Display and control of time evolved conditions relative to a vehicle

• US 9,666,084 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Leedom, David L., Shapiro, Geoffrey A., Kronfeld, Kevin M., Wenger, Jason C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/578,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20160180718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 701418, 342 26 B, 340971
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0047 Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft details of equipment G08G5/0017
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

Methods and systems for identifying and displaying potentially hazardous segments on a planned route of a vehicle are disclosed. A method may include: predicting a movement of a condition of concern; analyzing the movement of the condition of concern and a movement of a vehicle traveling along a planned route to generate a projection of the condition of concern onto the planned route, wherein the projection indicates conditions the vehicle is predicted to encounter at a plurality of positions along the planned route; determining whether a portion of the planned route is potentially hazardous based on the projection of the condition of concern; and visually identifying the portion of the planned route that is potentially hazardous to a user. The method may also be utilized to facilitate a reroute process.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

predicting, utilizing one or more processors, a movement of a condition of concern, the condition of concern comprising at least one of a weather condition, an aircraft traffic condition, a flight restriction condition, a notice to airmen condition, or a congested airspace condition;

analyzing, utilizing the one or more processors, the movement of the condition of concern and a movement of a vehicle traveling along a planned route to generate a projection indicating a space-time consolidated visual representation of the condition of concern onto the planned route, wherein the space-time consolidated visual representation indicates conditions the vehicle is predicted to encounter at a plurality of future positions along the planned route to be traversed at specific future times as the vehicle traverses along the planned route;

determining, utilizing the one or more processors, whether a portion of the planned route to be traversed is potentially hazardous based on the projection of the condition of concern; and

visually identifying, utilizing an electronic display, the portion of the planned route to be traversed that is potentially hazardous to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new route for the vehicle;

analyzing the movement of the condition of concern and the movement of the vehicle traveling along the new route to generate a new projection of the condition of concern onto the new route, wherein the new projection indicates conditions the vehicle is predicted to encounter at a plurality of positions along the new route;

determining whether a portion of the new route is potentially hazardous based on the new projection of the condition of concern; and

visually identifying the portion of the new route that is potentially hazardous to a user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the new route for the vehicle is received based on at least one of:

a user specified waypoint, a user specified heading, a user specified altitude, and a user specified speed.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the new route for the vehicle is received based on at least one of:

a system generated waypoint, a system generated heading, a system generated altitude, and a system generated speed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a time reference; and

displaying a predicted location of the condition of concern based on the time reference.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the time reference is user specified.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the time reference is determined base on a user specified waypoint.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the space-time consolidated visual representation of the projection is configured to depict the projection within a certain distance around the planned route.

9. A method, comprising:

predicting, utilizing one or more processors, a movement of a condition of concern, the condition of concern comprising at least one of a weather condition, an aircraft traffic condition, a flight restriction condition, a notice to airmen condition, or a congested airspace condition;

analyzing, utilizing the one or more processors, the movement of the condition of concern and a movement of a vehicle traveling along a planned route to generate a projection indicating a space-time consolidated visual representation of the condition of concern onto the planned route, wherein the space-time consolidated visual representation indicates conditions the vehicle is predicted to encounter at a plurality of future positions along the planned route to be traversed at specific future times;

determining, utilizing the one or more processors, whether a portion of the planned route to be traversed is potentially hazardous based on the projection of the condition of concern;

visually identifying, utilizing an electronic display, the portion of the planned route to be traversed that is potentially hazardous to a user; and

selectively displaying one of;

a predicted location of the condition of concern based on a specified time reference; and

the space-time consolidated visual representation of the conditions the vehicle is predicted to encounter at the plurality of positions along the planned route to be traversed at specific future times.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a new route for the vehicle;

analyzing the movement of the condition of concern and the movement of the vehicle traveling along the new route to generate a new projection of the condition of concern onto the new route, wherein the new projection indicates conditions the vehicle is predicted to encounter at a plurality of positions along the new route;

determining whether a portion of the new route is potentially hazardous based on the new projection of the condition of concern; and

visually identifying the portion of the new route that is potentially hazardous to a user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the new route for the vehicle is received based on at least one of:

a user specified waypoint, a user specified heading, a user specified altitude, and a user specified speed.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the new route for the vehicle is received based on at least one of:

a system generated waypoint, a system generated heading, a system generated altitude, and a system generated speed.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying a visual representation of the new projection indicating conditions the vehicle is predicted to encounter at the plurality of positions along the new route.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the time reference is user specified.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the time reference is determined base on a user specified waypoint.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the visual representation of the projection is configured to depict the projection within a certain distance around the planned route.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

predict a movement of a condition of concern, the condition of concern comprising at least one of a weather condition, an aircraft traffic condition, a flight restriction condition, a notice to airmen condition, or a congested airspace condition;

analyze the movement of the condition of concern and a movement of a vehicle traveling along a planned route to generate a projection indicating a space-time consolidated visual representation of the condition of concern onto the planned route, wherein the space-time consolidated visual representation indicates conditions the vehicle is predicted to encounter at a plurality of future positions along the planned route to be traversed at specific future times; and

determine whether a portion of the planned route to be traversed is potentially hazardous based on the projection of the condition of concern; and

a display device configured to display a graphical representation to a user, the graphical representation includes;

a visual indication of the portion of the planned route that is potentially hazardous; and

one of;

a predicted location of the condition of concern based on a specified time reference; and

the space-time consolidated visual representation of the conditions the vehicle is predicted to encounter at the plurality of positions along the planned route to be traversed at specific future times.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a control interface configured to receive a new route for the vehicle,

wherein upon receiving the new route, the processor analyzes the movement of the condition of concern and the movement of the vehicle traveling along the new route to generate a new projection of the condition of concern onto the new route, the processor further determines whether a portion of the new route is potentially hazardous based on the new projection of the condition of concern, and the display device updates the graphical representation to include a visual indication of the portion of the new route that is potentially hazardous.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to generate at least one new route and analyze whether said at least one new route contains any potentially hazardous portions to facilitate an automated reroute process.