Methods and systems for displaying airport moving map information

• US 8,306,745 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2011
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Clark, Samuel T., Goodman, William L., Bowe, Roglenda R., Snow, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US13/030,445
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 701/455, 340/961, 345/440, 341/139
• US Class Current: 701/455
• 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 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Methods and systems for presenting a current position of a vehicle on a moving map display are provided. The method includes determining a current position and a path of travel of the vehicle, determining a current position of at least one of a second vehicle, an object, and an area of interest wherein determining a current position of the second vehicle includes determining a path of travel of the second vehicle, and displaying a depiction of the vehicle and at least a portion of the at least one of the second vehicle, the object, and the area of interest at a first range setting. The method further includes automatically changing from the first range setting to a second range setting based on at least one of an approach autorange activation, an offscale traffic activation, and an offscale object or area of interest autorange activation, and displaying the ownship depiction and at least a portion of the at least one of the second vehicle, the object, and the area of interest at the second range setting.

Claims

1. A method for automatically and incrementally adjusting a range setting of a display of an electronic airport moving map (EAMM) during approach, taxi, and takeoff flight operations, said method comprising:

receiving a user selection of a discrete range setting for the EAMM;

displaying a first instance of the moving map, with respect to a current ownship position, on the display based on the discrete range setting;

receiving at least one input at the EAMM relevant to the current flight operation, wherein the at least one input is associated with an indication that the aircraft has descended to a predetermined altitude with respect to a runway during an approach operation; and

automatically transitioning the range associated with the EAMM, in increments, from the selected discrete range setting such that a display of ownship and one or more items associated with the at least one input are optimized on a second instance of the moving map on the display during the approach operation.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

receiving at least one input at the EAMM comprises receiving an indication the aircraft is within a predetermined distance from a runway during an approach operation; and

automatically adjusting the range associated with the EAMM comprises optimizing display of the runway and runway operational information with respect to the ownship depiction during the approach flight operation.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adjusting the range associated with the EAMM comprises automatically adjusting the display associated with the EAMM such that the display optimizes the depiction of a convergence or potential convergence between the ownship and a vehicle, object or area of interest that generated the at least one input.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adjusting the range associated with the EAMM, in increments, comprises transitioning from the discrete range setting to a subsequent range setting in increment sized such that a transition on the display appears smooth and continuous to a viewer of the display.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adjusting the range associated with the EAMM comprises automatically ranging outward, in increments such that offscale traffic that generated the at least one input is presented on the display.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adjusting the range associated with the EAMM comprises automatically ranging inward, in increments such that onscale traffic that generated the at least one input is presented on the display at the lowest possible range.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein receiving at least one input at the EAMM comprises receiving at least one of ownship information, information related to traffic, airport map information and pilot inputs.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein, during taxi operations, receiving at least one input at the EAMM comprises at least one of receiving an input indicating that offscale traffic is less than a predetermined height above ground level in the next intersecting runway in route, receiving an input indicating that offscale traffic is less than a predetermined height above ground level in the next runway intersecting current ownship taxiway segment, and receiving an input indicating that offscale traffic is less than a predetermined height above ground level in any runway volume when ownship is in on-ground.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein, during taxi operations, receiving at least one input at the EAMM comprises at least one of receiving an input indicating that offscale traffic is less than a predetermined distance from the runway end in the next intersecting runway in route, receiving an input indicating that offscale traffic is less than a predetermined distance from the runway end in the next runway intersecting current ownship taxiway segment, and receiving an input indicating that offscale traffic is less than a predetermined distance from the runway end in any runway volume when ownship is in on-ground.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein, to automatically adjust the range associated with the EAMM to display offscale traffic, receiving at least one input at the EAMM comprises, during takeoff operations, receiving inputs indicating that ownship is on ground, ownship is in runway volume, ownship is aligned within 30 degrees of runway heading, and one of runway is taxi route takeoff runway, left engine N1>

0.8, and right engine N1>

0.8.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein, to automatically adjust the range associated with the EAMM to display offscale traffic, receiving at least one input at the EAMM comprises, during approach or takeoff operations, receiving inputs indicating that ownship in-air, ownship is in runway volume, and ownship is aligned within a predetermined angle of the runway heading.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein, to automatically adjust the range associated with the EAMM to display offscale traffic, receiving at least one input at the EAMM comprises, during taxi, approach or takeoff operations, receiving inputs indicating that one of (any traffic is on the ground or in the air, in same runway volume as ownship, and ahead of ownship), (any traffic is on the ground or in the air, in same runway volume as ownship, and ownship is ahead of the traffic), (any traffic is on ground, in same runway volume as ownship, has a heading within a predetermined angle of runway heading, and converging on ownship), (any traffic is on ground, in same runway volume as ownship, has a heading within a predetermined angle of runway heading, and potentially converging on ownship), (any traffic in air less than a predetermined height above ground level, in same runway volume as ownship, has a heading within a predetermined angle of runway or a reciprocal runway heading, and is converging on ownship), and (any traffic in air less than a predetermined distance from the runway end, in same runway volume as ownship, has a heading within predetermined angle of the runway or reciprocal runway heading, and is converging on ownship).

