Identifying restricted movement areas on electronic airport charts

• US 8,706,388 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Pschierer, Karl Christian, Lutz, Andr Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US12/328,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/14, 701/120, 701/121, 701/122, 701435-438, 701/301, 701/302, 340/945, 340/951, 340/961, 340/972, 342 29- 32, 342 36- 40, 342/454
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for graphically identifying operational restrictions for an airport area. The aircraft type is identified to form an identified aircraft type. A number of restrictions are identified for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form a number of associated restrictions. The number of associated restrictions is presented as a number of graphical indicators on a display of the airport area in locations for the number of associated restrictions.

Claims

1. A method for graphically identifying operational restrictions for an airport area, the method comprising, sequentially:

designating, in a processor comprising hardware and software, a display control aircraft from among all aircraft on the airport area, wherein designating comprises;

the processor designating an aircraft, the aircraft containing a display associated with the processor, as the display control aircraft, and receiving inputs that designate the display control aircraft from among all aircraft on the airport area, and further wherein the airport area comprises all ground surfaces within an airport'"'"'s geographic boundary that the display control aircraft can occupy or move over;

identifying, using the processor, an aircraft type of the display control aircraft;

forming, using the processor, an identified aircraft type, wherein the identified aircraft type is the display control aircraft identified by its aircraft type;

identifying, using the processor, a restriction for the airport area affecting the identified aircraft type, wherein the restriction comprises;

a Notice to Airmen, a restriction to aircraft movement on the airport area, a restriction to aircraft operations on the airport area;

a preferential taxi route on the airport area; and

a preferential operating procedure on the airport area;

forming, using the processor, an associated restriction, wherein the associated restriction comprises any restriction that affects the identified aircraft type, and excludes any restriction that cannot affect the identified aircraft type;

transforming, using the processor, the associated restriction into a graphical indicator, wherein the graphical indicator comprises the associated restriction and a location on the airport area that the associated restriction affects;

communicating the graphical indicator to the display; and

presenting, on the display, the graphical indicator on a graphical representation of the airport area in locations on the graphical representation of the airport area where the associated restriction applies.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a location of the display control aircraft in the airport area; and

displaying an aircraft icon on the graphical representation of the airport area in the location of the display control aircraft in the airport area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the restriction for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form the associated restriction comprises:

comparing a characteristic of the identified aircraft type to the restriction for the airport area; and

identifying if the restriction applies to the characteristic of the identified aircraft type to form the associated restriction.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responding to a selection of the graphical indicator on the display, presenting additional information about a restriction associated with the graphical indicator.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the restriction identifies a location for the restriction and the characteristic that is restricted.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the characteristic is selected from at least one-of a wing span, an aircraft weight, a speed, a turn radius, an aircraft type, an aircraft length, a tire pressure, a time, an engine thrust, performance data, a compatible parking gate, a time, and a date.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic representation of the airport area is a moving map display of the airport area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic representation of the airport area is a map of the airport area and wherein the step of presenting the associated restriction as the graphical indicator on the graphic representation of the airport area in locations for the associated restriction comprises:

printing the map of the airport area with the associated restriction presented on the map as the graphical indicator on the map of the airport area in locations for the associated restriction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical indicator is selected from at least one of a bracket, an icon, shading, highlighting, animation, and color.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of identifying the aircraft type to form the identified aircraft type;

identifying the restriction for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form the associated restriction; and

presenting the associated restriction as the graphical indicator on the graphic representation of the airport area in locations for the associated restriction are executed in a data processing system serving one of the aircraft, and an air traffic control facility.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a display; and

a processor, wherein the processor comprises;

hardware, and software, configured for sequentially;

designating, using the processor, a display control aircraft from among all aircraft on an airport area, wherein designating comprises;

the processor automatically designating an aircraft, the aircraft containing a display associated with the processor, as the display control aircraft, and receiving inputs that designate the display control aircraft from among all aircraft on the airport area, and further wherein the airport area comprises all ground surfaces within an airport'"'"'s geographic boundary that the display control aircraft can occupy or move over;

identifying, using the processor, an aircraft type of the display control aircraft;

forming, using the processor, an identified aircraft type, wherein the identified aircraft type is the display control aircraft identified by its aircraft type;

identifying, using the processor, a restriction for the airport area affecting the identified aircraft type, wherein the restriction comprises;

a Notice to Airmen, a restriction to aircraft movement on the airport area, a restriction to aircraft operations on the airport area;

a preferential taxi route on the airport area; and

a preferential operating procedure on the airport area;

forming, using the processor, an associated restriction, wherein the associated restriction comprises any restriction that affects the identified aircraft type, and excludes any restriction that cannot affect the identified aircraft type; and

transforming, using the processor, the associated restriction into a graphical indicator, wherein the graphical indicator comprises the associated restriction and a location on the airport area that the associated restriction affects;

communicating the graphical indicator to the display; and

presenting, on the display, the graphical indicator on a graphical representation of the airport area in locations on the graphical representation of the airport area where the associated restriction applies.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further capable of identifying a location of the display control aircraft in the airport area;

and displaying an aircraft icon on the display of the airport area in the location of the display control aircraft in the airport area.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein in identifying the restriction for the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form the associated restriction, the processor is capable of comparing a characteristic for the identified aircraft type to the restriction for the airport area;

and identifying if the restriction applies to the characteristic of the identified aircraft type to form the associated restriction.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further capable of presenting additional information about the restriction associated with the graphical indicator in response to a selection of the graphical indicator on the display.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display of the airport area is a map of the airport area, and wherein in presenting the associated restriction as the graphical indicator on the display of the airport area in locations for the associated restriction, the processor is capable of printing the map of the airport area with the associated restriction presented on the map as the graphical indicator on the map of the airport area in locations for the associated restriction.

16. A computer program product for graphically identifying operational restrictions for an airport area, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer recordable storage medium;

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for sequentially designating a display control aircraft from among all aircraft on the airport area, wherein designating comprises;

the program code automatically designating an aircraft, the aircraft containing a display associated with the program code, as the display control aircraft, and receiving inputs that designate the display control aircraft from among all aircraft on the airport area, and further wherein the airport area comprises all ground surfaces within an airport'"'"'s geographic boundary that the display control aircraft can occupy or move over;

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for identifying an aircraft type of the display control aircraft;

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for forming, using the program code, an identified aircraft type, wherein the identified aircraft type is the display control aircraft identified by its aircraft type;

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a restriction for the airport area affecting the identified aircraft type, wherein the restriction comprises;

a Notice to Airmen, a restriction to aircraft movement on the airport area, a restriction to aircraft operations on the airport area;

a preferential taxi route on the airport area; and

a preferential operating procedure on the airport area;

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for forming an associated restriction, wherein the associated restriction comprises any restriction that affects the identified aircraft type, and excludes any restriction that cannot affect the identified aircraft type;

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for transforming the associated restriction into a graphical indicator, wherein the graphical indicator comprises the associated restriction and a location on the airport area that the associated restriction affects;

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for communicating the graphical indicator to the display; and

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for presenting on the display, the graphical indicator on a graphical representation of the airport area in locations on the graphical representation of the airport area where the associated restriction applies.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a location of the display control aircraft in the airport area; and

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for displaying an aircraft icon on the graphical representation of the airport area in the location of the display control aircraft in the airport area.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a number of restrictions on the airport area using the identified aircraft type to form a number of associated restrictions comprises:

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for comparing a characteristic for the identified aircraft type to the restriction for the airport area; and

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for identifying if the restriction applies to the characteristic of the identified aircraft type to form the associated restriction.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for presenting additional information about a restriction associated with the graphical indicator in response to a selection of the graphical indicator on the display.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the graphical representation of the airport area is a map of the airport area, and wherein the program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for presenting the associated restriction as the graphical indicator on the display of the airport area in locations for the associated restriction comprises:

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable storage medium, for printing the map of the airport area with the associated restriction presented on the map as the graphical indicator on the map of the airport area in locations for the associated restriction.