Viewing device for an aircraft comprising means for displaying aircraft exhibiting a risk of collision

• US 8,279,108 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Nouvel, Christian, Bacabara, Corinne, Perbet, Jean-Noel
• Primary Examiner(s): GREGORY, BERNARR E
• Application Number:
  US12/542,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 342 27- 40, 342 61- 65, 342/175, 342/176, 342/179, 342/195, 342 25 R- 25 F, 342 52- 55, 342180-186, 342/177, 342/178, 701/1, 701/3, 701/14, 701/16, 701/300, 701/301, 701/200, 701/207, 701/223, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/468, 701/492, 701/493, 701/500, 340971-980, 340/945, 340/963, 340/970, 340/961, 244/75.1, 244/76.R, 244/175, 244/183, 382/276, 382/293, 382/294, 345/1.1, 345/418, 345/419
• US Class Current: 342/29
• 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: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

The general field of the invention is that of viewing systems of the synthetic vision type SVS, for a first aircraft, the said system comprising at least one cartographic database of a terrain, position sensors, for the said aircraft, an air traffic detection system calculating the position and the danger rating of at least one second aircraft exhibiting a risk of collision with the said first aircraft on the basis of data originating from sensors or systems such as TCAS or ADS-B, an electronic computer, a man-machine interface means and a display screen, the computer comprising means for processing the various items of information originating from the database, sensors and interface means, the said processing means arranged so as to provide the display screen with a synthetic image of the terrain comprising a representation of the said second aircraft. The said representation comprises a first symbol representing in a stylized manner the said second aircraft and a second symbol, situated to the right of the first symbol when the second aircraft is facing towards the first aircraft and situated to the left of the first symbol when the second aircraft is facing away from the first aircraft.

Claims

1. A viewing system of a synthetic vision, for a first aircraft, said viewing system comprising:

a cartographic database of a terrain;

position sensors for said first aircraft;

an air traffic detection system calculating a position and a danger rating of at least one second aircraft exhibiting a risk of collision with said first aircraft on the basis of data originating from reconnaissance sensors;

an electronic computer;

a man-machine interface device; and

a display screen;

wherein the electronic computer includes a processor configured to process various items of information originating from the cartographic database, the position sensors, and the man-machine interface device,

wherein said processor is arranged to provide the display screen with a synthetic image of the terrain comprising a representation of said second aircraft,

wherein said representation comprises a first symbol representing in a stylized manner said second aircraft and a second symbol, situated to the right of the first symbol when the second aircraft is facing towards the first aircraft and situated to the left of the first symbol when the second aircraft is facing away from the first aircraft or vice versa.

2. The viewing system according to claim 1, wherein the representation of the second aircraft comprises a third symbol differing from the first symbol by its shape or by its color and disposed symmetrically with the second symbol, in such a way that when the second symbol is to the right of the first symbol, the third symbol is to the left of the first symbol and vice versa.

3. The viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the first symbol comprises a horizontal segment and a fourth symbol representative of a trajectory of the second aircraft.

4. The viewing system according to claim 3, wherein the first symbol is an isosceles triangle with horizontal base and the second symbol and third symbol are circles of different color or of different texture, disposed at the two ends of the base of the said triangle.

5. The viewing system according to claim 4, wherein, when the second aircraft is descending, then the tip of the triangle is directed downwards and when the second aircraft is climbing, then the tip of the triangle is directed upwards.

6. The viewing system according to claim 4, wherein, when the second aircraft is descending, then the triangle has a first texture or a first color and when the second aircraft is climbing, then the triangle has a second texture different from the first texture or a second color different from the first color.

7. Viewing system according to claim 4, wherein a height of the triangle is proportional to the speed of climb or descent of the second aircraft, the triangle reducing to a simple segment when the second aircraft is holding level.

8. The viewing system according to claim 4, wherein the second symbol is colored red and the third symbol is colored green, said second and third symbols being representative of the position lights of the second aircraft.

9. The viewing system according to claim 4, wherein, when the second aircraft is at a shorter distance from the first aircraft than a safe distance, the second and third symbols flash.

10. The viewing system according to claim 4, wherein the first, second and third symbols are represented in conformal view, that is to say at the location that they occupy in the real landscape.

11. The viewing system according to claim 4, wherein the first, second and third symbols have a fixed size on the display screen.