System and method for displaying degraded traffic data on an in-trail procedure (ITP) display

• US 8,478,513 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kar, Satyanarayan, Agarwal, Jitender Kumar, Maji, Sanjib Kumar, Chakraborty, Sandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US13/354,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3- 5, 701/120
• US Class Current: 701/120
• 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 system and method for displaying degraded traffic data from an intruder aircraft on an ITP display is provided. The method includes determining if the degraded traffic data exhibits navigational accuracy sufficient for display on the ITP display, and analyzing the degraded traffic data to determine the ITP parameters for similar track traffic and to determine if the navigational accuracy of the degraded traffic data is within predefined bounds if the navigational accuracy of the degraded traffic is not sufficient for display on the ITP display.

Claims

1. A method for displaying degraded traffic data from an intruder aircraft on an ITP display, comprising:

determining if the traffic data exhibits navigational accuracy sufficient for display on the ITP display; and

if the navigational accuracy of the traffic is not sufficient for display on the ITP display, analyze the degraded traffic data to determine the ITP parameters for similar track traffic and to determine if the navigational accuracy of the degraded traffic is within predefined bounds.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of determining comprises correlating TCAS data with previously stored ADS-B data.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of determining comprises checking the accuracy and integrity of TCAS data if there is no ADS-B data.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of determining comprises correlating TCAS data with degraded ADS-B data.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of analyzing comprises:

determining ITP parameters for similar track traffic; and

displaying the degraded traffic if the degradation is within predefined bounds.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the step of displaying comprises constructing and displaying uncertainty graphics.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the uncertainty graphics comprise a graphical representation of uncertainty.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the graphical representation on the ITP vertical display comprises a rectangle having a length and a height.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the graphical representation comprises a textual representation of uncertainty including text visually representative of the length.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the ITP display comprises an ITP distance scale and wherein the uncertainty graphics comprise vertical lines extending to the ITP distance scale and representing the minimum and maximum uncertainty in ITP distance.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of determining comprises determining if NACp is equal to or greater than five, NIC is equal to or greater than five, and NACv is equal to or greater than one.

12. A method for displaying degraded traffic data from an intruder aircraft that is not ADS-B equipped, whose ADS-B data has dropped off, or is transmitting degraded ADS-B data, the method comprising:

determining the accuracy and integrity of the TCAS data if the intruder aircraft is not ADS-B equipped;

correlating TCAS data with previously received and stored ADS-B data if the ADS-B data has dropped off;

correlating TCAS data with degraded ADS-B data if the aircraft is transmitting degraded ADS-B data;

determining if the traffic data exhibits navigational accuracy sufficient for display on the ITP display; and

analyzing the degraded traffic data to determine the ITP parameters for similar track traffic and to determine if the navigational accuracy of the degraded traffic data is within predefined bounds.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the step of analyzing comprises:

determining ITP parameters for similar track traffic; and

displaying the degraded traffic if the degradation is within the predefined bounds.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of displaying comprises constructing and displaying uncertainty graphics.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the uncertainty graphics comprise a graphical representation of uncertainty and a textual representation of uncertainty.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the graphical representation of uncertainty comprises a rectangular symbol having a length and a height, and the textual representation of uncertainty comprises text visually representative of the numeric value of the length of the graphical representation of uncertainty.

17. An aircraft display system configured to display degraded traffic data on an ITP display, comprising:

a monitor; and

a processor coupled to the monitor and configured to determine if the traffic data exhibits navigational accuracy sufficient for display on the ITP display, analyze the degraded traffic data to determine the ITP parameters for similar track traffic, and determine if the navigational accuracy of the degraded traffic data is within predefined bounds if the navigational accuracy of the degraded traffic is not sufficient for display on the ITP display.

18. An aircraft display system according to claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to generate a graphical representation of uncertainty on the monitor.

19. An aircraft display system according to claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to generate a textual representation of uncertainty on the monitor.

20. An aircraft display system according to claim 18 wherein the graphical representation of uncertainty on the ITP vertical display is a rectangle.