Adjustable synthetic vision

• US 9,428,056 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Kneuper, Jeremy Joseph, Decker, Jason Michael, Stanfield, Isaac Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/643,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20150352952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 345/173, 340/970
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• 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 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• 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: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0047 Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft details of equipment G08G5/0017
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer-storage media are provided for displaying a real-time image in a cockpit of an aircraft. Use of a synthetic vision application is provided with a gradient-type feature such that a level of synthetic enhancements applied to an image may be adjusted to a synthetic vision application value that is less than 100 percent. The synthetic vision enhancement may be overlaid with the original image, according to the synthetic vision application value, to generate a modified image. Additional information may overlay the original image with the synthetic vision application such as a three-dimensional weather representation. The synthetic vision application may be used in conjunction with a high-definition camera to generate the original image. The modified image may be updated in real-time such that an updated view is continuously modified with an updated synthetic vision enhancement to provide accurate real-time views.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a real-time view within an aircraft, the method comprising:

panoramically displaying the real-time view;

receiving an indication of a synthetic vision application, wherein the indication enables the synthetic vision application for the real-time view;

identifying a synthetic vision application value to apply to the real-time view;

applying a synthetic vision enhancement to the real-time view according to the synthetic vision application value; and

generating a modified real-time view where the modified real-time view is enhanced by synthetic vision as indicated by the synthetic vision application value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time view is captured by a high definition camera mounted to the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein both the real-time view and the modified real-time view are configured for display via a touch screen display device, and the touch screen display device is used in executing both the receiving and generating steps.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the synthetic vision enhancement overlays the real-time view to create the modified real-time view.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more instructions for performing the method are embodied on one or more non-transitory computer-storage media.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the synthetic vision application value is a percent value indicating an amount with which to modify the real-time view with the opaqueness of the synthetic vision enhancement.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the percent value of synthetic vision is less than 100 percent such that the modified real-time view includes a combination of the real-time view and an enhancement of synthetic vision as indicated by the percent value.

8. A system for displaying a real-time view within an aircraft, the system comprising:

a touch-screen display;

a processor; and

a memory having embodied thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause a computing device to perform a method for displaying the real-time view on the touch-screen display within the aircraft, the method comprising;

receiving on the touch-screen display an indication of a synthetic vision application, wherein the indication enables the synthetic vision application for the real-time view;

identifying a synthetic vision application value to apply to the real-time view;

applying the synthetic vision application value to the real-time view; and

generating a modified real-time view on the touch screen display where the modified real-time view is the real-time view enhanced by synthetic vision as indicated by the synthetic vision application value.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the real-time view is captured by a camera mounted to the aircraft.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the synthetic vision enhancement overlays the real-time view to create the modified real-time view.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the modified real-time view further comprises weather information.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the synthetic vision application value is a percent value indicating a percentage of synthetic vision to apply to the real-time view.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the modified real-time view includes a combination of the real-time view and an enhancement of synthetic vision according to the synthetic vision application value.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the synthetic vision application value is less than 100 percent.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein both the real-time view and the modified real-time view are configured for display via a touch screen which spans a substantial portion of the cockpit.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein both the real-time view and the modified real-time view are configured for display via a touch screen which is accessible to both a pilot and a copilot.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-storage media having embodied thereon computer-usable instructions that, when executed, facilitate a method of displaying a real-time image on a touchscreen within an aircraft cockpit, the method comprising:

receiving on the touchscreen an indication to enable synthetic vision;

based on the indication to enable synthetic vision, generating a second image on the touchscreen including a synthetic vision enhancement overlaying the real-time image;

receiving an indication on the touchscreen to include weather data in the second image; and

generating a modified second image on the touchscreen that includes each of the synthetic vision enhancement and the weather data overlaying the real-time image.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the weather data is a three-dimensional weather representation.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an indication of a synthetic vision value using the touchscreen and implementing the value on the touchscreen.

20. The media of claim 19, wherein the synthetic vision enhancement is applied to the real-time image according to the synthetic vision value.