Perspective-view visual runway awareness and advisory display

• US 7,908,078 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: He, Gang
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Algahaim; Helal A
• Application Number:
  US11/250,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/120, 340/995.17
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A method of providing a visual runway awareness and advisor display is provided. The method comprises obtaining current craft position and trajectory, determing if a runway is being targeted, and displaying runway alerts and guides on a graphical display with the runway based on the runway being targeted, current craft position and current craft trajectory.

Claims

1. A method of providing a visual runway awareness and advisory display, the method comprising:

obtaining current craft position and trajectory;

determining if a runway is being targeted; and

displaying runway alerts and guides on a graphical display with the runway based on the runway being targeted, current craft position, and current craft trajectory,

wherein displaying runway alerts and guides includes;

fading in runway alerts and guides for a targeted runway;

displaying perspective runway distance remaining markers at fixed display positions along the displayed runway; and

displaying perspective runway distance remaining markers at positions relative to current craft position, wherein the display positions of the distance remaining markers change according to movement of the craft in order to maintain the positions relative to the current craft position;

wherein displaying runway guides and alerts further includes outlining the targeted runway with an outline box; and

wherein outlining the targeted runway with an outline box includes varying the border thickness of the outline box based on the position of the craft in relation to the targeted runway.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if a runway is being targeted includes:

detecting a flight path marker pointing at a runway on a display for an extended period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein fading in runway alerts and guides includes:

fading in runway identification numbers on a surface of the targeted runway in a perspective conformal view format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying runway alerts and guides includes highlighting runway guides for a targeted runway.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein highlighting runway guides for a targeted runway includes adjusting brightness levels of runway guides based on the position and trajectory of the craft relative to the targeted runway.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying runway guides includes changing the color of guides gradually to indicate dangerous conditions on a targeted runway.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein changing the color of guides to indicate dangerous conditions includes at least one of:

changing the color of distance remaining markers to indicate insufficient distance remains on a targeted runway;

comparing the targeted runway with a flight plan and, when the targeted runway is not in the flight plan, changing at least one of;

runway guides colors, pavement colors, and surface textures; and

determining if the targeted runway has runway use clearance and, when the targeted runway does not have runway use clearance, changing at least one of;

runway guides colors, pavement colors, and surface textures.

8. A graphic display system, comprising:

means for obtaining data, wherein data includes airport data and craft position and trajectory data;

means for determining if a runway is being targeted; and

means for displaying runway guides and alerts based on the data obtained and a runway being targeted,

wherein displaying means includes

means for fading in runway alerts and guides for a targeted runway;

means for displaying perspective runway distance remaining markers at fixed display positions along the displayed runway;

means for displaying perspective runway distance remaining markers at positions relative to current craft position, wherein the display positions of the distance remaining markers change according to movement of the craft in order to maintain the positions relative to the current craft position; and

wherein the displaying means further includes means for outlining the targeted runway with an outline box; and

wherein the outlining means includes means for varying the border thickness of the outline box based on the position of the craft in relation to the targeted runway.

9. A method of providing a visual runway awareness and advisory display, the method comprising:

obtaining current craft position and trajectory;

determining if a runway is being targeted; and

displaying runway alerts and guides on a graphical display with the runway based on the runway being targeted, current craft position, and current craft trajectory,

wherein displaying runway alerts and guides includes;

fading in runway alerts and guides for a targeted runway;

displaying perspective runway distance remaining markers at fixed display positions along the displayed runway; and

displaying perspective runway distance remaining markers at positions relative to current craft position, wherein the display positions of the distance remaining markers change according to movement of the craft in order to maintain the positions relative to the current craft position;

wherein displaying runway guides and alerts further includes outlining the targeted runway with an outline box; and

wherein outlining the targeted runway with an outline box includes at least one of;

varying the border thickness of the outline box based on the position of the craft in relation to the targeted runway.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining if a runway is being targeted includes:

detecting a flight path marker pointing at a runway on a display for an extended period of time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein fading in runway alerts and guides includes:

fading in runway identification numbers on a surface of the targeted runway in a perspective conformal view format.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying runway alerts and guides includes highlighting runway guides for a targeted runway.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein highlighting runway guides for a targeted runway includes adjusting brightness levels of runway guides based on the position and trajectory of the craft relative to the targeted runway.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying runway guides includes changing the color of guides gradually to indicate dangerous conditions on a targeted runway.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein changing the color of guides to indicate dangerous conditions includes at least one of:

changing the color of distance remaining markers to indicate insufficient distance remains on a targeted runway;

comparing the targeted runway with a flight plan and, when the targeted runway is not in the flight plan, changing at least one of;

runway guides colors, pavement colors, and surface textures; and

determining if the targeted runway has runway use clearance and, when the targeted runway does not have runway use clearance, changing at least one of;

runway guides colors, pavement colors, and surface textures.