Enhanced flight vision system and method with radar sensing and pilot monitoring display

• US 9,384,586 B1
• Filed: 06/10/2014
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2013
• 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: Rademaker, Richard M., McCusker, Patrick D., Jinkins, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Broome, Said
• Application Number:
  US14/301,199
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• 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

Abstract

An image processing system for enhanced flight vision includes a processor and memory coupled to the processor. The memory contains program instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to receive radar returns data for a runway structure, generate a three-dimensional model representative of the runway structure based on the radar returns data, generate a two-dimensional image of the runway structure from the three-dimensional model, and generate an aircraft situation display image representative of the position of the runway structure with respect to an aircraft based on the two-dimensional image.

Claims

1. An image processing system for enhanced flight vision, comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor and containing program instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to

receive radar return data for a runway structure;

generate a three-dimensional model representative of the runway structure based on the radar return data;

generate a two-dimensional image of the runway structure from the three-dimensional model; and

generate an aircraft situation display image representative of the position of the runway structure with respect to an aircraft based on the two-dimensional image, wherein the program instructions are further configured to cause the processor to filter the radar return data to identify areas in the three-dimensional model having a reflectivity lower than a predetermined value, wherein the data is filtered to reduce the radar return data in the areas to be zeroed out.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the radar return data includes Doppler weather radar system data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further configured to cause the processor to display the aircraft situation display image on a head down display.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft situation display image includes an electronic moving map display having an overlay including the two-dimensional image.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft situation display image is a horizontal situation display image including a top-down view of the runway structure.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft situation display image is a vertical situation display image including a side view of the runway structure.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further configured to cause the processor to reduce the radar return data in the areas in the three-dimensional model to a predetermined number.

8. A method of providing enhanced flight vision, comprising:

receiving radar return data for a runway structure;

generating a three-dimensional model representative of the runway structure based on the radar return data;

filtering the radar return data to identify areas in the three-dimensional model having a reflectivity lower than a predetermined value, wherein the filtering reduces the radar return data in the areas to a zero value;

generating a two-dimensional image of the runway structure from the three-dimensional model; and

generating an aircraft situation display image representative of the position of the runway structure based on the two-dimensional image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the radar return data includes Doppler weather radar system data.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the aircraft situation display image on a head down display.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the aircraft situation display image includes generating an electronic moving map display having an overlay including the aircraft situation display image.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the aircraft situation display image is a horizontal situation display image including a top-down view of the runway structure.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the aircraft situation display image is a vertical situation display image including a side view of the runway structure.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the filtering enhances highly reflective runway structures.

15. An enhanced flight vision system, comprising:

a Doppler weather radar system including an antenna and a transducer configured to enhance reflectivity of radar returns from runway structures;

processing electronics in communication with the weather radar system and configured to generate two-dimensional aircraft situation display images representative of the position of the runway structures based on the radar returns, wherein the processing electronics are configured to filter data associated with the radar returns to identify areas in a three-dimensional model having a reflectivity lower than a predetermined value, wherein the data is zeroed out in the areas; and

a display in communication with the processing electronics and configured to display the aircraft situation display images.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing electronics are further configured to generate three-dimensional models representative of the runway structures based on the radar returns.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processing electronics are further configured to generate two-dimensional images of the runway structures from the three-dimensional model, and to generate the aircraft situation display images based on the two-dimensional images.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the display is a head down display.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the aircraft situation display images comprise horizontal situation display images including a top-down view of the runway structure.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the aircraft situation display images comprise vertical situation display images including a side view of the runway structure.