Avionics display system and method for generating three dimensional display including error-compensated airspace

• US 8,849,477 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Brinkman, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US12/251,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,177 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/3, 701/4, 701/10, 701/207, 701 14- 16, 701/408, 340/945, 340/947, 340/951, 340/964, 340/979, 340/988, 731/78.R, 731/78.T
• 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: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38

Abstract

Embodiments of a method are provided that may be carried out by an avionics display system deployed on an aircraft and including a monitor. The avionics display system receives position data indicative of the aircraft'"'"'s detected position from at least one data source. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of: (i) attributing an error characteristic to the data source, (ii) identifying an airspace assigned to the aircraft at a given time, and (iii) establishing an error-compensated airspace as a function of the error characteristic and the assigned airspace. The aircraft'"'"'s actual position remains within the assigned airspace provided that the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides within the error-compensated airspace. A visual representation of the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace is generated on the monitor.

Claims

1. A method to be carried out by an avionics display system deployed on an aircraft and including a monitor, the avionics display system receiving position data indicative of the aircraft'"'"'s detected position from at least one data source comprising instrumentation deployed onboard the aircraft or remote from the aircraft, the method comprising:

attributing an instrumentation error characteristic to the data source;

identifying an airspace assigned to the aircraft at a given time;

reducing the volume of the assigned airspace based upon the magnitude of the instrumentation error characteristic in at least one dimension to determine an error-compensated airspace, the aircraft'"'"'s actual position remaining within the assigned airspace provided that the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides within the error-compensated airspace; and

generating on the monitor a visual representation of the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace;

wherein, in determining the error-compensated airspace, the volume of the assigned airspace is reduced as the instrumentation error characteristic increases.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of generating on the monitor a graphic representative of the aircraft'"'"'s detected position as indicated by the data source.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of generating comprises producing on the monitor a three dimensional wireframe indicating the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of generating comprises producing on the monitor a shaded portion of the error-compensated airspace.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of generating a first alert if the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides outside of the error-compensated airspace.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the step of generating the first alert comprises modifying the appearance of the visual representation.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the step of generating the first alert comprises changing at least a portion of the visual representation to a first warning color.

8. A method according to claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

projecting the aircraft'"'"'s flight path for a given time period; and

if the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path intersects an outer boundary of the error-compensated airspace, generating a second alert.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the step of generating a second alert comprises changing at least a portion of the visual representation to a second warning color different than the first warning color.

10. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of altering the color of the visual representation in relation to the distance between the aircraft'"'"'s detected position and the nearest outer boundary of the error-compensated airspace.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein avionics display system further includes a memory, and wherein the step of attributing comprises recalling from the memory an instrumentation error characteristic associated with the particular type of instrumentation utilized to detect the position of the aircraft.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the aircraft is further equipped with a wireless receiver, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

receiving, via the wireless receiver, data indicating the detected position of a neighboring aircraft; and

if the neighboring aircraft is within a predetermined distance from the aircraft on which the avionics display system is deployed, producing on the monitor a graphic indicating of the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s detected position.

13. A method according to claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

attributing a second instrumentation error characteristic to the data;

identifying a second airspace assigned to the neighboring aircraft at a given time;

establishing, as a function of the second instrumentation error characteristic and the second assigned airspace, a second error-compensated airspace within which the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s detected position should reside to ensure that the aircraft'"'"'s actual position remains within the second airspace; and

generating on the monitor a visual representation of the outer boundaries of the second error-compensated airspace.

14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of generating an alert if the neighboring aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides outside of the second assigned airspace.

20. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of establishing comprises:

establishing at least one outer boundary of the assigned airspace; and

determining at least one of the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace by moving the at least one outer boundary of the assigned airspace inward based upon the magnitude of the instrumentation error characteristic attributed to the data source.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium in conjunction with an avionics display system deployed on an aircraft and including a monitor, the display system receiving position data indicative of the aircraft'"'"'s detected position from at least one data source comprising instrumentation deployed onboard the aircraft or remote from the aircraft, the program product comprising:

an avionics display program configured to;

attribute an instrumentation error characteristic to the data source;

identify an airspace assigned to the aircraft at a given time;

reducing the volume of the assigned airspace as the magnitude of the instrumentation error characteristic increases to yield an error-compensated airspace, the aircraft'"'"'s actual position remaining within the assigned airspace provided that the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides within the error-compensated airspace; and

generate on the monitor a visual representation of the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace; and

A non-transitory computer-readable media bearing the avionics display program.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 15 wherein the avionics display program is further configured to generate on the monitor a graphic representative of the aircraft'"'"'s detected position as indicated by the data source.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 15 wherein the avionics display program is further configured to generate a first alert if the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides outside of the error-compensated airspace.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 15 wherein the avionics display program is further configured to:

project the aircraft'"'"'s flight path for a given time period; and

if the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path intersects an outer boundary of the error-compensated airspace, generate a second alert.

19. An avionics display system for deployment onboard an aircraft including at least one position-determining data source comprising instrumentation deployed onboard the aircraft or remote from the aircraft, the position-determining data source providing the avionics display system with data indicative of the detected position of the aircraft, the avionics display system comprising:

a monitor; and

a processor operatively coupled to the monitor and configured to;

(i) attribute an instrumentation error characteristic to the data source;

(ii) identify an airspace assigned to the aircraft at a given time;

(iii) reducing the volume of the assigned airspace as the magnitude of the instrumentation error characteristic increases to yield an error-compensated airspace, the aircraft'"'"'s actual position remaining within the assigned airspace provided that the aircraft'"'"'s detected position resides within the error-compensated airspace; and

(iv) generating on the monitor a visual representation of the outer boundaries of the error-compensated airspace.