Methods, systems and computer readable media for arming aircraft runway approach guidance modes

• US 9,280,904 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Bourret, Thierry, Louise, Pascale, Ollagnon, Claire, Chauveau, Nicolas, Giuliano, Sebastien, Drieux, Sebastien
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/835,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 701 14- 17, 701/120
• 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

Methods, systems, and computer readable media are disclosed for direct arming aircraft runway approach guidance modes, for example and without limitation, for aircraft operational. In some aspects, a method for directly arming a runway approach guidance mode of an aircraft includes displaying on a display unit an airport, selecting the airport and selecting an active runway for final approach, displaying an path toward the selected final approach runway, selecting the final approach runway, displaying on the display unit at least one symbol associated with at least one runway approach guidance mode, and arming at least one of the at least one runway approach guidance mode.

Claims

1. A method for direct arming at least one runway approach guidance mode of an aircraft, the method comprising:

using an aircraft runway approach mode engagement module implemented using a processor for;

displaying, on a display unit, a navigation display comprising an active runway for final approach that is connectedly aligned with a lateral axis of an approach path associated with the active runway, and a vertical display comprising the active runway for final approach that is connectedly aligned with a vertical axis of the approach path associated with the active runway;

selecting the active runway for final approach;

displaying on the display unit an interactor associated with the selected final approach runway;

displaying on the display unit at least one symbol associated with the at least one runway approach guidance mode;

moving the interactor to select the at least one symbol associated with the at least one runway approach guidance mode; and

arming, on the navigation display of the display unit, a lateral runway approach guidance mode that provides lateral approach guidance and a vertical runway approach guidance mode that provides vertical approach guidance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an airport from a flight management system database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein arming the lateral runway approach guidance mode comprises aligning the aircraft to a localizer axis of an instrument landing system beam axis associated with the selected final approach runway.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein arming the vertical runway approach guidance mode comprises adjusting an altitude of the aircraft to a glide slope altitude of an instrument landing system beam axis associated with the selected final approach runway.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the at least one symbol associated with the at least one runway approach guidance mode on the display unit comprises displaying at least one of a first symbol for the lateral runway approach guidance mode and a second symbol for the vertical runway approach guidance mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein arming one or both of the lateral runway approach guidance mode and the vertical runway approach guidance mode comprises moving the interactor, via a physical gesture, across at least one of the first symbol for the lateral runway approach guidance mode and the second symbol for the vertical runway approach guidance mode.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein moving the interactor via the physical gesture comprises touching the interactor on the display unit and sliding the interactor across at least one of the first symbol for the lateral runway approach guidance mode and the second symbol for the vertical runway approach guidance mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the active runway is achieved by performing a physical gesture.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the physical gesture comprises touching the active runway on the display unit.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the physical gesture comprises touching the approach path associated with the active runway.

11. A system for direct arming of a runway approach guidance mode of an aircraft, comprising:

a display unit comprising a navigation display and a vertical display; and

a processor configured to execute an aircraft runway approach mode engagement module;

wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to display, on the navigation display, an active runway associated with a selected airport for final approach that is connectedly aligned with a lateral axis of an approach path associated with the active runway, display, on the vertical display, the active runway for final approach that is connectedly aligned with a vertical axis of the approach path associated with the active runway, select the active runway for final approach, display on the display unit an interactor associated with the selected final approach runway, display on the display unit at least one symbol associated with the at least one runway approach guidance mode, and arm the at least one runway approach guidance mode by arming, on the navigation display of the display unit, a lateral runway approach guidance mode that provides lateral approach guidance and a vertical runway approach guidance mode that provides vertical approach guidance.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is further configured to select an airport from a flight management system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is in communication with an aircraft guidance system;

and

wherein the aircraft approach mode engagement module is configured to direct the aircraft guidance system to arm the lateral runway approach guidance mode and the vertical runway approach guidance mode.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to direct the aircraft guidance system to align the aircraft to a localizer axis of an instrument landing system beam axis associated with the final approach runway.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to direct the aircraft guidance system to adjust an altitude of the aircraft to a glide slope altitude of an instrument landing system beam axis associated with the final approach runway.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to display at least one of a first symbol for the lateral runway approach guidance mode and a second symbol for the vertical runway approach guidance mode.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to arm one or both of the lateral runway approach guidance mode and the vertical runway approach guidance mode by recognizing movement of the interactor across at least one of the first symbol for the lateral runway approach guidance mode and the second symbol for the vertical runway approach guidance mode.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the display unit comprises an interactive touchscreen display;

and

wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to recognize the movement of the interactor via an aircraft operator touching the interactor on the display unit and sliding it across at least one of the first symbol for the lateral runway approach guidance mode and the second symbol for the vertical runway approach guidance mode.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to select the final approach runway by recognizing a physical gesture performed by an aircraft operator.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to recognize the physical gesture by recognizing a touch of the final approach runway on the display unit.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the aircraft runway approach mode engagement module is configured to recognize the physical gesture by recognizing the touch of the approach path associated with the selected airport.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

displaying, on a display unit, a navigation display comprising an active runway for final approach that is connectedly aligned with a lateral axis of an approach path associated with the active runway, and a vertical display comprising the active runway for final approach that is connectedly aligned with a vertical axis of the approach path associated with the active runway;

selecting the active runway for final approach;

displaying on the display unit an interactor associated with the selected final approach runway;

displaying on the display unit at least one symbol associated with the at least one runway approach guidance mode; and

arming the at least one runway approach guidance mode;

wherein arming the at least one runway approach guidance mode comprises arming, on the navigation display of the display unit, a lateral runway approach guidance mode that provides lateral approach guidance and a vertical runway approach guidance mode that provides vertical approach guidance.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, further comprising selecting an airport from a flight management system database.