Object symbology generating system, device, and method

• US 8,788,125 B1
• Filed: 07/30/2013
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Tiana, Carlo L., Lahr, Weston J., Bull, Ian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ziaeianmehdizadeh, Navid
• Application Number:
  US13/954,438
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• 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 present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for generating object symbology are disclosed. A system may be comprised one or more aircraft systems and a cockpit display system comprised of a system configuration file, a plurality of definition files, and a windows generator (“WG”). The WG may be configured to perform initialization and run-time operations. The initialization operation may be comprised of retrieving a system configuration file; retrieving a first definition file comprised of a first layer; and retrieving one or more second definition files comprised of one or more second layers. The run-time operation may be comprised of receiving a first-layer widget data set; receiving one or more second-layer widget data sets; determining each screen array cell; and generating a pixel data set in response to the determination.

Claims

1. A system for generating object symbology presentable on an aircraft display unit, such system comprising:

at least one aircraft system, where

each aircraft system is an owner of at least one user application; and

a cockpit display system comprised of

a system configuration file,

a plurality of definition files, and

a windows generator configured to

perform a first operation, where such first operation is configured to retrieve the system configuration file,

retrieve one first definition file comprised of a first layer, where

the first layer is comprised of a plurality of first-layer widgets, where

each first-layer widget is defined by a set of widget parameters, and

one first-layer widget is defined with a set of first-layer widget parameters comprised of

a number of cells along a first axis of

a screen array parameter,

a number of cells along a second axis of the screen array parameter,

an angular measurement of size of each cell along the first axis of the screen array parameter, and

an angular measurement of size of each cell along the second axis of the screen array parameter, and

retrieve at least one second definition file, wherein

each second definition file is comprised of at least one second layer, where

each second layer is comprised of at least one second-layer widget, where

at least one second-layer widget is defined with a set of second-layer widget parameters comprised of

a number of rows parameter,

a number of columns parameter, and

a fill style parameter, where

the fill style parameter is indicative of an object located along a third axis, and

perform a second operation, where such second operation is configured to receive a first-layer widget data set, wherein

the first-layer widget data set is representative of the set of first-layer widget parameters,

receive at least one second-layer widget data set, wherein

each second-layer widget data set is representative of one set of second-layer widget parameters, where

the first-layer widget data set and each second-layer widget data set have been sent under one uniform communication interface protocol,

determine the fill style of each screen array cell as a function of at least

the first-layer widget data set, and

each second-layer widget data set, and

generate a pixel data set responsive to the determination and representative of at least one fill style, such that

symbology of each fill style is presentable for a three-dimensional perspective.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the set of first-layer widget parameters is further comprised of

a plurality of screen reference position parameters, and

a plurality of field of view parameters.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein

the set of second-layer widget parameters is further comprised of

a number of cell layers parameter along the third axis.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein

the first-layer widget data set is received from a first user application owned by an aircraft navigation system,

at least one second-layer widget data is received from a second user application owned by a forward-looking radar system, or

both.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the object is comprised of an atmospheric hazard.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the object is comprised of terrain.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein

the cockpit display system is further comprised of

at least one display unit configured to

receive the pixel data set provided by the windows generator, and

present the symbology of each fill style represented in the pixel data set on the screen of each display unit.

8. A device for generating object symbology presentable on an aircraft display unit, such device comprising:

a windows generator configured to

perform a first operation, where such first operation is configured to

retrieve a system configuration file;

retrieve one first definition file comprised of a first layer, where

the first layer is comprised of a plurality of first-layer widgets, where

each first-layer widget is defined by a set of widget parameters, and

one first-layer widget is defined with a set of first-layer widget parameters comprised of

a number of cells along a first axis of a screen array parameter,

a number of cells along a second axis of the screen array parameter,

an angular measurement of size of each cell along the first axis of the screen array parameter, and

an angular measurement of size of each cell along the second axis of the screen array parameter; and

retrieve at least one second definition file, wherein

each second definition file is comprised of at least one second layer, where

each second layer is comprised of at least one second-layer widget, where

at least one second-layer widget is defined with a set of second-layer widget parameters comprised of

a number of rows parameter,

a number of columns parameter, and

a fill style parameter, where

the fill style parameter is indicative of an object located along a third axis; and

perform a second operation, where such second operation is configured to

receive a first-layer widget data set, wherein

the first-layer widget data set is representative of the set of first-layer widget parameters;

receive at least one second-layer widget data set, wherein

each second-layer widget data set is representative of one set of second-layer widget parameters, where

the first-layer widget data set and each second-layer widget data set have been sent under one uniform communication interface protocol;

determine the screen array cell of each fill style as a function of at least

the first-layer widget data set, and

each second-layer widget data set; and

generate a pixel data set responsive to the determination and representative of at least one fill style, such that

symbology of each fill style is presentable for a three-dimensional perspective.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein

the set of first-layer widget parameters is further comprised of

a plurality of screen reference position parameters, and

a plurality of field of view parameters.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein

the set of second-layer widget parameters is further comprised of

a number of cell layers parameter along the third axis.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein

the first-layer widget data set is received from a first user application owned by an aircraft navigation system,

at least one second-layer widget data is received from a second user application owned by a forward-looking radar system, or

both.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the object is comprised of an atmospheric hazard.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the object is comprised of terrain.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein

the windows generator is further configured to

provide the pixel data set to at least one display unit, whereby

the symbology of each fill style represented in the pixel data set is presented on the screen of each display unit.

15. A method for generating object symbology presentable on an aircraft display unit, such method comprising:

performing a first operation, where such first operation is configured to

retrieving a system configuration file;

retrieving one first definition file comprised of a first layer, where

the first layer is comprised of a plurality of first-layer widgets, where

each first-layer widget is defined by a set of widget parameters, and

one first-layer widget is defined with a set of first-layer widget parameters comprised of

a number of cells along a first axis of a screen array parameter,

a number of cells along a second axis of the screen array parameter,

an angular measurement of size of each cell along the first axis of the screen array parameter, and

an angular measurement of size of each cell along the second axis of the screen array parameter; and

retrieving at least one second definition file, wherein

each second definition file is comprised of at least one second layer, where

each second layer is comprised of at least one second-layer widget, where

at least one second-layer widget is defined with a set of second-layer widget parameters comprised of

a number of rows parameter,

a number of columns parameter, and

a fill style parameter, where

the fill style parameter is indicative of an object located along third axis; and

performing a second operation, where such second operation is configured to

receiving a first-layer widget data set, wherein

the first-layer widget data set is representative of the set of first-layer widget parameters;

receiving at least one second-layer widget data set, wherein

each second-layer widget data set is representative of one set of second-layer widget parameters, where

the first-layer widget data set and each second-layer widget data set have been sent under one uniform communication interface protocol;

determining the screen array cell of each fill style as a function of at least

the first-layer widget data set, and

each second-layer widget data set; and

generating a pixel data set responsive to the determination and representative of at least one fill style, such that

symbology of each fill style is presentable for a three-dimensional perspective.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein

the set of first-layer widget parameters is further comprised of

a plurality of screen reference position parameters, and

a plurality of field of view parameters.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein

the set of second-layer widget parameters is further comprised of

a number of cell layers parameter along the third axis.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein

the first-layer widget data set is received from a first user application owned by an aircraft navigation system,

at least one second-layer widget data is received from a second user application owned by a forward-looking radar system, or

both.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the object is comprised of an atmospheric hazard.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the object is comprised of terrain.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing the pixel data set to at least one display unit, whereby

the symbology of each fill style represented in the pixel data set is presented on the screen of each display unit.