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein automatically transitioning comprises a transition from the first instance of the moving map to the second instance of the moving map in a series of discrete predefined range increments that provide the appearance of a smooth and continuous transition on the display between the first instance and the second instance.

14. The method according to claim 13 further comprising automatically transitioning from the second instance of the moving map to a third instance of the moving map based on a further input received at the EAMM.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein automatically transitioning comprises:

transitioning the range out, in a single step, to get ownship and a vehicle, object or area of interest on scale on the display; and

transitioning the range in, using one or more of predefined manual range steps and predefined range increments to keep the vehicle, object or area of interest on scale on the display, the predefined range increments sized such that the transition appears to be smooth and continuous on the display.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein automatically transitioning comprises:

transitioning the range in, in a single step, to optimize display of ownship and a vehicle, object or area of interest on scale on the display; and

transitioning the range out, using one or more of predefined manual range steps and predefined range increments to keep the vehicle, object or area of interest on scale on the display, the predefined range increments sized such that the transition appears to be smooth and continuous on the display.

17. The method according to claim 1 further comprising returning to the user selected discrete range setting for the EAMM based on ownship position and a position of an object associated with the at least one input received at the EAMM.

18. An electronic airport moving map (EAMM) system comprising:

a user interface operable for user selection of a discrete range setting for said EAMM system;

a memory comprising electronic map data;

a display operable for display of said electronic map data;

a communications interface; and

a processing device communicatively coupled to said user interface, said memory, said display, and said communications interface, said processing device programmed to, during approach, taxi, and takeoff flight operations;

cause said display to output a first instance of the moving map, with respect to a current ownship position as received via said communications interface, based on the discrete range setting;

receive at least one input from said communication interface relevant to the current flight operation, wherein the at least one input is associated with an indication that the aircraft has descended to a predetermined altitude with respect to a runway during an approach operation; and

automatically transition the range associated with said display, in increments, from the user selected discrete range setting such that a display of ownship and one or more items associated with the received at least one input are optimized on a second instance of the moving map on said display during the approach operation.

19. A method for automatically and incrementally adjusting a range setting of a display of an electronic airport moving map (EAMM) during approach, taxi, and takeoff flight operations, said method comprising:

receiving a user selection of a discrete range setting for the EAMM;

displaying a first instance of the moving map, with respect to a current ownship position, on the display based on the discrete range setting;

receiving at least one input at the EAMM relevant to the current flight operation, wherein the at least one input is associated with an indication that the aircraft has touched down on a runway during an approach operation; and

automatically transitioning the range associated with the EAMM, in increments, from the selected discrete range setting such that a display of ownship and one or more items associated with the at least one input are optimized on a second instance of the moving map on the display during a taxi operation.

20. A method for automatically and incrementally adjusting a range setting of a display of an electronic airport moving map (EAMM) during approach, taxi, and takeoff flight operations, said method comprising:

receiving a user selection of a discrete range setting for the EAMM;

displaying a first instance of the moving map, with respect to a current ownship position, on the display based on the discrete range setting;

receiving at least one input at the EAMM relevant to the current flight operation, wherein the at least one input is associated with a ground speed indication; and

automatically transitioning the range associated with the EAMM, in increments, from the selected discrete range setting such that a display of ownship and one or more items associated with the at least one input are optimized on a second instance of the moving map on the display during a taxi operation.

21. A method for automatically and incrementally adjusting a range setting of a display of an electronic airport moving map (EAMM) during approach, taxi, and takeoff flight operations, said method comprising:

receiving a user selection of a discrete range setting for the EAMM;

displaying a first instance of the moving map, with respect to a current ownship position, on the display based on the discrete range setting;

receiving at least one input at the EAMM relevant to the current flight operation, wherein the at least one input is associated with a recognition of at least one of a threat, a conflict, a potential threat, and a potential conflict between ownship and other vehicles, objects, and areas of interest; and

automatically transitioning the range associated with the EAMM, in increments, from the selected discrete range setting such that a display of ownship and one or more items associated with the at least one input are optimized on a second instance of the moving map on the display associated with other vehicles, objects, and areas of interest.