Aerial vehicle awareness display

• US 9,816,816 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Hayes, Andrew Royds
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US14/453,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20160363447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method of displaying information pertaining to an air vehicle is disclosed. Information is displayed indicative of first portions of a map where distance between a current altitude of the air vehicle and terrain in the map are within a first threshold. Information is displayed indicative of second portions of a map where a distance between the current altitude of the air vehicle and terrain in the map are within a second threshold. The first and second portions are updated based on a change in the current altitude of the air vehicle. In another example, a map including a projected flight path of an aircraft is displayed. Location-based information pertaining to radio frequency (RF) status between the aircraft and at least one ground radio is displayed on the map. The location-based information pertaining to RF status is updated based on a change in the current position of the air vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information about an air vehicle, the method comprising:

displaying, on a user interface operable to allow a controller to remotely interact with the air vehicle, a map including a projected flight path of the air vehicle;

displaying, on the map, location-based information pertaining to radio frequency (RF) status between the air vehicle and at least one ground radio; and

updating the location-based information pertaining to RF status based on a change in a current position of the air vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location-based information are indicative of one or more of antenna pattern, gain, type, and power capabilities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF status is determined by comparing predicted signal strength of RF links of an area on the map to signal strength corresponding to lost communication and determining if the area on the map will likely experience lost communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location-based information comprises RF link error rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a map comprises displaying a fixed size portion of the display, said fixed size portion representing a predetermined area on the map.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said fixed size portion is a tile and is color coded to indicate an estimated strength of an RF link.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to a user request, location-based information outside of a planned flight path for the air vehicle is displayed.

7. A system configured to display information pertaining to an air vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one memory having stored therein computer instructions that, upon execution by one or more processors of the system, at least cause the system to;

display, on a user interface operable to allow a controller to remotely interact with the air vehicle, a map including a projected flight path of the air vehicle;

display, on the map, location-based information pertaining to radio frequency (RF) status between the air vehicle and at least one ground radio; and

update the location-based information pertaining to RF status based on a change in a current position of the air vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the location-based information are indicative of one or more of antenna pattern, gain, type, and power capabilities.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the RF status is determined by comparing predicted signal strength of RF links of an area on the map to signal strength corresponding to lost communication and determining if the area on the map will likely experience lost communication.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the location-based information comprises RF link error rate.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein displaying a map comprises displaying a fixed size portion of the display, said fixed size portion representing a predetermined area on the map.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said fixed size portion is a tile and is color coded to indicate an estimated strength of an RF link.

19. The system of claim 7, wherein in response to a user request, location-based information outside of a planned flight path for the air vehicle is displayed.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions comprising instructions that upon execution on one or more computing devices, at least cause the one or more computing devices to:

display, on a user interface operable to allow a controller to remotely interact with an air vehicle, a map including a projected flight path of the air vehicle;

display, on the map, location-based information pertaining to radio frequency (RF) status between the air vehicle and at least one ground radio; and

update the location-based information pertaining to RF status based on a change in a current position of the air vehicle.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the location-based information are indicative of one or more of antenna pattern, gain, type, and power capabilities.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the RF status is determined by comparing predicted signal strength of RF links of an area on the map to signal strength corresponding to lost communication and determining if the area on the map will likely experience lost communication.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the location-based information comprises RF link error rate.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein displaying a map comprises displaying a fixed size portion of the display, said fixed size portion representing a predetermined area on the map, and wherein said fixed size portion is a tile and is color coded to indicate an estimated strength of an RF link.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein in response to a user request, location-based information outside of a planned flight path for the air vehicle is displayed.