Systems and methods for ground collision avoidance

• US 9,047,771 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Thoreen, Adam M., Baer, Joshua J., Wyckoff, Peter N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US14/200,650
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/14, 701/301, 340/945, 382/305, 244/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A system for displaying guidance aids to a crew for ground obstacle avoidance, particularly wingtip clearance. Perspective areas are drawn representing the current locations of the wingtips over the ground and predicted locations out into the future for a specified time or a specified distance. A flight crew may use these displayed guidance aids to determine the proximity of any perceived threat to the airplane. This capability addresses the costly problem of wingtip/airplane ground collisions. The graphical cue systems are specifically targeted toward aircraft that have a large wing span/size and/or folding wingtips.

Claims

1. A system for aiding ground maneuvering of an airplane, said system comprising:

a first video camera mounted to an airplane for generating a first stream of video images that include a changing video scene and a fixed image of a first extremity of said airplane;

a video display unit on the flight deck of said airplane capable of displaying video images; and

a computer system programmed to cause said video display unit to display a video image of said first stream in a first window with a first graphical cue superimposed on said video image of said first stream, said first graphical cue representing projected locations of said first extremity over ground during movement of said airplane.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first extremity is a wingtip.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first extremity is a distal end of a wing having a folded wingtip.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first graphical cue comprises an arc-shaped band and said computer system is programmed to calculate a radius and a sweep angle of said arc-shaped band based on sensor data.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said sensor data comprises airplane groundspeed and nose wheel steering angle.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first graphical cue comprises a projection plane and said computer system is further programmed to calculate a length of said projection plane based on sensor data.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein said sensor data comprises airplane groundspeed.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said first graphical cue further comprises tic marks spaced at intervals along said projection plane.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said sensor data further comprises airplane acceleration/deceleration.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said first graphical cue further comprises a stoppage marker and said computer system is further programmed to calculate a position of said stoppage marker based on airplane groundspeed and acceleration/deceleration.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second video camera mounted to an airplane for generating a second stream of video images that include a changing video scene and a fixed image of a second extremity of said airplane, wherein said computer system is further programmed to cause said video display unit to display a video image of said second stream in a second window with a second graphical cue superimposed on said video image of said second stream.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said first graphical cue comprises a first projection plane, said second graphical cue comprises a second projection plane, and said second projection plane is a mirror image of said first projection plane.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said first graphical cue comprises a first arc-shaped band having a first radius and said second graphical cue comprises a second arc-shaped band having a second radius greater than said first radius.

14. A method for aiding ground maneuvering of an airplane, said method comprising:

capturing a stream of video images that include a changing video scene and a fixed image of an extremity of an airplane; and

displaying a video image of said first stream on a video display unit with a graphical cue superimposed on said video image of said stream, said graphical cue representing projected locations of said extremity over ground during movement of said airplane.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein said extremity is a wingtip or a distal end of a wing having a folded wingtip.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein said graphical cue comprises an arc-shaped band, further comprising calculating a radius and a sweep angle of said arc-shaped band based on sensor data, wherein said sensor data comprises airplane groundspeed and nose wheel steering angle.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein said graphical cue comprises a projection plane, further comprising calculating a length of said projection plane based on sensor data, wherein said sensor data comprises airplane groundspeed.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said graphical cue further comprises tic marks spaced at intervals along said projection plane.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said sensor data further comprises airplane acceleration/deceleration and said graphical cue further comprises a stoppage marker, said method further comprising calculating a position of said stoppage marker based on airplane groundspeed and acceleration/deceleration.

20. An onboard system for avoiding collisions between a maneuvering airplane and an obstacle, said system comprising:

a video camera mounted to an airplane for generating a stream of video images that include a changing video scene and a fixed image of an extremity of said airplane;

a video display unit on the flight deck of said airplane capable of displaying video images; and

a computer system programmed to perform the following operations;

(a) causing said video display unit to display a video image of said stream with a graphical cue superimposed on said video image of said stream, said graphical cue representing projected locations of said extremity over ground during movement of said airplane;

(b) processing said video image to determine whether an obstacle appearing in said video image is at a location having less than a minimum separation distance from or intersected by any one of said projected locations or not; and

(c) issuing an alert signal if a determination is made in operation (b) that the obstacle location is less than a minimum separation distance from or intersected by a projected location of said extremity.

21. A system for aiding ground maneuvering of an airplane, said system comprising:

a video camera mounted to an airplane for generating a stream of video images that include a video scene and an image of an extremity of said airplane;

a video display unit on the flight deck of said airplane capable of displaying video images; and

a computer system programmed to perform the following operations;

(a) calculating projected locations of said extremity over ground during movement of said airplane;

(b) transforming said calculated projected locations of said extremity into a graphical cue representing said calculated projected locations of said extremity in a frame of reference of said video scene; and

(c) causing said video display unit to display said graphical cue superimposed on said video images in fixed spatial relationship to said image of said extremity.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein said transforming operation is based at least in part on a known spatial relationship of said camera and said extremity.

23. A method for aiding ground maneuvering of an airplane, said method comprising:

(a) capturing a stream of video images that include a changing video scene and a fixed image of an extremity of an airplane;

(b) calculating projected locations of the extremity over ground during movement of the airplane;

(c) transforming said calculated projected locations of the extremity into a graphical cue representing said calculated projected locations of the extremity in a frame of reference of said video scene; and

(d) displaying a video image of said first stream on a video display unit with a graphical cue superimposed on said video image of said stream, said graphical cue representing projected locations of said extremity over ground during movement of said airplane,

wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed by a computer system.

24. An onboard system for avoiding collisions between a maneuvering airplane and an obstacle, said system comprising:

a video camera mounted to an airplane for generating a stream of video images that include a changing video scene and a fixed image of an extremity of said airplane;

a video display unit on the flight deck of said airplane capable of displaying video images; and

a computer system programmed to perform the following operations;

(a) calculating projected locations of said extremity over ground during movement of said airplane;

(b) transforming said calculated projected locations of said extremity into a graphical cue representing said calculated projected locations of said extremity in a frame of reference of said video scene;

(c) causing said video display unit to display said graphical cue superimposed on said video images in fixed spatial relationship to said image of said extremity;

(d) processing said video image to determine whether an obstacle appearing in said video image is at a location having less than a minimum separation distance from or intersected by any one of said projected locations or not; and

(e) issuing an alert signal if a determination is made in operation (b) that the obstacle location is less than a minimum separation distance from or intersected by a projected location of said extremity.