Distance separation criteria indicator

• US 9,135,829 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Shafaat, Syed Tahir, Goh, Juliana J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US12/771,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 701/4, 701/301, 701/213, 701/117, 701/120, 701/122, 701/3, 701/5, 701/6, 701/7, 701/8, 701/9, 701/14, 701/300, 701/302, 701/400, 701/408, 701/466, 701/518, 701/519, 701/520, 342/22, 342/29, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/455, 342/30, 342/31, 342/32, 342/36, 342/37, 342/38, 342/39, 342/40, 342/41, 342/118, 342/123, 342/146, 342/121, 342/120, 340/961, 340/945, 340/963, 340/977, 340/964, 340/967, 340/970, 340/969, 340/971, 340/973, 340/974, 340/978, 340/975, 340/976, 340/981, 244/175, 244/75.1, 244/76.R, 244/180, 244/181, 244/182, 244/191, 244/192, 244/194, 244/195
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media described herein provide for the display of aircraft traffic and climb/descent information on an aircraft display. Flight data is received from a traffic aircraft in the vicinity of an ownship aircraft. Similar flight data is determined for the ownship aircraft. The flight data for the traffic aircraft and the ownship aircraft is used to determine a criteria indicator that is associated with at least the longitudinal separation and closure rate between the two aircraft. According to various embodiments, a number of altitude indication lines are displayed and an aircraft traffic indicator and ownship indicator corresponding with the traffic aircraft and ownship aircraft are displayed on the appropriate altitude indication lines. The criteria indicator is displayed so that the position of the criteria indicator with respect to the aircraft traffic indicator and ownship indicator informs a pilot as to whether an altitude change is possible.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing in-flight traffic information corresponding to an aircraft and a traffic aircraft, comprising:

receiving at a traffic management computer, flight data associated with the traffic aircraft from the traffic aircraft;

determining by the traffic management computer, flight data associated with the aircraft;

utilizing by the traffic management computer, the flight data associated with the traffic aircraft and the flight data associated with the aircraft to determine characteristics of a single criteria indicator corresponding to both a longitudinal separation and a closure rate between the traffic aircraft and the aircraft, the characteristics of the single criteria indicator comprising line direction and length;

providing by the traffic management computer, a plurality of altitude indication lines for display on a display unit of the aircraft;

providing by the traffic management computer, an ownship representation on an altitude indication line determined from the flight data associated with the aircraft;

providing by the traffic management computer, an aircraft traffic representation on an altitude indication line determined from the flight data associated with the traffic aircraft; and

providing by the traffic management computer, the single criteria indicator for display on the display unit such that the characteristics of the single criteria indicator with respect to the ownship representation and the aircraft traffic representation indicates whether an altitude change of the aircraft through an altitude corresponding to the altitude indication line of the traffic aircraft is possible.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving flight data associated with the traffic aircraft from the traffic aircraft comprises receiving Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) data from the traffic aircraft at an ADS-B receiver of the aircraft communicatively coupled to the traffic management computer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein flight data comprises at least altitude, heading, and speed.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the ownship representation and the aircraft traffic representation are displayed a horizontal distance apart that corresponds to the longitudinal separation between the aircraft and the traffic aircraft.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of altitude indication lines comprises a number of parallel horizontal lines representing flight levels.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the number is selectable during flight according to pilot preference, and wherein providing by the traffic management computer the number of parallel horizontal lines representing flight levels for display on the display unit comprises receiving a selection of the number of flight levels for display at the traffic management computer, and providing by the traffic management computer the number of parallel horizontal lines representing flight levels for display on the display unit according to the selection.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the single criteria indicator comprises a horizontal line extending the length from the traffic aircraft along the altitude indication line toward the ownship representation, the length corresponding at least to the closure rate between the traffic aircraft and the aircraft.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7,

wherein the traffic aircraft comprises all aircraft within a predetermined longitudinal distance from the aircraft associated with the ownship representation such that providing by the traffic management computer the aircraft traffic representation on the altitude indication line comprises providing by the traffic management computer an aircraft traffic representation for each of the traffic aircraft on a corresponding altitude indication line according to the longitudinal separation of each of the traffic aircraft and the aircraft associated with the ownship representation, and

wherein providing by the traffic management computer the single criteria indicator for display on the display unit comprises providing by the traffic management computer one or more horizontal lines from each of the aircraft traffic representations toward the ownship representation according to the closure rate between a corresponding traffic aircraft and the aircraft associated with the ownship representation.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the single criteria indicator comprises a horizontal line extending the length from the ownship representation along the altitude indication line toward the aircraft traffic representation, the length corresponding at least to the closure rate between the traffic aircraft and the aircraft.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9,

wherein the traffic aircraft comprises all aircraft within a predetermined longitudinal distance from the aircraft associated with the ownship representation such that providing by the traffic management computer the aircraft traffic representation on the altitude indication line comprises providing by the traffic management computer an aircraft traffic representation for each of the traffic aircraft on a corresponding altitude indication line according to the longitudinal separation of each of the traffic aircraft and the aircraft associated with the ownship representation, and

wherein providing by the traffic management computer the single criteria indicator for display on the display unit comprises providing by the traffic management computer a horizontal line forward and aft from the ownship representation according to the closure rate between the aircraft associated with the ownship representation and traffic aircraft.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the single criteria indicator comprises a horizontal line extending the length corresponding to the closure rate, the wind direction and velocity at a plurality of altitudes, and longitudinal separation minimum distances.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the single criteria indicator comprises a horizontal line extending the length from the aircraft traffic representation or the ownship representation, the method further comprising:

