Systems and methods for informing a pilot of an aircraft about a topographical condition

• US 8,599,046 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Ca, Santhosh
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees, Edny
• Application Number:
  US13/081,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20120256767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/946, 340/947, 340/948, 340/953, 244/114.R, 342/33, 342/34, 342 63- 65, 701/1, 701/300, 701/301, 701/302
• US Class Current: 340/947
• 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 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 9/00 Traffic control systems for craft where the kind of craft is irrelevant or unspecified

Abstract

Systems and methods for informing a pilot of an aircraft about a topographical condition of a runway are disclosed herein. The system includes, but is not limited to, an electronic data storage unit configured to store location information and topographical condition information for a plurality of runways, a position determining unit that is configured to determine a geographical location of the aircraft, a display unit that is configured to display a graphical image, and a processor that is operatively coupled with each of the other components. The processor is configured to obtain the geographical location of the aircraft, identify a runway that the aircraft is approaching, obtain a subset of the topographical condition information relating to the runway, and command the display unit to display a vertical profile of the runway including a graphic depiction of the subset of the topographical condition information.

Claims

1. A system for informing a pilot of an aircraft about a topographical condition of a runway, the system comprising:

a processor configured to be operatively coupled with an electronic data storage unit, a position determining unit, and a display unit, the processor configured to;

(i) obtain a geographical location of the aircraft from the position determining unit,

(ii) identify a runway of a plurality of runways that the aircraft is approaching based on the geographical location of the aircraft and location information stored in the electronic data storage unit, the runway having a runway surface,

(iii) obtain a subset of topographical condition information relating to the runway from the electronic data storage unit, the topographical condition information comprising an actual topographical condition of the runway surface that may affect the aircraft during takeoffs and landings, and

(iv) command the display unit to simultaneously display;

(a) an aircraft symbol,

(b) a vertical profile of the runway that includes a graphic depiction of the actual topographical condition, and

(c) a touchdown point graphic representative of a location on the runway where the aircraft is expected to make contact with the runway,

wherein;

the aircraft symbol, the runway, and the graphic depiction of the actual topographical condition are simultaneously displayed on the display unit at positions that are representative of actual positional relationships between the aircraft, the runway, and the actual topographical condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the actual topographical condition comprises a runway undulation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the actual topographical condition comprises a runway grade.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the actual topographical condition comprises an isolated bump in a runway surface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the actual topographical condition comprises a rough runway surface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to command the display unit to display a second symbol in the vertical profile that is indicative of a remaining length of the runway.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to command the display unit to include an annotation in the vertical profile of the runway.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to command the display unit to display the aircraft symbol, the vertical profile, and the touchdown point graphic vertical profile when the aircraft reaches a predetermined distance from the runway.

9. A system for informing a pilot of an aircraft about a topographical condition of a runway, the system comprising:

an electronic data storage unit configured to store location information and topographical condition information for a plurality of runways, each runway having a runway surface, the topographical condition information comprising conditions of each runway surface that may affect the aircraft during takeoffs and landings,

a position determining unit configured to determine a geographical location of the aircraft;

a display unit configured to display a graphical image; and

a processor operatively coupled with the electronic data storage unit, the position determining unit, and the display unit, the processor being configured to;

(i) obtain the geographical location of the aircraft from the position determining unit,

(ii) identify a runway of the plurality of runways that the aircraft is approaching based on the geographical location of the aircraft and the location information stored in the electronic data storage unit,

(iii) obtain a subset of the topographical condition information relating to the runway from the electronic data storage unit, the topographical condition information comprising an actual topographical condition of the runway surface that may affect the aircraft during takeoffs and landings, and

(iv) command the display unit to simultaneously display;

(a) an aircraft symbol,

(b) a vertical profile of the runway that includes a graphic depiction of the actual topographical condition, and

(c) a touchdown point graphic representative of a location on the runway where the aircraft is expected to make contact with the runway,

wherein;

the aircraft symbol, the runway, and the graphic depiction of the actual topographical condition are simultaneously displayed on the display unit at positions that are representative of actual positional relationships between the aircraft, the runway, and the actual topographical condition.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the actual topographical condition comprises a runway undulation.

11. system of claim 9, wherein the actual topographical condition comprises a runway grade.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the actual topographical condition comprises an isolated bump in a runway surface.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the actual topographical condition comprises a rough runway surface.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to command the display unit to display a second symbol in the vertical profile that is indicative of a remaining length of the runway.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to command the display unit to display the aircraft symbol, the vertical profile, and the touchdown point graphic when the aircraft reaches a predetermined distance from the runway.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising a speaker unit configured to emit audible sounds, wherein the processor is operatively coupled with the speaker unit and wherein the processor is further configured to command the speaker unit to emit an audible alarm when the aircraft reaches a predetermined distance from the runway.