Rockwell Collins, Inc.

David A Frank

Travis S VanDerKamp

Daniel Y Chiew

Roger L Yum

Paul A Swearingen

Radu E Denghel

Lu Zhang

A present novel and non-trivial system, apparatus, and method for generating runway visual aids on an aircraft display unit. Visual aids could comprise of runway indicators corresponding to minimum and maximum rollout and touchdown points, each of which may be determined in real-time by applying input factors to one or more configurable landing profiles. Data representative of visual aids may be provided by one or more sources including runway data sources and real-time input factors. An image generating processor generates an image data set representative of a three-dimensional perspective view of a scene outside the aircraft, wherein the image data set is determined as a function of terrain data, runway data, and visual aid data. The image data set may be provided to a Head-Down Display unit, a Head-Up Display unit, or both, whereby an image contains a runway depicted with at least one visual aid.

System, apparatus, and method for generating runway visual aids on an aircraft display unit

A method for pilot situational awareness comprises calculating a location; providing terrain data for the calculated location; processing the terrain data and positioning a light source generally proximal to a view point of a pilot data to generate a synthetic image, the synthetic image representing an appearance of the terrain data illuminated by an appearance of the light source positioned generally proximal to the view point of the pilot; and displaying the synthetic image.

Apparatus and methods for lighting synthetic terrain images

Present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for generating location information presented to a pilot are disclosed. A processing unit is configured to receive manual input data representative of one or more selected image location(s) on a first image data set; determine a selected geographic location for each selected image location; and update the second image data set to include location pointer data. As embodied herein, first and second images represented in the first and second image data sets, respectively, could be displayed simultaneously on the same display unit or separately on different display units. Also, the first image and second image could correspond to an egocentric view and a plan view, respectively, or vice-versa. Additionally, the first image data set and/or second image data set could be updated include first and/or second location pointer data, respectively.

Location information generation system, device, and method

A weather awareness and warning system ('WAWS') provides aircraft position data and weather data input to a weather alert ('WA') processor from a navigation system and a datalink system. The weather data contains three-dimensional delineations of a defined weather area. The WA processor determines an aircraft alert position and a weather alert zone; if the aircraft alert position falls within or penetrates the weather alert zone, the WA processor generates an alert signal and provides a weather alert signal to an alerting system comprising of visual alert(s) displayed on a display unit such as an HDD unit or a HUD unit, or an aural alert sounded by an aural alert unit. The aircraft alert position and weather alert zone could be determined by the WA processor by executing an algorithm(s) embedded in software containing the disclosed embodiments and methods.

System and method for generating alert signals in a weather awareness and warning system

A present novel and non-trivial system, module, and method for presenting NOTAM information are disclosed. A plurality of sources may be used for providing navigation data, terrain data, NOTAM data, and object data. After receiving this data, a NOTAM display generating processor may generate a NOTAM image data set as a function of the navigation data, terrain data, NOTAM data, and object data. The NOTAM image data set may be representative of NOTAM information presented in a three-dimensional perspective of a scene outside an aircraft, where NOTAM information may comprise non-textual NOTAM information, textual NOTAM information, or both. After being generated, the NOTAM image data set may be provided to a presentation system where NOTAM information may be presented on at least one tactical display unit such as a head-down display unit and/or a head-up display unit.

System, module, and method for presenting NOTAM information on an aircraft display unit

The present disclosure is directed to a dynamic field of view (FOV) for a synthetic vision system (SVS) scene. The FOV within the SVS scene may switch between a FOV conformal to the real world outside of a vehicle and a wider FOV when beneficial. In an aircraft, for example, generating the SVS scene with the narrower FOV may be optimal during flight, while on the ground a wider FOV may improve situational awareness during taxiing. Determination of the airborne or grounded status of the aircraft may be based on speed, altitude, user input, or a received signal. Although the foregoing has been described within a particular context, the present disclosure is not limited to this scenario and may be applied to any vehicle in any situation where dynamically changing between a narrower FOV and a wider FOV is beneficial.

Synthetic vision dynamic field of view

A present novel and non-trivial system, apparatus, and method for presenting information to the pilot on an aircraft display unit employed in a synthetic vision system ('SVS'), an enhanced vision system ('EVS'), or combined system. Information regarding the locations of visible and invisible objects related to aviation such as airports, navigation aids and facilities, and airspace are provided by location markers. Data representative of the terrain and location of objects depicted in a scene outside the aircraft are retrieved from one or more data sources. An image generating processor generates an image data set representative of a three-dimensional perspective view of a scene outside the aircraft, wherein the image data set is determined as a function of the terrain data and location marker data associated with the location data. The image data set may be provided to a Head-Down Display unit, a Head-Up Display unit, or both.

System, apparatus, and method for generating location information on an aircraft display unit using location markers

A present novel and non-trivial system, apparatus, and method for enhancing an image presented to the pilot on an aircraft display unit. Locations of visible and invisible objects related to aviation such as airports, navigation aids and facilities, and airspace are enhanced by providing location highlighters of the objects. Data representative of the terrain and location of objects located in a scene outside the aircraft are retrieved from one or more data sources. An image generating processor generates an image data set representative of a three-dimensional perspective of a scene outside the aircraft, wherein the image data set is determined as a function of the terrain data and highlighter data associated with the location data. The image data set may be provided to a Head-Down Display unit, Head-Up Display unit, or both for display.

System, apparatus, and method for enhancing the image presented on an aircraft display unit through location highlighters

A synthetic vision system (SVS) for an aircraft, including a user input device for receiving runway correction commands from a user. The runway correction commands are in response to discrepancies observed by the user between an observed runway position in the real world and a synthetic vision runway position depicted on an electronic display device. The user input device provides runway corrections. An SVS computer is operatively connected to the electronic display device for providing SVS image data to the electronic display device in response to received runway parameter data. A runway parameter server device (RPSD) is operatively connected to the user input device and to the SVS computer for receiving the runway corrections from the user input device and providing the runway parameter data, including any corrected data provided by the user, to the SVS computer. A runway parameter database is operatively connected to the RPSD for receiving correction data from the RPSD and providing corrected data to the RPSD. The user input device provides the capability of stewing the synthetic vision runway position to the observed real-world runway position when the synthetic vision runway position is observed to be misaligned, the corrected data being subsequently used to provide enhanced runway environment information for taxi operations.

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North Liberty, IA, United States of America

David A Frank