Aircraft-centered ground maneuvering monitoring and alerting system

• US 8,378,852 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Avionics Systems Corporation (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Universal Avionics Systems Corporation (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Naimer, Joachim Laurenz, Hummel, Frank, Zeitouni, David, Krohn, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees, Edny
• Application Number:
  US12/236,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/952, 340/963, 340/961, 340/964, 340/967, 340/970, 340/500
• US Class Current: 340/945
• 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 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A monitoring system for alerting operators of aircraft or other vehicles when they are approaching a geographical feature of interest, such as a runway, taxiway or other aircraft. The system includes a database having at least one geo-referenced chart, a processor, a positioning system configured to identify a number of aircraft or other vehicle operational parameters and transmit that data to the processor, and a display unit configured to display the present position of the aircraft on the geo-referenced chart. After receiving the operational parameters, the processor identifies a virtual containment zone centered about the aircraft or vehicle. The processor further monitors the position of the aircraft or other vehicle relative to any geographical features of interest and determines whether at least a portion of a geographical feature is located within the containment area. If such a condition is detected, a notification is generated and presented to the operator who may respond accordingly.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for notifying an operator that an aircraft is approaching a geographical feature of interest;

the system comprising;

a database containing geo-referenced charts, wherein each geo-referenced chart contains information related to at least one geographical feature of interest;

a processor;

a positioning system configured to identify at least one of the position, heading, track, altitude, and velocity of the aircraft; and

a display unit configured to display the geo-referenced airport chart and at least one of the present position of the aircraft and the at least one geographical feature of interest on the chart;

wherein the processor utilizes the at least one of aircraft position, heading, track, altitude, and velocity data from the positioning system to define a containment area always encompassing at least the aircraft and an area surrounding the aircraft, determines whether the at least one geographical feature of interest is at least partially located within the containment area, and initiates a notification signal upon determining that the at least one geographical feature of interest is at least partially located within the containment area;

wherein the notification signal is transmitted to the display unit causing a visual notification to be presented to the operator, and wherein the visual notification ceases upon the aircraft moving parallel to the geographical feature of interest for at least one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising an audible annunciator, wherein the notification signal is transmitted to the audible annunciator causing an audible notification to be presented to the operator.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the visual notification comprises a change in display of the at least one geographical feature of interest on the geo-referenced chart.

4. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the at least one geographical feature of interest comprises at least one of a runway, a helipad, an intersection, a taxiway, another aircraft, and a restricted airspace.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the visual notification comprises a visual identification of the at least one geographical feature of interest at least partially contained within the containment area.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the containment area is generally circular in shape and centered about the aircraft.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein upon determining that the at least one geographical feature of interest is at least partially located within the containment area, the at least one geographical feature of interest is highlighted and flashed on the display unit.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the geo-referenced chart is an airport chart and wherein the at least one geographical feature of interest comprises at least one of a runway, a helipad, an intersection, a taxiway, and another aircraft.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising an input means configured to permit the aircraft operator to disable the notification signal while the at least one geographical feature of interest is at least partially located within the containment area.

10. The monitoring system of claim 9, wherein if the notification signal is disabled and the at least one geographical feature of interest is no longer at least partially located within the containment area, the processor is reset and a new notification signal is generated if the same or another geographical feature of interest subsequently becomes at least partially located within the containment area.

11. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the visual notification ceases when the geographical feature of interest is no longer being at least partially located within the containment area.

12. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the containment area is comprised of an inner containment area encompassing at least the aircraft and an outer containment area encompassing at least the aircraft and the inner containment area.

13. A monitoring system for notifying an operator that an aircraft is approaching a geographical area of interest, the system comprising:

a database including geo-referenced airport chart data, wherein the airport chart data includes information on runways from a plurality of airports;

a processor;

a positioning system configured to identify the position and velocity of the aircraft; and

wherein the processor defines a containment area that always encompasses the aircraft wherein the size of the containment area is a function of the velocity of the aircraft, determines whether the a runway is at least partially located within the containment area, and initiates an operator notification signal upon determining that the runway is at least partially located within the containment area, and wherein the processor further determines whether the distance from the aircraft to the runway is decreasing.

14. The monitoring system of claim 13, wherein a notification message is generated if the runway is at least partially located within the containment area and the distance between the aircraft and the runway is decreasing.

15. The monitoring system of claim 14, further comprising a display unit;

wherein the notification message is transmitted to the display unit, causing a visual notification to be displayed on the display unit.

16. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the visual notification comprises a change in the display of the runway on the geo-referenced chart.

17. A monitoring system for notifying an operator that an aircraft is approaching a geographical area of interest, the system comprising:

a database including geo-referenced airport chart data, wherein the airport chart data includes information on runways from a plurality of airports;

a processor;

a positioning system configured to identify the position and velocity of the aircraft; and

wherein the processor defines a containment area that always encompasses the aircraft wherein the size of the containment area is a function of the velocity of the aircraft, determines whether the a runway is at least partially located within the containment area, and initiates an operator notification signal upon determining that the runway is at least partially located within the containment area, and wherein operator selected departure runway information is received by the processor;

further comprising a display unit, that displays the selected departure runway.

18. A monitoring system for notifying an operator that an aircraft is approaching a geographical area of interest, the system comprising:

a database including geo-referenced airport chart data, wherein the airport chart data includes information on runways from a plurality of airports;

a processor;

a positioning system configured to identify the position and velocity of the aircraft; and

wherein the processor defines a containment area that always encompasses the aircraft wherein the size of the containment area is a function of the velocity of the aircraft, determines whether the a runway is at least partially located within the containment area, and initiates an operator notification signal upon determining that the runway is at least partially located within the containment area, and wherein the processor receives information about aircraft parameters including at least one of fuel flow, throttle settings, engine power settings, and engine RPM.

19. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein operator selected departure runway information is received by the processor, and the processor generates a unique notification signal if it is determined that the aircraft is not on the selected departure runway and at least one of the aircraft parameters indicate that the aircraft is in takeoff mode.

20. The monitoring system of claim 19, wherein the notification signal is transmitted to the display unit, causing a visual notification comprised of at least one of:

flashing the aircraft and flashing the current runway.

21. A method for notifying an operator that an aircraft is approaching a geographical feature of interest, the method comprising:

retrieving a geo-referenced chart and containment area data from a database;

displaying the geo-referenced chart on a display unit;

determining at least one of position, heading, track, and velocity of the aircraft;

transmitting data corresponding to at least one of the position, heading, track, and velocity of the aircraft to a processor;

displaying visual indicia corresponding to least one of the position, heading, track, and velocity of the aircraft on the geo-referenced chart;

defining a containment area that has a fixed positional relationship to the aircraft;

determining whether a geographical feature of interest is at least partially located within the containment area; and

upon determining that a geographical feature of interest is at least partially located within a containment area, providing a visible notification to the operator.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the visible notification comprises a change in display of a geographical feature of interest on the geo-referenced chart.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the visible notification comprises an identification of a geographical feature of interest corresponding to the containment area.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing an audible notification to the operator when a geographical feature of interest is at least partially located within a containment area.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein defining a containment area provides a containment area that surrounds the aircraft.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein providing a visible notification to the operator is initiated upon determining that a geographical feature of interest is at least partially located within a containment area.