the waypoint using a fastest allowable speed within limits of the vehicle;

receiving a second time of arrival at the waypoint using a slowest allowable speed within limits of the vehicle; and

graphically displaying the first and second times of arrival.

17. A forward field of view display system comprising a graphic display screen comprising a plurality of indicating areas, at least one indicating area comprising a required time of arrival (RTA) display indicator configured to:

graphically display on a map mode graphic;

a current estimated time of arrival (ETA) at a predetermined waypoint;

a value of the RTA relative to the current ETA value and a selected RTA time tolerance value;

a first time the predetermined waypoint is attainable by the vehicle using the fastest current speed limits of the vehicle;

a last time the predetermined waypoint is attainable by the vehicle using the slowest current speed limits of the vehicle; and

an uncertainty of the vehicle being able to reach the waypoint within the selected RTA time tolerance value, and

a color-coded alert indicating whether the aircraft is outside of the selected RTA time tolerance value.

18. The forward field of view display system in accordance with claim 17 further comprising a scale graduated in units of at least one of time and distance.

19. The forward field of view display system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said graphic display screen comprises a horizontal situation display, said RTA display indicator comprising a vehicle icon representing a vehicle ETA and an RTA time box display, a relative position of the vehicle icon and the RTA time box display indicative of the vehicle RTA performance.

20. The forward field of view display system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said graphic display screen comprises a horizontal situation display, said RTA display indicator comprising an RTA symbol proximate a center of the RTA time box display a difference in relative position of the RTA symbol and said vehicle icon representing a time error of arrival at the predetermined waypoint.