System and method for electronically recording a taxi clearance on an aircraft display unit

• US 9,202,380 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Shapiro, Geoffrey A., Carrico, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US13/245,898
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

Present novel and non-trivial methods for electronically recording a taxi clearance on a display unit are disclosed. In one method, an interactive surface map is displayed from which selections of an assigned takeoff runway and taxiway(s) stated in a taxi clearance may be made electronically through advanced gesturing techniques. These selections highlight the surfaces stated in the taxi clearance. The selections may be made through a series of touch screen taps and/or by the grabbing, dragging, and releasing of a “rubber band” which snaps into place over the selected surface. In another method, an auto-route generating algorithm may be employed to create a preliminary taxi clearance after a presumed runway for takeoff has been selected by the pilot. Then, as the taxi clearance is being received, changes may be made through the pilot'"'"'s interaction with the graphical user interfaces commensurate with the actual taxi clearance.

Claims

1. A method for electronically recording a taxi clearance on a display unit, said method comprising:

establishing pixel image data representative of an image of airport surfaces;

receiving navigation data representative of ownship position;

receiving first entry data through a pilot input device prior to an actual taxi clearance being received by a person operating ownship, where

the first entry data is representative of an entry corresponding to a presumed destination surface, where

the presumed destination surface is a surface presumed by the person operating ownship to be an assigned destination surface prior to the actual taxi clearance being received by the person operating ownship, where

the assigned destination surface is specified by the actual taxi clearance; and

updating the pixel image data with first pixel data and second pixel data in response to the first entry data being received and prior to the actual taxi clearance being received by the person operating ownship, where

the first pixel data is data representative of a first highlighter highlighting the presumed destination surface shown in the image of airport surfaces, and

the second pixel data is determined through the use of an auto-route generating algorithm, where

the auto-route generating algorithm creates a preliminary taxi clearance comprised of at least one preliminary taxi surface, and

the second pixel data is data representative of a second highlighter highlighting each preliminary taxi surface shown in the image of airport surfaces.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pilot input device corresponds to the touch screen of a display unit upon which the image represented in the pixel image data is presented.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first entry data has been initiated by touch screen gesturing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first pixel data includes data representative of first text corresponding to the presumed destination surface, and

the second pixel data includes data representative of second text corresponding to each preliminary taxi surface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second entry data through the pilot input device, where

the second entry data is representative of an entry corresponding to the assigned destination surface; and

replacing the first pixel data with third pixel data in response to the second entry data being received, where

the third pixel data is data representative of a third highlighter highlighting the assigned destination surface shown in the image of airport surfaces.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the third pixel data includes data representative of third text corresponding to the assigned destination surface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving third entry data through the pilot input device, where

the third entry data is representative of at least one entry corresponding to at least one assigned taxi surface, where

each assigned taxi surface is specified by the actual taxi clearance; and

replacing the second pixel data with fourth pixel data in response to the third entry data being received, where

the fourth pixel data is data representative of a fourth highlighter highlighting each assigned taxi surface.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the fourth pixel data includes data representative of fifth text corresponding to each assigned taxi surface.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the pixel image data with fifth pixel data if at least one preliminary taxi surface crosses over a runway, where

the preliminary taxi clearance is further comprised of at least one preliminary cross/hold short assignment, and

the fifth pixel data is data representative of at least one preliminary cross/hold short assignment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving fourth entry data through the pilot input device, where

the fourth entry data is representative of at least one entry corresponding to at least one actual cross/hold short assignment, where

each actual cross/hold short assignment is specified the actual taxi clearance; and

replacing the fifth pixel data with sixth pixel data in response to the fourth entry data being received, where

the sixth pixel data is data representative of at least one cross/hold short indicator.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sixth pixel data includes data representative of sixth text corresponding to each actual cross/hold short assignment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the presumed destination surface is a runway.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the assigned destination surface is a runway.