Systems and methods for enhanced awareness of obstacle proximity during taxi operations

• US 9,223,017 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Khatwa, Ratan, Mannon, Pamela
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US13/872,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/42 Arrangement or adaptation of brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• 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: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/934 on airport surfaces, e.g. while taxiing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 cooperating with reflectors or transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems
• 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

Systems and methods for predicting and displaying targets based on height in relation to the wing, wingtip or other elements of the aircraft, such as engine nacelles. The location of ground obstacles is based on radar returns (from sensors deployed on the ownship), aircraft surveillance data, and/or an airport moving map database.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to be positioned on an aircraft and generate sensed obstacle information;

a processor configured to;

receive the sensed obstacle information from the one or more sensors,

determine a location of one or more obstacles relative to a first zone or a second zone within a predefined field of view based on at least one of the sensed obstacle information, previously received surveillance data or previously stored ground obstacle data, and

generate an image comprising;

an ownship icon;

at least one first icon associated with a first obstacle, if the first obstacle is located within the first zone;

at least one second icon associated with a second obstacle, if the second obstacle is located within the second zone; and

a sensed coverage area adjacent a part of the ownship icon associated with a wing of the aircraft, wherein the sensed coverage area comprises the first and second zones and an indicator that visually separates the zones; and

a display device configured to present the generated image,

wherein the first and second icons are visually different.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensed coverage area comprises a first sensed coverage area adjacent a first part of the ownship icon associated with a first wing of the aircraft, the generated image further comprising a second sensed coverage area adjacent a second part of the ownship icon associated with the right a second wing of the aircraft,

wherein each of the first and second sensed coverage areas comprise respective ones of the first and second zones and a respective indicator that visually separates the zones.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication device configured to receive height information of an obstacle associated with a displayed icon,

wherein the processor is further configured to generate a numerical value based on at least one of the received height information or height information of at least one structure of the aircraft,

wherein the display device is further configured to present the generated numerical value adjacent the displayed icon.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second zone is associated with second areas outside the aircraft, the second areas being those where, if an obstacle was detected therein, the aircraft would avoid contact based on current heading of the aircraft,

wherein the first zone is associated with a first area outside the aircraft, the first area being one where, if an obstacle was detected therein, the aircraft would be likely to collide with the obstacle based on current heading of the aircraft.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication device configured to

receive height information of the first obstacle or the second obstacle,

wherein the processor is further configured to generate a numerical value based on the received height information,

wherein the generated image is presented in a vertical situation display, the generated image comprising;

a vertical scale that represents at least one of height above ground or distance from a predefined structure of the aircraft; and

a horizontal scale that represents distance from the predefined structure of the aircraft,

wherein the ownship icon is presented adjacent the vertical scale at a location on the scale equal to a predefined height of the associated predefined structure of the aircraft.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the generated image comprises a line that connects one of the first or second icons to the horizontal scale.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a sensed obstacle is located to the left or right of the aircraft, wherein the generated image comprises an indicator presented adjacent each of the presented first and second icons that indicates the left or right determination of the associated obstacle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated image comprises a first sensed coverage area and a second sensed coverage area, wherein the display device presents the first sensed coverage area adjacent at least one feature associated with the port wing of the aircraft and the second sensed coverage area adjacent at least one feature associated with the right wing of the aircraft,

wherein, when the processor determines that an obstacle is beyond a range of the first zone or the second zone but is within a lateral extent of the respective one of the first zone or the second zone, the processor generates the image to include at least a partial icon at a limit of the respective coverage area.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the first obstacle associated with the first icon vertically clears a predefined vertical distance from a structure of the aircraft,

wherein the processor is configured to select a visual characteristic of the first icon based on whether the first obstacle is determined to vertically clear the structure of the aircraft.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first zone indicates a first lateral distance range from the wing of the aircraft and the second zone indicates a second lateral distance range from the wing of the aircraft, the second lateral distance range being different than the first lateral distance range.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the first zone indicates a first lateral distance range from the wing of the aircraft and the second zone indicates a second lateral distance range from the wing of the aircraft, the second lateral distance range being different than the first lateral distance range.

