Screen symbology

• US 9,719,800 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Boria, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US14/251,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20150292901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/16 by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• 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: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32

Abstract

A method and system for enhancing situational awareness in a rotary wing aircraft, includes receiving signals indicative of environmental information for the aircraft during a hover; determining signals indicative of a heading, course, and speed for the aircraft in response to the receiving of the environmental information; and displaying a composite symbology for heading, course, and speed on tactical display.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing situational awareness in a rotary wing aircraft, comprising:

receiving, with a processor, signals indicative of environmental information for the aircraft during a hover;

determining, with the processor, signals indicative of a heading, course, and speed for the aircraft relative to a tactical plot in response to the receiving of the environmental information;

displaying, with the processor, the tactical plot and a composite symbology for heading, course, and speed on tactical display on the tactical plot, wherein the composite symbology for course provides both a direction of travel relative to the heading of the rotary wing aircraft and the speed of the rotary wing aircraft in the direction of travel; and

determining a course and location of other vehicles in relation to the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising depicting the heading symbology as an arrowhead symbol circumscribed in a circle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising depicting the course symbology as an elongated line symbol that extends radially from the circle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising depicting the speed symbology as a defined length of the elongated line.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising depicting the speed symbology as a number with the elongated line symbol.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising depicting symbology for the other vehicles on the tactical display in response to the determining the course and the location.

7. A system for enhancing situational awareness in a rotary wing aircraft, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to receive signals indicative of environmental information for the rotorcraft during a hover; and

a computer operably connected to the one or more sensors and configured to;

receive signals indicative of environmental information for the aircraft during a hover;

determine signals indicative of a heading, course, and speed for the aircraft relative to a tactical plot in response to the receiving of the environmental information;

display the tactical plot and a composite symbology for heading, course, and speed on tactical display on the tactical plot, wherein the composite symbology for course provides both a direction of travel relative to the heading of the rotary wing aircraft and the speed of the rotary wing aircraft in the direction of travel and

determine a course and location of other vehicles in relation to the aircraft.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the heading symbology is depicted as an arrowhead symbol circumscribed in a circle.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the course symbology is depicted as an elongated line symbol that extends radially from the circle.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the speed symbology is depicted as a defined length of the elongated line.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the speed symbology is depicted as a number with the elongated line symbol.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer is configured to depict symbology for the other vehicles on the tactical display in response to the determining the course and the location.

13. A helicopter comprising:

an airframe;

a main rotor disposed at the airframe, the rotor including a plurality of rotor blades; and

a tactical display system for displaying screen symbology for the helicopter including;

one or more sensors configured to receive signals indicative of environmental information for the rotorcraft during a hover;

a computer operably connected to the one or more sensors and configured to;

receive signals indicative of environmental information for the aircraft during a hover;

determine signals indicative of a heading, course, and speed for the aircraft relative to a tactical plot in response to the receiving of the environmental information;

display the tactical plot and a composite symbology for heading, course, and speed on tactical display on the tactical plot, wherein the composite symbology for course provides both a direction of travel relative to the heading of the rotary wing aircraft and the speed of the rotary wing aircraft in the direction of travel; and

determine a course and location of other vehicles in relation to the aircraft.

14. The helicopter of claim 13, wherein the heading symbology is depicted as an arrowhead symbol circumscribed in a circle.

15. The helicopter of claim 13, wherein the course symbology is depicted as an elongated line symbol that extends radially from the circle.

16. The helicopter of claim 13, wherein the speed symbology is depicted as a defined length of the elongated line.

17. The helicopter of claim 15, wherein the speed symbology is depicted as a number with the elongated line symbol.