Dual threaded system for low visibility operations

• US 8,917,191 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Tiana, Carlo L., Zimmerman, Kenneth A., Wood, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US13/241,051
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/947, 340/948, 340/951, 340/953, 340/954, 340/980, 340/956, 340/971, 340/972, 340/973, 340/974, 340/975, 701/14, 701/120, 348/144, 345/1.1, 250/330
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/08 optical
• 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: 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

Abstract

A system for controlling an image displayed on a display unit of an aircraft is shown and described. The system includes an enhanced vision system that detects elements of an approach lighting system for display on the display unit. The system also includes a synthetic vision system that uses a database of navigation information and a determined aircraft location to generate synthetic display elements representing the approach lighting system. Display electronics of the system cause the detected elements from the enhanced vision system to be simultaneously displayed on the display unit within a same scene as the generated synthetic display elements from the synthetic vision system. Advantageously, the simultaneous display allows a pilot viewing the display unit to check for whether information provided by the enhanced vision system matches information provided by the synthetic vision system.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an image displayed on a display unit of an aircraft, the system comprising:

an enhanced vision system that detects elements of an approach lighting system for display on the display unit;

a synthetic vision system that uses a database of navigation information and a determined aircraft location to generate synthetic display elements representing the approach lighting system;

display electronics that cause the detected elements from the enhanced vision system to be simultaneously displayed on the display unit within a same scene as the generated synthetic display elements from the synthetic vision system, whereby the simultaneous display allows a pilot viewing the display unit to check for whether information provided by the enhanced vision system matches information provided by the synthetic vision system, wherein positions of the synthetic vision system elements and an enhanced vision system scene are independently derived such that neither the enhanced vision system scene nor the generated synthetic vision system elements are adjusted in response to information from the other system and neither are adjusted in response to information from a shared source.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the synthetic vision system is configured to cause its generated synthetic display elements to be positioned on the scene of the display unit based on aircraft position information and aircraft orientation information obtained from a first set of sensors.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the enhanced vision system is configured to cause its detected elements to be displayed on the scene of the display unit based on information from a second set of sensors.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first set of sensors and the second set of sensors do not share any one sensor.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the generated synthetic display elements are generated using database information corresponding with the aircraft position information and the aircraft orientation information obtained from the first set of sensors;

wherein the aircraft position information is derived from a satellite-based positioning system;

wherein the aircraft orientation information is derived from at least one gyroscope system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated synthetic display elements representing the approach lighting system comprise icons for lights of the approach lighting system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated synthetic display elements comprise a graphic representing an area of uncertainty around the display element representing the approach lighting system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the area of uncertainty is static and represents an area of pre-calculated uncertainty corresponding with information of the synthetic vision system.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the area of uncertainty is dynamically calculated based on changing factors of the synthetic vision system'"'"'s electronics.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the display electronics are configured to cause the detected elements from the enhanced vision system to overlay at least some of the generated synthetic display elements from the synthetic vision system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated synthetic display elements comprise at least one of:

(a) an iconic depiction of the location of the ALS light sources, (b) a graphically drawn runway centerline, (c) a graphically drawn runway outline.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the display electronics are configured to layer a background image capture from an enhanced vision system sensor below the generated synthetic display elements and to layer the detected elements from the enhanced vision system above the generated synthetic display elements within the scene on the display unit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the detected elements from the enhanced vision system are at least partially transparent;

and wherein the enhanced vision system enhances the detected elements for display and provides enhanced elements, the enhancement including at least one of sharpening the detected elements and brightening the detected objects.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the generated synthetic display elements are at least partially transparent.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a comparator configured to automatically compare the graphical distance between the enhanced elements from the enhanced vision system and the generated synthetic display elements from the synthetic vision system, wherein the comparator is configured to cause an indication of a degree of alignment of the enhanced elements and the corresponding elements on the generated synthetic display to be output.

16. A method for controlling an image displayed on a display unit of an aircraft, comprising:

using an enhanced vision system to detect elements of an approach lighting system for display on a scene of a display unit;

using a synthetic vision system and the synthetic vision system'"'"'s database of navigation information to generate synthetic display elements representing the approach lighting system; and

causing the detected elements from the enhanced vision system to be simultaneously displayed on the display unit within the same scene as the generated synthetic display elements from the synthetic vision system, wherein positions of the synthetic vision system elements and an enhanced vision system scene are independently derived such that neither the enhanced vision system scene nor the generated synthetic vision system elements are adjusted in response to information from the other system and neither are adjusted in response to information from a shared source.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the synthetic vision system and the enhanced vision system determine placement of their respective elements on the display unit independently;

wherein the synthetic vision system causes its generated synthetic display elements to be positioned on the scene of the display unit based on aircraft position information and aircraft orientation information obtained from a first set of sensors;

wherein the enhanced vision system is configured to cause its detected elements to be displayed on the scene of the display unit based on information from a second set of sensors.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

using a comparator to automatically compare the graphical distance between the detected elements from the enhanced vision system and the generated synthetic display elements from the synthetic vision system; and

causing an indication of a degree of alignment of the detected elements and the corresponding elements on the generated synthetic display to be output.

19. Non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer executable instructions for completing the following steps:

using an enhanced vision system to detect elements of an approach lighting system for display on a scene of a display unit;

using a synthetic vision system and the synthetic vision system'"'"'s database of navigation information to generate synthetic display elements representing the approach lighting system; and

causing the detected elements from the enhanced vision system to be simultaneously displayed on the display unit within the same scene as the generated synthetic display elements from the synthetic vision system, wherein positions of the synthetic vision system elements and an enhanced vision system scene are independently derived such that neither the enhanced vision system scene nor the generated synthetic vision system elements are adjusted in response to information from the other system and neither are adjusted in response to information from a shared source.