11. A method comprising:

at one or more sensors, sensing one or more obstacles within a field of view;

at a processor,

receiving the sensed obstacle information from the one or more sensors;

determining a location of one or more obstacles relative to a first zone or a second zone within a predefined field of view based on at least one of the sensed obstacle information, previously received surveillance data or previously stored ground obstacle data; and

generating an image comprising;

an ownship icon;

at least one first icon associated with a first obstacle, if the first obstacle is located within the first zone;

at least one second icon associated with a second obstacle, if the second obstacle is located within the second zone; and

a sensed coverage area adjacent a part of the ownship icon associated with a wing of the aircraft, wherein the sensed coverage area comprises the first and

second zones and an indicator that visually separates the zones; and

at a display device,

presenting the generated image,

wherein the first and second icons are visually different.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensed coverage area comprises a first sensed coverage area adjacent a first part of the ownship icon associated with a first wing of the aircraft, the generated image further comprising a second sensed coverage area, wherein presenting comprises:

presenting the first sensed coverage area adjacent the first part of the ownship icon associated with the first wing of the aircraft and the second sensed coverage area adjacent the second part of the ownship icon associated with the second wing of the aircraft,

wherein each of the first and second sensed coverage areas comprise respective ones of the first and second zones and a respective indicator that visually separates the zones.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

at a communication device, receiving height information of an obstacle associated with a displayed icon,

at the processor, generating a numerical value based on at least one of the received height information or height information of at least one structure of the aircraft,

at the display device, presenting the generated numerical value adjacent the displayed icon.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second zone is associated with second areas outside the aircraft, the second areas being those where, if an obstacle was detected therein, the aircraft would avoid contact based on current heading of the aircraft,

wherein the first zone is associated with a first area outside the aircraft, the first area being one where, if an obstacle was detected therein, the aircraft would be likely to collide with the obstacle based on current heading of the aircraft.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

at a communication device, receiving height information of the first obstacle or the second obstacle;

at the processor,

generating a numerical value based on the received height information;

generating a vertical situation display, the generated image comprising;

a vertical scale that represents at least one of height above ground or distance from a predefined structure of the aircraft; and

a horizontal scale that represents distance from the predefined structure of the aircraft; and

presenting the ownship icon adjacent the vertical scale at a location on the scale equal to a predefined height of the associated predefined structure of the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the generated image comprises a first sensed coverage area and a second sensed coverage area, wherein the display device presents the first sensed coverage area adjacent at least one feature associated with the port wing of the aircraft and the second sensed coverage area adjacent at least one feature associated with the right wing of the aircraft, the method further comprising:

at the processor, determining that an obstacle is beyond a range of the first zone or the second zone but is within a lateral extent of a respective one of the first zone or the second zone, and generating the image to include at least a partial icon at a limit of the respective coverage area in response to the determination that the obstacle is beyond the range of the first zone or the second zone but is within the lateral extent of the respective one of the first zone or the second zone.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising, at the processor,

determining whether the first obstacle associated with the first icon vertically clears a predefined vertical distance from a structure of the aircraft;

and

selecting a visual characteristic of the first icon based on whether the first obstacle is determined to vertically clear the structure of the aircraft.

19. A system comprising:

means for sensing one or more obstacles within a field of view;

means for receiving the sensed obstacle information from the one or more sensors;

means for determining a location of one or more obstacles relative to a first zone or a second zone within a predefined field of view based on at least one of the sensed obstacle information, previously received surveillance data or previously stored ground obstacle data; and

means for generating an image, the image comprising;

an ownship icon;

at least one first icon associated with a first obstacle, if the first obstacle is located within the first zone;

at least one second icon associated with a second obstacle, if the second obstacle is located within the second zone; and

a sensed coverage area adjacent a part of the ownship icon associated with a wing of the aircraft, wherein the sensed coverage area comprises the first and second zones and an indicator that visually separates the zones; and

means for presenting the generated image,

wherein the first and second icons are visually different.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for receiving height information of an obstacle associated with a displayed icon;

means for generating a numerical value based on at least one of the received height information or height information of at least one structure of the aircraft; and

means for presenting the generated numerical value adjacent the displayed icon.