Methods and systems for integrating runway status and layout

• US 9,098,996 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Barraci, Nima, Wiesemann, Thorsten, Soell, Anja
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, Garrett
• Application Number:
  US13/270,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20130090841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• 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 method for combining static runway information with runway status information for a selected runway is described. The method includes retrieving, with a processing device, static runway information for the selected runway from at least one database, retrieving, with the processing device, runway status information for the selected runway from at least one source of dynamic runway status information, generating, through a program executing on the processing device, a depiction of the selected runway on at least one display device, and generating for display proximate the runway depiction, through the execution of the program, a plurality of contextual symbology associated with the runway, the symbology based on the retrieved static runway information and the retrieved dynamic runway status information.

Claims

1. A method for combining runway map information with runway status information for a selected runway, said method comprising:

retrieving, with a processing device, runway map information for the selected runway from at least one database, the runway map information including runway exit information for the selected runway;

retrieving, with the processing device, runway status information, including runway condition information, for the selected runway from at least one source of runway status information;

generating, by the processing device, exit availability information by determining from a mass of an aircraft approaching the selected runway, the runway exit information, and the runway condition information, whether the aircraft is capable of exiting the selected runway at a predefined location;

generating, through a program executing on the processing device, a depiction of the selected runway on at least one display device; and

generating for display proximate the runway depiction, through the execution of the program, a plurality of contextual symbology associated with the runway, the symbology based on the retrieved runway map information and the retrieved runway status information, the contextual symbology including the exit availability information.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein, the selected runway is a first runway and generating a depiction of the selected runway comprises depicting the first runway and a first indicator for the first runway in first colors that are different than second colors used to depict at least one second runway and at least one second indicator for the at least one second runway.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating a depiction of the selected runway comprises depicting the selected runway in a color based on data relating to a current general condition of the selected runway received within at least one of a meteorological terminal aviation routine weather report or a meteorological aviation report.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating for display proximate the runway depiction a plurality of contextual symbology comprises displaying dimensions of the selected runway proximate the depiction of the selected runway.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating for display proximate the runway depiction a plurality of contextual symbology comprises depicting a current PAPI lighting configuration and displaying a glide slope angle for the selected runway proximate the depiction of the selected runway.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating for display proximate the runway depiction a plurality of contextual symbology comprises displaying a true heading angle and a portion of a compass rose proximate the depiction of the selected runway.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating for display proximate the runway depiction a plurality of contextual symbology comprises depicting a runway lighting system proximate the depiction of the selected runway as the runway lighting system would be viewed with respect to the runway through a window of the aircraft.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein retrieving runway status information for the selected runway comprises retrieving runway status information from a plurality of a digital automatic terminal information service, a navigation system providing airport and runway data under ARINC 424, one or more of a meteorological terminal aviation routine weather report or meteorological aviation report, a notices to air men (NOTAM) system, and a flight management controller.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein retrieving runway map information for the selected runway comprises retrieving runway map information from an airport mapping database.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating a depiction of the selected runway comprises depicting the selected runway on at least one of an electronic display of an approach chart and an electronic display of an airport map.

11. A supplemental aeronautical information system comprising:

a processing device operable to access a database of runway map information including runway exit information for a selected runway;

a display device communicatively coupled to said processing device; and

at least one communications interface associated with said processing device, said at least one communications interface operable to receive runway status information, including runway condition information, from at least one source of runway status information, said processing device programmed to;

generate exit availability information by determining from a mass of an aircraft approaching the selected runway, the runway exit information, and the runway condition information, whether the aircraft is capable of exiting the selected runway at a predefined location;

generate data operable to cause said display device to depict the selected runway based on the runway map information and the runway status information; and

generate data operable to cause said display device to display, proximate the selected runway depiction, a plurality of contextual symbology associated with the selected runway, the contextual symbology based on the runway map information and the retrieved runway status information, the contextual symbology including the exit availability information.

12. The supplemental aeronautical information system according to claim 11 wherein the selected runway is a first runway and to generate data operable to cause said display device to depict the selected runway said processing device is programmed to depict the first runway and a first indicator for the first runway in first colors that are different than second colors used to depict at least one second runway and at least one second indicator for the at least one second runway in the depiction.

13. The supplemental aeronautical information system according to claim 11 wherein to generate data operable to cause said display device to depict a selected runway said processing device is programmed to depict the selected runway in a color based on data relating to a current general condition of the selected runway received within at least one of a meteorological terminal aviation routine weather report or a meteorological aviation report.

14. The supplemental aeronautical information system according to claim 11 wherein to generate data operable to cause said display device to display a plurality of contextual symbology, said processing device is programmed to display the dimensions of the selected runway proximate the depiction of the selected runway.

15. The supplemental aeronautical information system according to claim 11 wherein to generate data operable to cause said display device to display a plurality of contextual symbology, said processing device is programmed to depict a current precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lighting configuration and display a glide slope angle for the selected runway proximate the depiction of the selected runway.

16. The supplemental aeronautical information system according to claim 11 wherein to generate data operable to cause said display device to display a plurality of contextual symbology, said processing device is programmed to display a true heading angle and a portion of a compass rose proximate the depiction of the selected runway.

17. The supplemental aeronautical information system according to claim 11 wherein to generate data operable to cause said display device to display a plurality of contextual symbology, said processing device is programmed to depict a radar landing system proximate the depiction of the selected runway as the radar landing system would be viewed with respect to the runway through a window of the aircraft.

18. The supplemental aeronautical information system according to claim 11 wherein said at least one communications interface is communicatively coupled to receive runway status information originating from a plurality of a digital automatic terminal information service, a navigation system providing airport and runway data under ARINC 424, one or more of a meteorological terminal aviation routine weather report or meteorological aviation report, a notices to air men (NOTAM) system, and a flight management controller.

19. The supplemental aeronautical information system according to claim 11 wherein to generate data operable to cause said display device to depict a selected runway and display a plurality of contextual symbology associated with the selected runway, said processing device is programmed to depict the selected runway and display the plurality of contextual symbology on at least one of an electronic display of an approach chart and an electronic display of an airport map.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:

retrieve runway map information and runway status information from a plurality of sources, the runway map information including runway exit information for a selected runway and the runway status information including runway condition information for the selected runway;

generate exit availability information by determining from a mass of an aircraft approaching the selected runway, the runway exit information, and the runway condition information, whether the aircraft is capable of exiting the selected runway at a predefined location;

generate a depiction of the selected runway on at least one display device, the depiction based on at least a portion of the runway map information and runway status information; and

generate contextual symbology for display proximate the selected runway depiction, the contextual symbology based on at least a portion of the runway map information and runway status information, the contextual symbology including the exit availability information.