User interfaces for mutually exclusive three dimensional flying spaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11645926-B2
Application number	US-202017110220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2020
Priority date	Aug 23, 2018
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

Boundary information associated with a three-dimensional (3D) flying space is obtained, including a boundary of the 3D flying space. Location information associated with an aircraft is obtained, including a location of the aircraft. Information is presented based at least in part on the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space and the location information associated with the aircraft, including by presenting, in a display, the boundary of the 3D flying space and an avatar representing the aircraft at the location of the aircraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a communications interface that obtains boundary information associated with a three-dimensional (3D) flying space, including a boundary of the 3D flying space, wherein the 3D flying space is defined by a cross section about a center path;
a processor that continuously determines a distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and a location of an aircraft; and
a user interface that presents feedback in proportion to the determined distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft, wherein the feedback includes at least one of resistance or force that increases in proportion to decreasing distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft.

2. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the cross section defining the 3D flying space is one or more of the following: a circle, an ellipse, or a rectangle.

3. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes one or more of the following: a virtual reality headset, a touchscreen display, or a display integrated into the aircraft.

4. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the user interface presents a speed limit associated with the 3D flying space.

5. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the user interface presents a permitted direction of flight associated with the 3D flying space.

6. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the user interface outputs, via a speaker, the distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft.

7. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the user interface, in response to the distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft not exceeding a threshold, outputs, via a speaker, a correction direction which would cause the distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft to increase.

8. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the user interface, in response to the distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft not exceeding a threshold, increases an amount of force feedback output by a force feedback input device.

9. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the user interface presents a representation of the aircraft showing the location of the aircraft relative to the 3D flying space.

10. A method, comprising:
obtaining boundary information associated with a three-dimensional (3D) flying space, including a boundary of the 3D flying space, wherein the 3D flying space is defined by a cross section about a center path;
continuously determining a distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and a location of an aircraft; and
presenting, in a user interface, feedback in proportion to the determined distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft, wherein the feedback includes at least one of resistance or force that increases in proportion to decreasing distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft.

11. The method recited in claim 10 , wherein the cross section defining the 3D flying space is one or more of the following: a circle, an ellipse, or a rectangle.

12. The method recited in claim 10 , wherein the user interface includes one or more of the following: a virtual reality headset, a touchscreen display, or a display integrated into the aircraft.

13. The method recited in claim 10 , further comprising presenting, in the user interface, a speed limit associated with the 3D flying space.

14. The method recited in claim 10 , further comprising presenting, in the user interface, a permitted direction of flight associated with the 3D flying space.

15. The method recited in claim 10 , further comprising announcing, via a speaker, the distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft.

16. The method recited in claim 10 , further comprising suggesting, via a speaker, a correction direction which would cause the distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft to increase in response to the distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft not exceeding a threshold.

17. The method recited in claim 10 , further comprising increasing an amount of force feedback output by a force feedback input device in response to the distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft not exceeding a threshold.

18. The method recited in claim 10 , further comprising presenting a representation of the aircraft showing the location of the aircraft relative to the 3D flying space.

19. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
obtaining boundary information associated with a three-dimensional (3D) flying space, including a boundary of the 3D flying space, wherein the 3D flying space is defined by a cross section about a center path;
continuously determining a distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and a location of an aircraft; and
presenting, in a user interface, feedback in proportion to the determined distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft, wherein the feedback includes at least one of resistance or force that increases in proportion to decreasing distance between the boundary of the 3D flying space and the location of the aircraft.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 19 , wherein the cross section defining the 3D flying space is one or more of the following: a circle, an ellipse, or a rectangle.

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Robertson Cameron
• Roetter Alex

Classifications

• G08G5/23

  Details of user output interfaces, e.g. information presented · CPC title

• G08G5/80

  Anti-collision systems · CPC title

• G08G5/74

  for monitoring terrain · CPC title

• G08G5/21

  located onboard the aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/59

  in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones · CPC title