Methods and systems for displaying a vertical profile for an aircraft procedure with nonuniform scaling

• US 9,293,051 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Blake, Burgin, Roger W., Chytil, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): He, Yingchun
• Application Number:
  US12/427,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20100265268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,527 Days
• Field of Search: 715/855, 345/619, 340945-983, 701 14- 16, 701/18
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• 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 and systems are provided for presenting procedure information for a vertical profile on a display device associated with an aircraft. A method comprises displaying a first segment of the plurality of segments comprising a vertical profile with a first vertical scale and a first horizontal scale, wherein the first horizontal scale is based on a first distance associated with the first segment. The method further comprises displaying a second segment of the plurality of segments with the first vertical scale and a second horizontal scale, wherein the second horizontal scale is based on a second distance associated with the second segment. The first horizontal scale and the second horizontal scale are not equal. In this manner, the vertical profile has a nonuniform horizontal scale and a uniform vertical scale across segments.

Claims

1. A method for presenting procedure information for a vertical profile of an aircraft action comprising a plurality of navigational segments on a display device associated with an aircraft, the method comprising:

displaying a first navigational segment of the plurality of navigational segments with a vertical scale and a first horizontal scale, the first horizontal scale being based on a first distance associated with the first navigational segment and first horizontal dimensions of the first navigational segment on the display device, the first distance being equal to a first ground distance between a first navigational reference point and a second navigational reference point defining the first navigational segment; and

displaying a second navigational segment of the plurality of navigational segments with the vertical scale and a second horizontal scale, the second horizontal scale being based on a second distance associated with the second navigational segment and second horizontal dimensions of the second navigational segment on the display device, the second distance being equal to a second ground distance between the second navigational reference point and a third navigational reference point defining the second navigational segment, wherein the first horizontal scale and the second horizontal scale are not equal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a first graphical representation of terrain within the first navigational segment, wherein the first graphical representation of terrain is displayed based on the vertical scale and the first horizontal scale; and

displaying a second graphical representation of terrain within the second navigational segment, wherein the second graphical representation of terrain is displayed based on the vertical scale and the second horizontal scale.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphical representation of the aircraft on the display device within the first navigational segment, wherein the graphical representation of the aircraft is positioned based on the vertical scale and the first horizontal scale such that the graphical representation of the aircraft accurately reflects an instantaneous position of the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allocating the first horizontal dimensions to the first navigational segment, the first horizontal scale being equal to a ratio of the first horizontal dimensions to the first distance; and

allocating the second horizontal dimensions to the second navigational segment, the second horizontal scale being equal to a ratio of the second horizontal dimensions to the second distance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

allocating the first horizontal dimensions to the first navigational segment comprises allocating a first number of columns of pixels to the first navigational segment, the first horizontal scale being equal to the first number divided by the first distance; and

allocating the second horizontal dimensions to the second navigational segment comprises allocating a second number of columns of pixels to the second navigational segment, the second horizontal scale being equal to the second number divided by the second distance.

6. The method of claim 5, the first distance and the second distance being unequal, wherein allocating the second horizontal dimensions to the second navigational segment comprises allocating the second number of columns of pixels to the second navigational segment, the second number being equal to the first number.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the first distance within the first navigational segment; and

displaying the second distance within the second navigational segment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphical representation of a flight path for an approach on the display device within the vertical profile, wherein the graphical representation of the flight path is influenced by the vertical scale, the first horizontal scale, and the second horizontal scale.

9. A method for presenting procedure information for an aircraft action between a first navigational reference point and a second navigational reference point on a display device associated with an aircraft, the method comprising:

rendering a vertical profile for the aircraft action on the display device, wherein the vertical profile is rendered with a uniform vertical scale and a nonuniform horizontal scale; and

rendering a graphical representation of the aircraft on the display device within the vertical profile, wherein the graphical representation of the aircraft is positioned within the vertical profile based on the nonuniform horizontal scale and the uniform vertical scale such that the graphical representation of the aircraft accurately reflects an instantaneous position of the aircraft.

10. The method of claim 9, the vertical profile including a plurality of navigational segments, wherein rendering the vertical profile with the nonuniform horizontal scale comprises:

allocating equal horizontal dimensions to a first navigational segment of the plurality of navigational segments and a second navigational segment of the plurality of navigational segments;

rendering the first navigational segment with the uniform vertical scale and a first horizontal scale; and

rendering the second navigational segment of the plurality of navigational segments with the uniform vertical scale and a second horizontal scale, wherein the first horizontal scale and the second horizontal scale are not equal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the first horizontal scale based on a first distance associated with the first navigational segment and the allocated horizontal dimensions; and

determining the second horizontal scale based on a second distance associated with the second navigational segment and the allocated horizontal dimensions, wherein the first distance and the second distance are unequal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein rendering the graphical representation of the aircraft comprises rendering the graphical representation of the aircraft on the display device within the first navigational segment, wherein the graphical representation of the aircraft is positioned within the first navigational segment based on the first horizontal scale and the uniform vertical scale such that the graphical representation of the aircraft accurately reflects the instantaneous position of the aircraft.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

rendering a first graphical representation of terrain within the first navigational segment, wherein the first graphical representation of terrain is rendered based on the uniform vertical scale and the first horizontal scale; and

rendering a second graphical representation of terrain within the second navigational segment, wherein the second graphical representation of terrain is rendered based on the uniform vertical scale and the second horizontal scale.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising updating the nonuniform horizontal scale based on the instantaneous position of the aircraft.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising rendering a graphical representation of terrain on the display device within the vertical profile, wherein the graphical representation of terrain is rendered based on the uniform vertical scale and the nonuniform horizontal scale such that the positioning of the graphical representation of the aircraft with respect to the graphical representation of terrain accurately reflects the instantaneous position of the aircraft with respect to the terrain.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising rendering a graphical representation of a flight path for the aircraft action on the display device within the vertical profile, wherein the graphical representation of the flight path is displayed based on the uniform vertical scale and the nonuniform horizontal scale.

17. A display system onboard an aircraft comprising a display device having rendered thereon:

a navigational map; and

a vertical profile for an approach with a uniform vertical scale comprising;

a first navigational segment having a first horizontal scale being based on a first distance associated with the first navigational segment; and

a second navigational segment having a second horizontal scale based on a second distance associated with the second navigational segment, wherein the first horizontal scale and the second horizontal scale are not equal.

18. The display system of claim 17, wherein the first navigational segment and the second navigational segment are allocated display dimensions within a viewing area on the display device such that a horizontal dimension of the first navigational segment is equal to a horizontal dimension of the second navigational segment, wherein the first horizontal scale is equal to a ratio of the horizontal dimension of the first navigational segment to the first distance and the second horizontal scale is equal to a ratio of the horizontal dimension of the second navigational segment to the second distance.

19. The display system of claim 17, wherein the vertical profile further comprises:

a first graphical representation of terrain corresponding to the first navigational segment, wherein the first graphical representation of terrain is rendered within the first navigational segment based on the uniform vertical scale and the first horizontal scale; and

a second graphical representation of terrain corresponding to the second navigational segment, wherein the second graphical representation of terrain is rendered within the second navigational segment based on the uniform vertical scale and the second horizontal scale.

20. The display system of claim 17, wherein the vertical profile further comprises a graphical representation of the aircraft within the first navigational segment based on an instantaneous position of the aircraft corresponding to the first navigational segment, wherein the graphical representation of the aircraft is positioned within the first navigational segment based on the uniform vertical scale and the first horizontal scale.