Methods and systems for displaying a taxi clearance

• US 9,666,085 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wyatt, Ivan Sandy, Feyereisen, Thea L., Gannon, Aaron, Nichols, Troy, Caufield, Sean, Ball, Jerry, Suddreth, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US14/541,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20160140855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 701533
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for displaying a taxi clearance for an aircraft at an airport. One exemplary method involves receiving user input indicative of a constraining taxi path of a plurality of taxi paths at the airport, determining a first taxi portion between an initial location for the taxi clearance and the constraining taxi path, determining a second taxi portion between the constraining taxi path and a destination location for the taxi clearance, and displaying, on a display device associated with the aircraft, a taxi route comprising the first taxi portion, the second taxi portion, and the constraining taxi path between the first taxi portion and the second taxi portion.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a taxi clearance for an aircraft, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display device associated with the aircraft, an initial taxi route between an initial location for the taxi clearance and a destination location for the taxi clearance using a first visually distinguishable characteristic;

receiving user input indicative of a constraining taxi path of a plurality of taxi paths at an airport; and

in response to receiving the user input indicative of the constraining taxi path;

automatically determining a first taxi portion between the initial location and the constraining taxi path;

automatically determining a second taxi portion between the constraining taxi path and the destination location; and

automatically displaying, on the display device, an updated taxi route in lieu of the initial taxi route, wherein;

the updated taxi route comprises the first taxi portion, the second taxi portion, and the constraining taxi path between the first taxi portion and the second taxi portion;

the first taxi portion and the second taxi portion are displayed using the first visually distinguishable characteristic; and

the constraining taxi path is displayed using a second visually distinguishable characteristic different from the first visually distinguishable characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first taxi portion comprises interconnected portions of a first subset of one or more taxi paths of the plurality of taxi paths that connect the initial location to the constraining taxi path;

the second taxi portion comprises interconnected portions of a second subset of one or more taxi paths of the plurality of taxi paths that connect the constraining taxi path to the destination location;

an interconnecting portion of the constraining taxi path between the first taxi portion and the second taxi portion is rendered using the second visually distinguishable characteristic; and

the interconnected portions of the first subset and the interconnected portions of the second subset are rendered using the first visually distinguishable characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

automatically determining the first taxi portion comprises automatically determining a first optimal taxi route between the initial location and the constraining taxi path; and

automatically determining the second taxi portion comprises automatically determining a second optimal taxi route between the constraining taxi path and the destination location.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining an initial optimal taxi route between the initial location and the destination location, the initial taxi route comprising the initial optimal taxi route, wherein displaying the initial route comprises displaying the initial optimal taxi route on the display device prior to receiving the user input indicative of the constraining taxi path, wherein displaying the updated taxi route comprises updating the display device to display the updated taxi route in lieu of the initial optimal taxi route.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving an initial user input indicative of the destination location prior to receiving the user input indicative of the constraining taxi path, wherein:

determining the initial optimal taxi route comprises automatically determining the initial optimal taxi route in response to the initial user input; and

displaying the initial optimal taxi route comprises automatically displaying the initial optimal taxi route on the display device in response to determining the initial optimal taxi route.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second user input indicative of a second constraining taxi path of the plurality of taxi paths at the airport; and

in response to receiving the user input, automatically displaying a second updated taxi route between the initial location for the aircraft and the destination location for the aircraft by;

determining a third taxi portion between the constraining taxi path and the second constraining taxi path;

determining a fourth taxi portion between the second constraining taxi path and the destination location; and

displaying the second updated taxi route comprising the first taxi portion, the third taxi portion, the constraining taxi path between the first taxi portion and the third taxi portion, the fourth taxi portion, and the second constraining taxi path between the third taxi portion and the fourth taxi portion, wherein;

the first taxi portion, the third taxi portion, and the fourth taxi portion are displayed using the first visually distinguishable characteristic; and

the constraining taxi path and the second constraining taxi path are displayed using the second visually distinguishable characteristic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

determining the first taxi portion comprises automatically determining a first optimal taxi route between the initial location and the constraining taxi path;

determining the second taxi portion comprises automatically determining a second optimal taxi route between the constraining taxi path and the destination location;

determining the third taxi portion comprises automatically determining a third optimal taxi route between the constraining taxi path and the second constraining taxi path; and

determining the fourth taxi portion comprises automatically determining a fourth optimal taxi route between the second constraining taxi path and the destination location.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an initial user input indicative of the destination location;

determining an initial optimal taxi route between the initial location and the destination location, the initial taxi route comprising the initial optimal taxi route, wherein;

displaying the initial route comprises displaying the initial optimal taxi route on the display device prior to receiving the user input indicative of the constraining taxi path, wherein;

automatically displaying the updated taxi route comprises automatically displaying the updated taxi route on the display device after receiving the user input indicative of the constraining taxi path and prior to receiving the second user input indicative of the second constraining taxi path; and

displaying the second updated taxi route comprises automatically displaying the second updated taxi route on the display device after receiving the second user input indicative of the second constraining taxi path.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

displaying the initial optimal taxi route comprises rendering the initial optimal taxi route on the display device with the first visually distinguishable characteristic;

automatically displaying the updated taxi route comprises;

rendering the constraining taxi path on the display device with the second visually distinguishable characteristic different from the first visually distinguishable characteristic; and

rendering the first taxi portion and the second taxi portion on the display device with the first visually distinguishable characteristic; and

automatically displaying the second updated taxi route comprises;

rendering the constraining taxi path and the second constraining taxi path on the display device with the second visually distinguishable characteristic; and

rendering the first taxi portion, the third taxi portion and the fourth taxi portion with the first visually distinguishable characteristic.

10. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon executable by a processing system to perform the method of claim 1, wherein the processing system is coupled to the display device onboard the aircraft and a user input device onboard the aircraft to receive the user input via the user input device.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the initial taxi route comprises an initial optimal taxi route between the initial location and the destination location;

the first taxi portion comprises a first optimal taxi route between the initial location and the constraining taxi path;

the second taxi portion comprises a second optimal taxi route between the constraining taxi path and the destination location;

the third taxi portion comprises a third optimal taxi route between the constraining taxi path and the second constraining taxi path;

the fourth taxi portion comprises a fourth optimal taxi route between the second constraining taxi path and the destination location.

11. A method of displaying a taxi clearance for an aircraft from an initial location of the aircraft to a destination location at an airport, the airport comprising a plurality of taxi paths, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display device onboard the aircraft, an initial taxi route between the initial location and the destination location using a first visually distinguishable characteristic;

receiving user input indicative of a constraining taxi path of the plurality of taxi paths; and

in response to receiving the user input, displaying an updated taxi route between the initial location and the destination location in lieu of the initial taxi route by;

determining a first taxi portion from the initial location to the constraining taxi path;

determining a second taxi portion from the constraining taxi path to the destination location; and

displaying, on the display device, the updated taxi route comprising the first taxi portion, the second taxi portion, and the constraining taxi path between the first taxi portion and the second taxi portion, wherein;

the first taxi portion and the second taxi portion are displayed using the first visually distinguishable characteristic; and

the constraining taxi path is displayed using a second visually distinguishable characteristic different from the first visually distinguishable characteristic.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

displaying the initial taxi route comprises rendering the initial taxi route on the display device with the first visually distinguishable characteristic;

displaying the updated taxi route comprises;

rendering the constraining taxi path on the display device with the second visually distinguishable characteristic different from the first visually distinguishable characteristic; and

rendering the first taxi portion and the second taxi portion on the display device with the first visually distinguishable characteristic.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the initial taxi route as a first optimal sequence of one or more taxi paths of the plurality of taxi paths for connecting the initial location to the destination location, wherein:

determining the first taxi portion comprises determining a second optimal sequence of one or more taxi paths of the plurality of taxi paths for connecting the initial location to the constraining taxi path;

determining the second taxi portion comprises determining a third optimal sequence of one or more taxi paths of the plurality of taxi paths for connecting the initial location to the constraining taxi path; and

the updated taxi route comprises the second optimal sequence followed by the constraining taxi path followed by the third optimal sequence.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

displaying the initial taxi route comprises rendering the first optimal sequence on the display device with the first visually distinguishable characteristic;

displaying the updated taxi route comprises;

rendering the constraining taxi path on the display device with the second visually distinguishable characteristic different from the first visually distinguishable characteristic; and

rendering the second optimal sequence and the third optimal sequence on the display device with the first visually distinguishable characteristic.

15. An aircraft display system comprising:

a user input device to receive an input indicative of a constraining taxi path of a plurality of taxi paths at an airport;

a display device to display a map of the airport, the map including the plurality of taxi paths and visually indicating an initial taxi route between an initial location for a taxi clearance and a destination location for a taxi clearance using a first visually distinguishable characteristic; and

a processing system coupled to the user input device and the display device to determine a first taxi portion between the initial location for the taxi clearance and the constraining taxi path, determine a second taxi portion between the constraining taxi path and the destination location for the taxi clearance, and update the map to visually indicate the first taxi portion, the second taxi portion, and the constraining taxi path between the first taxi portion and the second taxi portion, wherein;

the first taxi portion and the second taxi portion are visually indicated using the first visually distinguishable characteristic; and

the constraining taxi path is visually indicated using a second visually distinguishable characteristic different from the first visually distinguishable characteristic.

16. The aircraft display system of claim 15, wherein:

the first taxi portion comprises a first optimal taxi route from the initial location to the constraining taxi path determined by the processing system; and

the second taxi portion comprises a second optimal taxi route from the constraining taxi path to the destination location determined by the processing system.

17. The aircraft display system of claim 15, wherein:

in response to receiving a second user input indicative of a second constraining taxi path of the plurality of taxi paths at the airport via the user input device, the processing system determines a third taxi portion between the constraining taxi path and the second constraining taxi path, determining a fourth taxi portion between the second constraining taxi path and the destination location, and updates the map to visually indicate the first taxi portion, the third taxi portion, the fourth taxi portion, the constraining taxi path between the first taxi portion and the third taxi portion, and the second constraining taxi path between the third taxi portion and the fourth taxi portion;

the first taxi portion, the third taxi portion, and the fourth taxi portion are displayed with the first visually distinguishable characteristic; and

the constraining taxi path and the second constraining taxi path are displayed with the second visually distinguishable characteristic different from the first visually distinguishable characteristic.

19. The aircraft display system of claim 16, wherein:

the initial taxi route comprises a first optimal sequence of one or more taxi paths of the plurality of taxi paths for connecting the initial location to the destination location, wherein;

the first taxi portion comprises a second optimal sequence of one or more taxi paths of the plurality of taxi paths for connecting the initial location to the constraining taxi path; and

the second taxi portion comprises a third optimal sequence of one or more taxi paths of the plurality of taxi paths for connecting the initial location to the constraining taxi path.