Vertical profile display with variable display boundaries

• US 8,417,397 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2010
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Khatwa, Ratan, Mathan, Santosh, Olofinboba, Olukayode
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/774,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 701 4- 6, 701/3, 701/14
• US Class Current: 701/14
• 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 5/0008 with other aircraft
• 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

A display system includes instrumentation configured to obtain aircraft data comprising current flight status data of the host aircraft and current flight status data of neighboring aircraft located near the host aircraft. The system also includes a processor coupled to the instrumentation. The processor analyzes and filters the aircraft data, using lateral boundary criteria for the host aircraft, to identify a proper subset of the neighboring aircraft, and the processor generates image rendering display commands based upon the current flight status data of the host aircraft and based upon the current flight status data of neighboring aircraft included in the proper subset. A display element receives the image rendering display commands and, in response thereto, renders a vertical situation display that includes graphical representations of the host aircraft and each neighboring aircraft included the proper subset.

Claims

1. A method for displaying aircraft traffic information on a display element of a host aircraft, the method comprising:

obtaining with instrumentation current flight status data of the host aircraft and current flight status data of neighboring aircraft located within a designated range relative to the host aircraft;

obtaining with a processor a lateral display filter boundary relative to the host aircraft, the lateral display filter boundary comprising a first lateral boundary for a port side of the host aircraft and a second lateral boundary for a starboard side of the host aircraft, with each lateral boundary intersecting the designated range and dividing the designated range into a near portion between the lateral boundaries and a far portion beyond each respective lateral boundary;

generating with the processor, based upon the current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the neighboring aircraft located within the designated range, image rendering commands corresponding to a plan view display for the host aircraft, the plan view display comprising graphical representations of the host aircraft and the neighboring aircraft located within the designated range;

rendering the plan view display on the display element;

analyzing with the processor the current flight status data of the neighboring aircraft located within the designated range to identify neighboring aircraft located in the near portion and in the far portion;

generating with the processor, based upon the current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the neighboring aircraft located in the near portion, image rendering commands corresponding to a vertical situation display (VSD) for the host aircraft, the VSD comprising graphical representations of the host aircraft and the neighboring aircraft located within the near portion, and the VSD excluding graphical representations of neighboring aircraft located in the far portion; and

rendering the VSD on the display element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user-entered data that defines the display filter boundary relative to the host aircraft.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user-entered data indicates the first lateral boundary for the port side of the host aircraft, and the second lateral boundary for the starboard side of the host aircraft.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the lateral boundaries are asymmetric relative to the host aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the VSD further comprises indicia of the display filter boundary and the plan view display further comprises indicia of the display filter boundary.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating the display filter boundary as a function of the designated range.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the calculating step calculates the display filter boundary as a percentage of the designated range.

8. A display system for a host aircraft, the display system comprising:

instrumentation configured to obtain aircraft data comprising current flight status data of the host aircraft and current flight status data of neighboring aircraft located within a designated range relative to the host aircraft;

a processor configured to obtain a lateral display filter boundary relative to the host aircraft, the lateral display filter boundary comprising a first lateral boundary for a port side of the host aircraft and a second lateral boundary for a starboard side of the host aircraft, with each lateral boundary intersecting the designated range and dividing the designated range into a near portion between the lateral boundaries and a far portion beyond each respective lateral boundary;

a processor coupled to the instrumentation, the processor being configured to process and filter the aircraft data with a display filter boundary using lateral boundary criteria for the host aircraft, to identify a proper subset of the neighboring aircraft within the display filter boundary, and the processor being configured to generate image rendering display commands based upon the current flight status data of the host aircraft and based upon the current flight status data of neighboring aircraft included within the designated range and neighboring aircraft in the proper subset within the display filter boundary; and

a display element coupled to the processor and configured to receive the image rendering display commands and, in response thereto, to render a plan view display that includes graphical representations of the host aircraft, the display filter boundary, and each neighboring aircraft located within the designated range, and to render a vertical situation display (VSD) that includes graphical representations of the host aircraft and each neighboring aircraft included the proper subset within the display filter boundary.

9. The display system of claim 8, further comprising a user interface configured to obtain user-entered data associated with the lateral boundary criteria.

10. The display system of claim 9, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface rendered on the display element.

11. The display system of claim 9, wherein the user-entered data includes a first lateral boundary for a port side of the host aircraft, and a second lateral boundary for a starboard side of the host aircraft.

12. The display system of claim 8, wherein the processor calculates the lateral boundary criteria as a function of a user-entered lateral range relative to the host aircraft.

13. The display system of claim 8, wherein the instrumentation comprises an aircraft-to-aircraft data communication module configured to receive the current flight status data of the neighboring aircraft.

14. A method for displaying aircraft traffic information on a display element of a host aircraft, the method comprising:

obtaining with instrumentation current flight status data of the host aircraft and current flight status data of neighboring aircraft located within a designated range relative to the host aircraft;

receiving with the processor a user command that indicates an activation status of a lateral filter display mode;

when the user command indicates activation of the lateral filter display mode;

filtering with the processor the current flight status data of the neighboring aircraft, using lateral filtering criteria for the host aircraft, to identify a proper subset of the neighboring aircraft;

generating with a processor, based upon the current flight status data of the host aircraft and the current flight status data of the neighboring aircraft located within the designated range, image rendering commands corresponding to a plan view display for the host aircraft, the plan view display comprising graphical representations of the designated range, the host aircraft and the neighboring aircraft located within the designated range, a first lateral boundary for a port side of the host aircraft intersecting the designated range, and a second lateral boundary for a starboard side of the host aircraft intersecting the designated range;

rendering the plan view display on the display element;

generating with the processor first image rendering display commands based upon the current flight status data of the host aircraft and based upon the current flight status data of neighboring aircraft included in the proper subset; and

rendering a filtered vertical situation display (VSD) in response to the first image rendering display commands; and

when the user command indicates deactivation of the lateral filter display mode;

generating with the processor second image rendering display commands based upon the current flight status data of the host aircraft and based upon the current flight status data of all the neighboring aircraft; and

rendering an unfiltered VSD in response to the second image rendering display commands.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining a lateral range for the host aircraft wherein the neighboring aircraft are located within the lateral range; and

calculating the first lateral boundary and the second lateral boundary relative to the host aircraft, the lateral boundaries residing within the lateral range, wherein the lateral filtering criteria includes the lateral boundaries.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the filtered VSD includes graphical representations of the neighboring aircraft located within the lateral boundaries, and the filtered VSD is devoid of graphical representations of any neighboring aircraft located outside the lateral boundaries.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the unfiltered VSD includes graphical representations of all the neighboring aircraft located within the lateral range.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the lateral boundaries are calculated as a function of the lateral range.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising obtaining user-entered data associated with the lateral filtering criteria.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the user-entered data indicates the lateral boundaries are asymmetric relative to the host aircraft.