determining by the traffic management computer whether the single criteria indicator vertically overlaps the ownship representation or the aircraft traffic representation;

if the single criteria indicator vertically overlaps the ownship representation or the aircraft traffic representation, then providing by the traffic management computer a notification that the altitude change of the aircraft through the altitude corresponding to the altitude indication line of the traffic aircraft is not possible; and

if the single criteria indicator does not vertically overlap the ownship representation or the aircraft traffic representation, then providing by the traffic management computer a notification that the altitude change of the aircraft through the altitude corresponding to the altitude indication line of the traffic aircraft is possible.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein providing by the traffic management computer a notification that altitude change of the aircraft through the altitude corresponding to the altitude indication line of the traffic aircraft is not possible comprises displaying the altitude indication line of the traffic aircraft in a first color, and wherein providing by the traffic management computer a notification that the altitude change of the aircraft through the altitude corresponding to the altitude indication line of the traffic aircraft is possible comprises displaying the altitude indication line associated with the traffic aircraft in a second color.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing by the traffic management computer a longitudinal separation or closure rate value proximate to the traffic aircraft on the display unit.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the criteria indicator comprises a horizontal line extending a horizontal length from at least one of an aircraft traffic representation associated with the traffic aircraft and an ownship representation associated with the aircraft such that the horizontal length corresponds to at least the closure rate between the traffic aircraft and the aircraft.

15. A system for providing in-flight traffic information corresponding to an aircraft and a traffic aircraft, the system comprising:

a memory of a traffic management computer for storing a program containing computer-executable instructions for providing in-flight traffic information; and

a processing unit of the traffic management computer functionally coupled to the memory, the processing unit being responsive to the computer-executable instructions and configured to;

receive flight data associated with the traffic aircraft from the traffic aircraft,

determine flight data associated with the aircraft,

utilize the flight data associated with the traffic aircraft and the flight data associated with the aircraft to determine a criteria indicator comprising a horizontal line, the length of which is determined at least according to both a longitudinal separation and a closure rate between the traffic aircraft and the aircraft, and

provide the criteria indicator to a display unit for display.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an ADS-B receiver configured to receive the flight data associated with the traffic aircraft from the traffic aircraft, wherein the flight data associated with the traffic aircraft comprises ADS-B flight data; and

the display unit in a cockpit of the aircraft.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

display a plurality of flight level indication lines on the display unit,

display an ownship representation on a flight level indication line determined from the flight data associated with the aircraft,

display an aircraft traffic representation on a flight level indication line determined from the flight data associated with the traffic aircraft, and

display the criteria indicator on the display unit such that a position of the criteria indicator with respect to the ownship representation and the aircraft traffic representation indicates whether a flight level change of the aircraft through a flight level corresponding to the flight level indication line of the traffic aircraft is possible.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the criteria indicator comprises the horizontal line extending a horizontal length from the traffic aircraft along the flight level indication line associated with the traffic aircraft toward the ownship representation, and wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

determine whether the criteria indicator vertically overlaps the ownship representation;

if the criteria indicator vertically overlaps the ownship representation, then indicate that the flight level change of the aircraft through the flight level corresponding to the flight level indication line of the traffic aircraft is not possible by displaying the flight level indication line of the traffic aircraft in a first color; and

if the criteria indicator does not vertically overlap the ownship representation, then indicate that the flight level change of the aircraft through the flight level corresponding to the flight level indication line of the traffic aircraft is possible by displaying the altitude indication line associated with the traffic aircraft in a second color.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a traffic management computer, cause the traffic management computer to:

receive flight data associated with a traffic aircraft from the traffic aircraft;

determine flight data associated with the aircraft;

utilize the flight data associated with the traffic aircraft and the flight data associated with the aircraft to determine a criteria indicator comprising a horizontal line, the length of which is determined at least according to both a longitudinal separation and a closure rate between the traffic aircraft and the aircraft; and

provide the criteria indicator to a display unit for display.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, comprising further computer-executable instructions that cause the traffic management computer to:

display a plurality of flight level indication lines on the display unit;

display an ownship representation on a flight level indication line determined from the flight data associated with the aircraft;

display an aircraft traffic representation on a flight level indication line determined from the flight data associated with the traffic aircraft; and

display the criteria indicator on the display unit such that a position of the criteria indicator with respect to the ownship representation and the aircraft traffic representation indicates whether a flight level change of the aircraft through a flight level corresponding to the flight level indication line of the traffic aircraft is possible.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, comprising further computer-executable instructions that cause the traffic management computer to:

determine whether the criteria indicator vertically overlaps the ownship representation or the aircraft traffic representation;

if the criteria indicator vertically overlaps the ownship representation or the aircraft traffic representation, then indicate that the flight level change of the aircraft through the flight level corresponding to the flight level indication line of the traffic aircraft is not possible by displaying the flight level indication line of the traffic aircraft in a first color; and

if the criteria indicator does not vertically overlap the ownship representation or the aircraft traffic representation, then indicate that the flight level change of the aircraft through the flight level corresponding to the flight level indication line of the traffic aircraft is possible by displaying the altitude indication line associated with the traffic aircraft in a second color.