Method and system for capturing and displaying aircraft taxi routes

• US 8,560,214 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Krenz, Michael J., Hahn, Pamela K.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WINSTON III, EDWARD B
• Application Number:
  US12/156,969
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120, 701/122, 701/117, 342/353, 342/357.45, 342/357.63
• US Class Current: 701/117
• 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: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

An aircraft taxi route display system may include a user interface including a display device and a user input, a computer including a computer processor and a computer storage device, wherein the computer is in communication with the user interface, and/or a communications link capable of receiving at least one airport characteristic, wherein the communications link is in communication with the computer processor, and the computer processor is configured to present an aircraft taxi route. A method may include capturing at least one of at least one taxi turn direction or at least one taxi distance, accepting from a user input a selection of at least one of at least one taxi turn direction or at least one taxi distance, clearing an aircraft taxi route from the selection of at least one of at least one taxi turn direction or at least one taxi distance, and displaying the aircraft taxi route.

Claims

1. An aircraft taxi route display system, comprising:

a user interface including a display device and a user input;

a computer including a computer processor and a computer storage device, the computer processor configured to run a clearer module;

wherein the computer is in communication with the user interface,

a communications link capable of receiving at least one airport characteristic and at least one aircraft taxi route supplied from air traffic control, the aircraft taxi route including at least one turn point and at least one exit point indicating where the aircraft may exit a runway or taxiway;

wherein the communications link is in communication with the computer processor, the computer processor is configured to present the at least one aircraft taxi route on an airport map image viewable on said display device, the clearer module is configured to clear the aircraft taxi route with air traffic control via the communications link for approval to proceed along the aircraft taxi route, the airport map image including the airport characteristic viewable on said display device, the airport characteristic including a terminal, aircraft parking lot and runway;

the computer processor is further configured to present a section by section summary including ICAO signage symbols interspersed with a turn, taxiway name, and a distance remaining to be traveled on each section of the at least one aircraft taxi route, the section by section summary being provided separate from the airport map image.

2. The aircraft taxi route display system of claim 1, wherein the user interface including a display device and a user input comprises:

at least one of a head up display or a head down display.

3. The aircraft taxi route display system of claim 1, wherein the user interface including a display device and a user input comprises:

a set of at least one of at least one turn indicator or at least one direction indicator.

4. The aircraft taxi route display system of claim 1, wherein the user interface including a display device and a user input comprises:

a display including at least one of at least one selected taxi turn direction or at least one selected taxi distance.

5. The aircraft taxi route display system of claim 1, wherein the communications link capable of receiving at least one aircraft taxi route comprises:

a communications link capable of receiving at least one of at least one turn point or at least one exit point.

10. The aircraft taxi route display system of claim 1, wherein said display device is a touchscreen display device.

11. The aircraft taxi route display system of claim 1, wherein the distance remaining to be traveled on each section of the at least one aircraft taxi route on said display device includes a distance associated with each section remaining on the at least one taxi route.

12. The aircraft taxi route display system of claim 11, wherein the distance remaining to be traveled on each section of the at least one aircraft taxi route includes a remaining distance displayed for a current section of the at least one aircraft taxi route.

13. The aircraft taxi route display system of claim 11, wherein the display device presents a total remaining distance for the at least one aircraft taxi route.

6. A method, implemented as a set of instructions stored in a memory and executed by a computer, comprising:

receiving a list of taxi routes, the list of taxi routes sorted in order and includes at least one taxi route from a computer storage and at least one taxi route uplinked from and approved and suggested by air traffic control, the aircraft taxi route including at least one turn point and at least one exit point indicating where the aircraft may exit a runway or taxiway;

capturing at least one of at least one taxi turn direction or at least one taxi distance;

accepting from a user input a selection of at least one of at least one taxi turn direction or at least one taxi distance;

clearing an aircraft taxi route with air traffic control to proceed along the aircraft taxi route from the selection of at least one of at least one taxi turn direction or at least one taxi distance;

displaying the aircraft taxi route on an airport map image; and

displaying a section by section summary including ICAO signage symbols interspersed with a turn, taxiway name, and a distance remaining to be traveled on each section of the aircraft taxi route, the section by section summary being displayed separate from the airport map image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the capturing at least one of at least one taxi turn direction or at least one taxi distance comprises:

capturing at least one of an exit point or an apron exit path.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the accepting from a user input a selection of at least one of at least one taxi turn direction or at least one taxi distance comprises:

prompting a user to select a taxiway exit point.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the displaying the aircraft taxi route comprises:

displaying the aircraft taxi route superimposed on at least a portion of a map of an airport.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying a section by section summary including ICAO signage symbols interspersed with a turn, taxiway name, and a distance remaining to be traveled on each section of the aircraft taxi route includes displaying a distance associated with each section remaining on the at least one taxi route.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying a section by section summary including ICAO signage symbols interspersed with a turn, taxiway name, and a distance remaining to be traveled on each section of the aircraft taxi route includes displaying a remaining distance displayed for a current section of the at least one aircraft taxi route.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying a section by section summary including ICAO signage symbols interspersed with a turn, taxiway name, and a distance remaining to be traveled on each section of the aircraft taxi route includes displaying a total remaining distance for the at least one aircraft taxi route.