System, module, and method for varying the intensity of a visual aid depicted on an aircraft display unit

• US 8,249,806 B1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: McCusker, Patrick D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US12/462,969
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 340/972
• US Class Current: 701/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

A present novel and non-trivial system, module, and method for varying the intensity of a visual aid depicted on an aircraft display unit. Visual aids could represent visible features such as markings on a runway surface. Data representative of visual aids may be provided by a navigation reference data source with errors inherent in the data which may be measured by one or more quality parameters. Also, errors associated with quality parameters are inherent in navigation data which provided positional information. Because of these errors, the depiction of visual aids on an egocentric display unit may appear misaligned with the corresponding visible feature. To compensate for the misalignment, an image generating processor generates visual aid data representative of at least one variable-intensity visual aid, wherein the intensity of each visual aid varies and such variation is based upon at least one quality parameter of the data.

Claims

1. A system for varying the display of at least one visual aid depicted on an aircraft display unit, said system comprising:

a data source for providing navigation data;

a data source for providing navigation reference data;

an image generating processor, wherein such processor

receives navigation data representative of aircraft position,

receives navigation reference data representative of at least one visible feature which corresponds to the aircraft position,

generates visual aid data representative of at least one variable-intensity visual aid, where

each visual aid is representative of a visible feature located in the scene outside of the aircraft, and

the intensity of each visual aid varies, where such variation is based upon at least one quality parameter of the navigation data, navigation reference data, or both, and

provides the visual aid data to an aircraft display system; and

the aircraft display system, whereby the varying intensity of each visual aid depicts a fading-in effect of the visual aid in the direction of the horizon on at least one display unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data source for providing navigation reference data comprises a taxi navigation database, a flight navigation database, other aircraft systems, or any combination of these.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the taxi navigation database is an aerodrome mapping database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the intensity of each variable-intensity visual aid is based upon a full dim position, a full bright position, or both.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the full dim position, a full bright position, or both for each variable-intensity visual aid are configurable.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a data source for providing terrain data; and

the image generating processor

receives the terrain data corresponding to the aircraft position, such that the terrain data is included in the generating of visual aid data, whereby each visual aid is presented against the backdrop of a three-dimensional perspective of the scene outside the aircraft.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data source for providing terrain data comprises a terrain database, other aircraft systems, or both.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a data source for providing weather data; and

the image generating processor

receives the weather data corresponding to the aircraft position, such that the weather data is included as a basis for the generating of visual aid data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the data source for providing weather data comprises a datalink system, a manual input device, or both.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the image generating processor is a processor of at least one of the following:

a navigation system, a terrain data source, a navigation reference data source, a weather source, or a display system.

11. A module for varying the display of at least one visual aid depicted on an aircraft display unit, said module comprising:

an input communications interface to facilitate the receiving of data from at least one data source by an image generating processor;

the image generating processor, wherein such processor

receives navigation data representative of aircraft position,

receives navigation reference data representative of at least one visible feature which corresponds to the aircraft position,

generates visual aid data representative of at least one variable-intensity visual aid, where

each visual aid is representative of a visible feature located in the scene outside of the aircraft, and

the intensity of each visual aid varies, where such variation is based upon at least one quality parameter of the navigation data, navigation reference data, or both, and

provides the visual aid data to an aircraft display system, whereby the varying intensity of each visual aid depicts a fading-in effect of the visual aid in the direction of the horizon on at least one display unit; and

an output communications interface to facilitate the providing of the visual aid data to an aircraft display system.

12. The module of claim 11, wherein the intensity of each variable-intensity visual aid is based upon a full dim position, a full bright position, or both.

13. The module of claim 12, wherein the full dim position, a full bright position, or both for each variable-intensity visual aid are configurable.

14. The module of claim 11, wherein the image generating processor

receives terrain data corresponding to the aircraft position, such that the terrain data is included in the generating of visual aid data, whereby each visual aid is presented against the backdrop of a three-dimensional perspective of the scene outside the aircraft.

15. The module of claim 11, wherein the image generating processor

receives the weather data corresponding to the aircraft position, such that the weather data is included as a basis for the generating of visual aid data.

16. The module of claim 11, wherein the module is a module of a navigation system, a terrain data source, a navigation reference data source, a weather source, or a display system.

17. A method for varying the display of at least one visual aid depicted on an aircraft display unit, said method comprising:

receiving navigation data representative of aircraft position;

receiving navigation reference data representative of at least one visible feature which corresponds to the aircraft position;

generating visual aid data representative of at least one variable-intensity visual aid, where

each visual aid is representative of a visible feature located in the scene outside of the aircraft, and

the intensity of each visual aid varies, where such variation is based upon at least one quality parameter of the navigation data, navigation reference data, or both; and

providing the visual aid data to an aircraft display system, whereby the varying intensity of each visual aid depicts a fading-in effect of the visual aid in the direction towards the horizon on at least one display unit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the intensity of each variable-intensity visual aid is based upon a full dim position, a full bright position, or both.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the full dim position, a full bright position, or both for each variable-intensity visual aid are configurable.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving terrain data corresponding to the aircraft position, such the terrain data is included in the generating of visual aid data, whereby each visual aid is presented against the backdrop of a three-dimensional perspective of the scene outside the aircraft.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving weather data corresponding to the aircraft position, such that the weather data is included as a basis for the generating of visual aid data.