L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc.

Clifford S Brust

Gary Evans

A system and method for displaying a three-dimensional image of airspace includes a series of translucent, horizontal 'pavers' that lie like stepping stones marking the selected flight path. In addition, the display includes a series of vertical rectangles&#x2014;called 'wickets'&#x2014;which bracket the selected flight path. One or more of the wickets may include a graphical representation of the direction of the aircraft should be flying through the wicket. The system accommodates changes in course by generating a new flight path when instructed to do so. The new flight path is created in a way that assures continuous guidance for the pilot and sufficient time for the pilot to adjust to the new course. The display can include a compass rose which indicates the aircraft's present heading and direction of flight. The compass rose is generated from data representing a traditional two-dimensional view of a compass rose that is rotated using a graphics processor to show a three dimensional view of the compass rose in a plane that appears nearly horizontal in the three dimensional airspace image. In addition various landmarks such as airports and navigation beacons, as well as geopolitical boundaries may be included in the display.

System and method for producing flight pathway

A synthetic rendering of the terrain within a selected field of view is created from raw terrain elevation data, and the resolution of the rendering is proportioned to the altitude above ground level (altitude AGL) of the aircraft. All the data points are subdivided into tiles. Only data from tiles within a prescribed field of view are considered for processing; all others are ignored. Within the selected tiles, only some of the terrain elevation data points are passed to the graphics processor for rendering. At maximum resolution, when the aircraft is on the ground or at a low altitude, there are relatively fewer tiles within the field of view and the fraction of the data points from each tile within the field of view passed for rendering is relatively large. As the aircraft's altitude AGL level increases, the field of view also increases in area increasing the number of tiles within the field of view. However, the number of data points forwarded for rendering by the graphics processor is kept approximately constant by selecting progressively fewer and fewer terrain elevation data points from each tile for rendering as altitude AGL increases. Only the data points that lie within tiles inside a prescribed field of view are forwarded to the graphics processor for rendering. Once the tiles have been selected, the terrain elevation data points are grouped in groups of a size that depends on altitude AGL, with more terrain data points in the grouped as attitude increases. Preferably the groups are triangle strips. Only the highest elevation from each group is passed to the graphics processor for rendering.

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Beavercreek, OH, United States of America

Clifford S Brust