Depiction of relative motion of air traffic via an air traffic display

• US 9,437,112 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Greene, Philip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pipala, Edward J
• Application Number:
  US14/737,260
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0017 Arrangements for implementing traffic-related aircraft activities, e.g. arrangements for generating, displaying, acquiring or managing traffic information head-up displays G02B27/01; ground or aircraft-carrier-deck-installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

Techniques are described that allow an air traffic display of an aircraft to display the relative motion of air traffic proximate to the aircraft. The air traffic display may be switched between a first display mode in which absolute motion of air traffic is displayed (e.g., motion of air traffic targets relative to a fixed point on the earth'"'"'s surface or relative to an apparently fixed celestial point is displayed) and a second display mode in which motion of air traffic targets is displayed relative to the aircraft. The techniques further facilitate the selection of individual traffic targets from a displayed traffic depiction to activate a third display mode in which additional information about the relative motion of the selected target, such as its estimated closest point of approach (CPA) to the aircraft and the estimated time it will take the selected target to reach the CPA are shown.

Claims

1. An integrated avionics system configured for implementation in an aircraft, the integrated avionics system comprising:

a display device configured to furnish an air traffic display depicting air traffic surrounding the aircraft; and

an avionics unit communicatively coupled with the display device, the avionics unit including;

a memory operable to store one or more modules; and

a processor coupled with the memory, the processor operable to execute the one or more modules to;

access traffic information corresponding to an air traffic target;

generate an air traffic target icon using the accessed traffic information, the target icon indicating the absolute heading of the air traffic target;

generate a relative motion vector using the accessed traffic information, the relative motion vector indicating the relative heading of the air traffic target with respect to the aircraft; and

control the display to present the target icon and relative motion vector so that the relative motion vector extends from the target icon.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the accessed traffic information is based upon dynamically received data from at least one of:

an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system;

a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS); and

a Traffic Information Services-Broadcast (TIS-B) system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate target icons and corresponding relative motion vectors for a plurality of air traffic targets.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the target icon presents a chevron shape with the apex of the chevron indicating the absolute heading of the target.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the relative motion vector is a line extending from the chevron.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the display indicates the location of the aircraft in relation to the target icon.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system.

8. An integrated avionics system configured for implementation in an aircraft, the integrated avionics system comprising:

a display device configured to furnish an air traffic display depicting air traffic surrounding the aircraft; and

an avionics unit communicatively coupled with the display device, the avionics unit including;

a memory operable to store one or more modules; and

a processor coupled with the memory, the processor operable to execute the one or more modules to;

access traffic information corresponding to an air traffic target;

generate an air traffic target icon using the accessed traffic information, the target icon comprising a chevron shape where the apex of the chevron indicates the absolute heading of the air traffic target;

generate a relative motion vector using the accessed traffic information, the relative motion vector indicating the relative heading of the air traffic target with respect to the aircraft; and

control the display to present the target icon and relative motion vector so that the relative motion vector extends from the chevron-shaped target icon.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the accessed traffic information is based upon dynamically received data from at least one of:

an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system;

a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS); and

a Traffic Information Services-Broadcast (TIS-B) system.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the display indicates the location of the aircraft in relation to the target icon.

11. A method for furnishing an air traffic display depicting air traffic within a monitored airspace surrounding an aircraft comprising:

dynamically receiving and aggregating air traffic information describing the location of at least one air traffic target within the monitored airspace;

generating an air traffic target icon using the traffic information, the target icon comprising a chevron shape where the apex of the chevron indicates the absolute heading of the air traffic target;

generating a relative motion vector using the accessed traffic information, the relative motion vector indicating the relative heading of the air traffic target with respect to the aircraft; and

controlling a display to present the target icon and relative motion vector so that the relative motion vector extends from the chevron-shaped target icon.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step of dynamically receiving and aggregating data comprises:

dynamically receiving and aggregating data from;

an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system;

a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS); and

a Traffic Information Services-Broadcast (TIS-B) system.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising controlling the display to indicate the location of the aircraft in relation to the target icon.