System and method for confirming received taxi instructions

• US 9,786,186 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Ball, Jerry, Caufield, Sean, Nichols, Troy, Gannon, Aaron, Feyereisen, Thea L., Suddreth, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US14/546,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20160140849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A method and system are described for enhancing ground situational awareness to an aircrew via an alphanumeric display of an air traffic control ground clearance, including displaying a symbol for each stage of the clearance. A crewmember may accept or change each stage via a graphical user interface within the alphanumeric display.

Claims

1. A system for modifying autogenerated displayed taxi instructions to a crewmember of an aircraft, comprising:

a display located on board the aircraft for manual use by the crewmember, where the display shows;

a series of alphanumeric symbols, each representing an individual pathway segment;

a graphical user interface with a selection box for each individual alphanumeric symbol; and

a processor configured to;

receive a taxi destination that is manually entered by the aircraft crewmember;

identify the initial location of the aircraft;

autogenerate taxi instructions made up of a series of pathway segments to direct the aircraft from the initial location to the taxi destination;

accept an approved pathway segment that is manually selected by the crewmember using the selection box, where a manually accepted taxi pathway is created that comprises the pathway segments between the initial location and the approved pathway segment;

delete a declined pathway segment that is manually de-selected by the crewmember, where the pathway segments between the declined pathway segment and the taxi destination are deleted from the taxi instructions;

autogenerate a revised taxi pathway comprising a series of alternative pathway segments between the approved pathway segment and the taxi destination;

revise the taxi instructions to combine the manually accepted taxi pathway and the revised taxi pathway; and

modify a graphic display of the alphanumeric symbols to indicate acceptance of the revised taxi instructions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

delete a declined pathway segment when a de-selection box for the alphanumerical symbol representing the declined pathway segment is selected.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

delete a declined pathway segment when the selection box for the alphanumerical symbol representing the declined pathway segment is selected twice.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

display a text box for manual entry of the taxi destination.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the display is further configured to:

display a moving map including the pathway segments and the aircraft.

6. A system for modifying autogenerated displayed taxi instructions to a crewmember of a vehicle, the taxi instructions defining a plurality of pathways, the system comprising:

a display configured to display;

a series of alphanumeric symbols, each representing an individual pathway segment along the taxi instructions;

a graphical user interface with a selection box for each individual alphanumeric symbol; and

a processor configured to;

accept an approved pathway segment that is manually selected by the crewmember using the selection box, where a manually accepted taxi pathway is created that comprises the pathway segments between the initial location and the approved pathway segment;

delete a declined pathway segment that is manually de-selected by the crewmember, where the pathway segments between the declined pathway segment and the taxi destination are deleted from the taxi instructions; and

modifying a graphic display of the alphanumeric symbols to indicate acceptance of the revised taxi instructions.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the processor is further configured to:

display a text box for manual entry of a taxi destination.

8. A method for modifying autogenerated taxi instructions using a display device onboard an aircraft, comprising:

receiving a taxi destination that is manually entered by an aircraft crew;

identifying the initial location of the aircraft;

autogenerating taxi instructions made up of a series of pathway segments to direct the aircraft from the initial location to the taxi destination;

serially displaying a series of alphanumeric symbols representing each individual pathway segment along the taxi instructions;

displaying a graphical user interface with a selection box for each individual alphanumeric symbol;

accepting an approved pathway segment by manually selecting its selection box, where a manually accepted taxi pathway is created that comprises the pathway segments between the initial location and the approved pathway segment;

deleting a declined pathway segment by manually de-selecting its selection box, where the pathway segments between the declined pathway segment and the taxi destination are deleted from the taxi instructions;

autogenerating a revised taxi pathway comprising a series of alternative pathway segments between the approved pathway segment and the taxi destination;

revising the taxi instructions to combine the manually accepted taxi pathway and the revised taxi pathway; and

modifying a graphic display of the alphanumeric symbols to indicate acceptance of the revised taxi instructions.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

deleting a declined pathway segment when a de-selection box for the alphanumerical symbol representing the declined pathway segment is selected.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

deleting a declined pathway segment when the selection box for the alphanumerical symbol representing the declined pathway segment is selected twice.

11. The method of claim 8 the method further comprising:

displaying a text box for manual entry of a taxi destination.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying a moving map including the pathway segments and the aircraft.