System, apparatus, and method for generating runway visual aids on an aircraft display unit
First Claim
1. A system for generating visual aids presentable on an aircraft display unit, such system comprising:
- a source of navigation data;
a source of terrain data;
a source of runway data;
at least one source of input factor data;
an image generating processor configured toreceive navigation data representative of position and orientation of an aircraft,receive terrain data and runway data based upon the navigation data,receive input factor data representative of at least one input factor,determine visual aid data based upon the runway data and the input factor data and representative of a plurality of visual aids including a touchdown zone indicator and at least one of a stop distance point indicator and a touchdown point indicator, wherethe touchdown zone indicator is located off of and adjacent to a runway and includes a plurality of boundaries, wherea location of a first boundary is dependent upon a configurable threshold alert point located on the runway and beyond the beginning of the runway that is available for landing, anda location of a second boundary is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft which determines a minimum rollout distance to a rollout alert point for the runway,the stop distance point indicator indicates a rollout point on the runway where the aircraft is predicted to complete its rollout and stop, wherea location of the stop distance point indicator is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft, andthe touchdown point indicator indicates an estimated touchdown point where the aircraft is predicted to touchdown, wherea location of the touchdown point indicator is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft,generate an image data set representative of the plurality of visual aids and a three-dimensional scene outside the aircraft, whereinthe image data set is determined as a function ofthe terrain data,the runway data, andthe visual aid data, andprovide the image data set to an aircraft display unit; and
the aircraft display unit configured toreceive the image data set, andpresent an image represented in the image data set, wherebythe runway is depicted with the plurality of two visual aids represented in the visual aid data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A present novel and non-trivial system, apparatus, and method for generating runway visual aids on an aircraft display unit. Visual aids could comprise of runway indicators corresponding to minimum and maximum rollout and touchdown points, each of which may be determined in real-time by applying input factors to one or more configurable landing profiles. Data representative of visual aids may be provided by one or more sources including runway data sources and real-time input factors. An image generating processor generates an image data set representative of a three-dimensional perspective view of a scene outside the aircraft, wherein the image data set is determined as a function of terrain data, runway data, and visual aid data. The image data set may be provided to a Head-Down Display unit, a Head-Up Display unit, or both, whereby an image contains a runway depicted with at least one visual aid.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for generating visual aids presentable on an aircraft display unit, such system comprising:
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a source of navigation data; a source of terrain data; a source of runway data; at least one source of input factor data; an image generating processor configured to receive navigation data representative of position and orientation of an aircraft, receive terrain data and runway data based upon the navigation data, receive input factor data representative of at least one input factor, determine visual aid data based upon the runway data and the input factor data and representative of a plurality of visual aids including a touchdown zone indicator and at least one of a stop distance point indicator and a touchdown point indicator, where the touchdown zone indicator is located off of and adjacent to a runway and includes a plurality of boundaries, where a location of a first boundary is dependent upon a configurable threshold alert point located on the runway and beyond the beginning of the runway that is available for landing, and a location of a second boundary is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft which determines a minimum rollout distance to a rollout alert point for the runway, the stop distance point indicator indicates a rollout point on the runway where the aircraft is predicted to complete its rollout and stop, where a location of the stop distance point indicator is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft, and the touchdown point indicator indicates an estimated touchdown point where the aircraft is predicted to touchdown, where a location of the touchdown point indicator is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft, generate an image data set representative of the plurality of visual aids and a three-dimensional scene outside the aircraft, wherein the image data set is determined as a function of the terrain data, the runway data, and the visual aid data, and provide the image data set to an aircraft display unit; and the aircraft display unit configured to receive the image data set, and present an image represented in the image data set, whereby the runway is depicted with the plurality of two visual aids represented in the visual aid data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for generating visual aids presentable on an aircraft display unit, such apparatus comprising:
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an input communications interface to facilitate a receiving of data from at least one data source by an image generating processor; the image generating processor configured to receive navigation data representative of position and orientation of an aircraft, receive terrain data and runway data based upon the navigation data, receive input factor data representative of at least one input factor, determine visual aid data based upon the runway data and the input factor data and representative of a plurality of visual aids including a touchdown zone indicator and at least one of a stop distance point indicator and a touchdown point indicator, where the touchdown zone indicator is located off of and adjacent to a runway and includes a plurality of boundaries, where a location of a first boundary is dependent upon a configurable threshold alert point located on the runway and beyond the beginning of the runway that is available for landing, and a location of a second boundary is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft which determines a minimum rollout distance to a rollout alert point for the runway, the stop distance point indicator indicates a rollout point on the runway where the aircraft is predicted to complete its rollout and stop, where a location of the stop distance point indicator is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft, and the touchdown point indicator indicates an estimated touchdown point where the aircraft is predicted to touchdown, where a location of the touchdown point indicator is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft, generate an image data set representative of the plurality of visual aids and a three-dimensional scene outside the aircraft, wherein the image data set is determined as a function of the terrain data, the runway data, and the visual aid data, and provide the image data set to an output communications interface; and the output communications interface configured to facilitate a providing of the image data set to an aircraft display unit. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for generating visual aids presentable on an aircraft display unit, such method is performed by an aircraft avionics system processor, such method comprising:
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receiving navigation data representative of position and orientation of an aircraft from an aircraft navigation data source; receiving terrain data and runway data from an aircraft terrain data source and an aircraft runway data source, respectively, based upon the navigation data; receiving input factor data representative of at least one input factor from at least one input factor source; determining visual aid data based upon the runway data and the input factor data and representative of a plurality of visual aids including a touchdown zone indicator and at least one of a stop distance point indicator and a touchdown point indicator, where the touchdown zone indicator is located off of and adjacent to a runway and includes a plurality of boundaries, where a location of a first boundary is dependent upon a configurable threshold alert point located on the runway and beyond the beginning of the runway that is available for landing, and a location of a second boundary is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft which determines a minimum rollout distance to a rollout alert point for the runway, the stop distance point indicator indicates a rollout point on the runway where the aircraft is predicted to complete its rollout and stop, where a location of the stop distance point indicator is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft, and the touchdown point indicator indicates an estimated touchdown point where the aircraft is predicted to touchdown, where a location of the touchdown point indicator is derived from an application of at least one input factor to a landing profile of the aircraft; generating an image data set representative of the plurality of visual aids and a three-dimensional scene outside the aircraft, wherein the image data set is determined as a function of the terrain data, the runway data, and the visual aid data; and providing the image data set to an aircraft display unit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification