Methods and systems for displaying procedure information on an aircraft display
First Claim
1. A system for displaying flight procedure information to an aircrew member of an aircraft, the system comprising:
- a moving map display subsystem configured to display a map that moves in a manner that corresponds with a movement of the aircraft;
a position detecting subsystem that detects a current location of the aircraft with respect to a ground surface and to generate a first signal indicative of the current location of the aircraft;
an electronic data storage unit that stores a plurality of flight path navigation procedures associated with a corresponding plurality of geographic locations, each of the plurality of flight path navigation procedures comprising a line segment or a plurality of connected line segments;
a flight path analysis subsystem that automatically determines a preferred flight path and generates a second signal indicative of a current flight path of the aircraft, wherein the flight path analysis subsystem determines the preferred flight path automatically based at least in part on one or more of the following;
an estimated fuel consumption required to fly the flight path, an estimated flight time required to fly the flight path, an estimated cost required to fly the flight path; and
a processor operatively coupled with the moving map display subsystem, the position detecting subsystem, the flight path analysis subsystem, and the electronic data storage unit,wherein the processor receives the first signal from the position detecting subsystem and receives the second signal from the flight path analysis subsystem, to retrieve a subset of the plurality of flight path navigation procedures from the electronic storage unit that correspond with the current location of the aircraft and the current flight path of the aircraft, and the processor further commands the moving map display subsystem to display a graphic depiction of each of the subset of the plurality of flight path navigation procedures on the moving map display subsystem, wherein the processor cooperates with the flight path analysis subsystem to determine the preferred flight path from among the subset of the plurality of flight paths, and wherein the preferred flight path is automatically displayed with a pre-established visual cue for displaying the preferred flight path that visually differentiates the line segment or the plurality of connected line segments of the preferred flight path from the lines segment or the plurality of connected line segments of others of the subset of the plurality of flight paths.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for displaying a flight path navigational procedure includes, but is not limited to, detecting with a position detecting system a current location of the aircraft, obtaining from an electronic storage device a plurality of flight path navigation procedures available for a geographic location, determining with a flight path analysis system a preferred flight path that will be taken by the aircraft, and displaying on a display unit a moving map corresponding with the current location of the aircraft and further displaying a depiction of the plurality of flight path navigation procedures on the moving map. The preferred flight path is displayed with a visual cue that visually differentiates the preferred flight path from the other flight paths of the plurality of flight path navigation procedures.
22 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for displaying flight procedure information to an aircrew member of an aircraft, the system comprising:
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a moving map display subsystem configured to display a map that moves in a manner that corresponds with a movement of the aircraft; a position detecting subsystem that detects a current location of the aircraft with respect to a ground surface and to generate a first signal indicative of the current location of the aircraft; an electronic data storage unit that stores a plurality of flight path navigation procedures associated with a corresponding plurality of geographic locations, each of the plurality of flight path navigation procedures comprising a line segment or a plurality of connected line segments; a flight path analysis subsystem that automatically determines a preferred flight path and generates a second signal indicative of a current flight path of the aircraft, wherein the flight path analysis subsystem determines the preferred flight path automatically based at least in part on one or more of the following;
an estimated fuel consumption required to fly the flight path, an estimated flight time required to fly the flight path, an estimated cost required to fly the flight path; anda processor operatively coupled with the moving map display subsystem, the position detecting subsystem, the flight path analysis subsystem, and the electronic data storage unit, wherein the processor receives the first signal from the position detecting subsystem and receives the second signal from the flight path analysis subsystem, to retrieve a subset of the plurality of flight path navigation procedures from the electronic storage unit that correspond with the current location of the aircraft and the current flight path of the aircraft, and the processor further commands the moving map display subsystem to display a graphic depiction of each of the subset of the plurality of flight path navigation procedures on the moving map display subsystem, wherein the processor cooperates with the flight path analysis subsystem to determine the preferred flight path from among the subset of the plurality of flight paths, and wherein the preferred flight path is automatically displayed with a pre-established visual cue for displaying the preferred flight path that visually differentiates the line segment or the plurality of connected line segments of the preferred flight path from the lines segment or the plurality of connected line segments of others of the subset of the plurality of flight paths. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for displaying a procedure to an aircrew member of an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an indication of a criteria for determining a preferred flight path navigation procedure, wherein the criteria include one or more of the following;
an estimated fuel consumption required to fly the flight path, an estimated flight time required to fly the flight path, an estimated cost required to fly the flight path;detecting with a position detecting system a current location of the aircraft; obtaining from an electronic storage device a plurality of available flight path navigation procedures that are available for a geographic location based on the current location of the aircraft; pre-determining a visual cue for visually differentiating, on an aircraft display, the preferred flight path navigation procedure from other flight paths of the plurality of available flight path navigation procedures; subsequent to the step of pre-determining the visual cue, automatically determining with a flight path analysis system the preferred flight path navigation procedure based on the received indication of the criteria for determining the preferred flight path navigation procedure and the obtained plurality of available flight path navigation procedures; and displaying on a display unit a moving map corresponding with the current location of the aircraft and further displaying a depiction of the plurality of available flight path navigation procedures on the moving map including the preferred flight path navigation procedure, wherein each of the plurality of available flight path navigation procedures is displayed as a line segment or a plurality of connected line segments, wherein the preferred flight path is displayed with the pre-determined visual cue that visually differentiates the line segment or the plurality of connected line segments of the preferred flight path from the line segment or the plurality of connected line segments of other flight paths navigation procedures of the plurality of available flight path navigation procedures. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for displaying a procedure to an aircrew member of an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining a plurality of available flight path navigation procedures for the aircraft based on a current position of the aircraft and a desired future position of the aircraft; pre-determining a first line style for visually displaying a preferred flight path navigation procedure of the plurality of flight path navigation procedures as a line segment or a plurality of connected line segments and a second line style for visually displaying a less preferable flight path navigation procedure of the plurality of flight path navigation procedures as a line segment or a plurality of connected line segments, wherein the first line style differs from the second line style; subsequent to pre-determining the first and second line styles, automatically determining the preferred flight path navigation procedure based on one or more of the following flight plan preferences;
an estimated fuel consumption required to fly the flight path, an estimated flight time required to fly the flight path, and an estimated cost required to fly the flight path, wherein the preferred flight path navigation procedure represents a flight plan preference minimum value and wherein the less preferable flight path navigation procedure represents a flight plan preference value that is greater than the minimum value; anddisplaying the preferred flight path navigation procedure on a cockpit display of the aircraft using the first line style and displaying the less preferable flight path navigation procedure using the second line style. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification