Systems and methods for displaying aircraft braking distance during surface operations

• US 8,958,942 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kolcarek, Pavel, Vasek, Jiri, Svoboda, Tomas, Olofinboba, Olukayode, Derouineau, Jean-Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US13/804,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.1, 340/945
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/42 Arrangement or adaptation of brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/426 Braking devices providing an automatic sequence of braking
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/934 on airport surfaces, e.g. while taxiing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

Systems and methods are operable to present braking distance information to crew of an installation aircraft. An exemplary embodiment determines a braking distance for a braking maneuver of the installation aircraft, wherein the braking distance is based on a current ground speed of the aircraft; and generates a graphical representation that is presented on a display, wherein a location of a graphical icon on the graphical representation indicates the determined braking distance from the installation aircraft.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a processing system, a range of braking distances for a braking maneuver of an installation aircraft based on a current ground speed of the installation aircraft, the range comprising a first braking distance and a second braking distance;

generating, by the processing system, a graphical representation comprising a graphical icon, wherein the graphical icon indicates a first stopping location that is the first braking distance from the installation aircraft and a second stopping location that is the second braking distance from the installation aircraft; and

presenting the graphical representation on a display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the range of braking distances comprises:

determining a longest braking distance based on at least one braking factor, the first braking distance being the longest braking distance; and

determining a shortest braking distance based on the at least one braking factor, the second braking distance being the shortest braking distance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a distance between the shortest braking distance and the longest braking distance is represented by a thickness dimension of the graphical icon.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated graphical icon comprises an outline of a forward portion of the installation aircraft or a chevron, wherein a width of the chevron corresponds to an orientation and an extent of wings of the installation aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the processing system, the range of braking distances comprises:

predefining a deceleration rate for the installation aircraft associated with the braking maneuver, wherein determining the range of braking distances comprises determining the range based on the deceleration rate.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a ground object near the installation aircraft using a ground object sensor;

determining a location of the ground object relative to the location of the installation aircraft based on input from the ground object sensor,

wherein the generated graphical representation presented on the display indicates the ground object with a ground object icon, and

wherein a presented location of the ground object icon on the display corresponds to the determined location of the ground object relative to a location of the installation aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a map based on a current location of the installation aircraft, wherein the graphical representation comprises at least a portion of the map, and wherein presenting the graphical representation comprises concurrently presenting the at least the portion of the map and the graphical icon on the display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the range of braking distances comprises determining the range of braking distances based on a probability distribution of at least one braking factor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a first deceleration rate and a second deceleration rate, wherein determining, by the processing system, the range of braking distances further comprises determining the first braking distance based on the first deceleration rate and the second braking distance based on the second deceleration rate.

10. A braking distance display system comprising:

a processing system configured to;

determine a range of braking distances for a braking maneuver of an installation aircraft based on a current ground speed of the installation aircraft, the range comprising a first braking distance and a second braking distance; and

generate a graphical representation comprising a graphical icon, wherein the graphical icon indicates a first stopping location that is the first braking distance from the installation aircraft and a second stopping location that is the second braking distance from the installation aircraft; and

a display communicatively coupled to the processing system, wherein the display is configured to present the graphical representation generated by the processing system.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one ground object sensor configured to detect a ground object,

wherein the processing system is configured to determine a location of the ground object relative to the installation aircraft based on input from the at least one ground object sensor,

wherein the generated graphical representation comprises a ground object icon that indicates the ground object, and

wherein a presented location of the ground object icon on the display corresponds to the determined location of the ground object relative to a current location of the installation aircraft.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing system is further configured to select a map based on a current location of the installation aircraft, and wherein the graphical representation comprises at least a portion of the map concurrently presented with the graphical icon.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing system is configured to determine the range of braking distances by at least determining a longest braking distance based on at least one braking factor, the first braking distance being the longest braking distance, and determining a shortest braking distance based on the at least one braking factor, the second braking distance being the shortest braking distance.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the graphical representation further comprises a braking point that indicates a desired location at which the installation aircraft will be fully stopped.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein a distance between the first braking distance and the second braking distance is represented by a thickness dimension of the graphical icon.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the generated graphical icon comprises an outline of a forward portion of the installation aircraft or a chevron, wherein a width of the chevron corresponds to an orientation and an extent of wings of the installation aircraft.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing system is configured to select a first deceleration rate and a second deceleration rate, and determine the range of braking distances by at least determining the first braking distance based on the first deceleration rate and the second braking distance based on the second deceleration rate.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing system is configured to select the first and second deceleration rates based on at least one of:

a weather condition, a range of coefficients of friction between landing gear of the installation aircraft and the surface over which the installation aircraft is moving, or a range of weights of the installation aircraft.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing system, a current ground speed of an installation aircraft;

selecting a braking factor;

determining, by the processing system, a longest braking distance for a braking maneuver of the installation aircraft based on the selected braking factor and the current ground speed;

determining, by the processing system, a shortest braking distance for the braking maneuver based on the selected braking factor and the current ground speed;

generating, by the processing system, a graphical representation comprising at least one graphical icon, wherein a location of the at least one graphical icon within the graphical representation indicates the determined longest braking distance and the determined shortest braking distance; and

presenting the graphical representation on a display.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one graphical icon comprises a first graphical icon and a second graphical icon, wherein a location of the first graphical icon within the graphical representation indicates the determined longest braking distance and a location of the second graphical icon within the graphical representation indicates the determined shortest braking distance.