Aircraft synthetic vision systems utilizing data from local area augmentation systems, and methods for operating such aircraft synthetic vision systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016282120-A1
Application number	US-201514669143-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 26, 2015
Priority date	Mar 26, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An aircraft synthetic vision display system (SVS) includes a topographical database including topographical information relating to an airport, a global positioning system receiver that receives a satellite signal from a global positioning satellite to determine a geographical position of the aircraft, and a ground-based augmentation system receiver that receives a ground-based signal from a ground-based transmitter associated with the airport, wherein the ground-based signal includes geographical information associated with the airport. The SVS further includes a computer processor that retrieves the topographical information from the topographical database based on the geographical position of the aircraft, that retrieves the geographical information associated with the airport, and that corrects the topographical information using the geographical information associated with the airport to generate corrected topographical information. Still further, the SVS includes a display device that renders three-dimensional synthetic imagery of environs of the aircraft based on the corrected topographical information.

First claim

1 . An aircraft synthetic vision display system comprising:
a topographical database comprising topographical information relating to an airport; a global positioning system receiver that receives a satellite signal from a global positioning satellite to determine a geographical position of the aircraft; a ground-based augmentation system receiver that receives a ground-based signal from a ground-based transmitter associated with the airport, wherein the ground-based augmentation system receiver receives the ground-based signal from a local area augmentation system associated with the airport, wherein the ground-based signal comprises a very-high frequency data broadcast (VDB) signal, wherein the VDB signal comprises: geographical information associated with the airport, message Type 4 information comprising final approach segment information associated with an approach to a runway at the airport, and runway occupancy status information; a computer processor that retrieves the topographical information from the topographical database based on the geographical position of the aircraft, that retrieves the geographical information associated with the airport, that validates the topographical information using the geographical information associated with the airport, and that corrects the topographical information using the geographical information associated with the airport to generate corrected topographical information; and a display device that renders three-dimensional synthetic imagery of environs of the aircraft based on the corrected topographical information, the three-dimensional synthetic imagery further comprising a graphical rendering of the runway at the airport, the final approach segment based on the message Type 4 information, and an aircraft symbol on the runway based on the runway occupancy status information.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the topographical database comprises a terrain database that comprises terrain information associated with the airport.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the topographical database comprises a navigation database that comprises navigational information for navigational routing and procedures associated with the airport.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the topographical database comprises a runway database that comprises runway information associated with the airport.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the topographical database comprises an obstacle database that comprises obstacle information concerning obstacles in the vicinity of the airport.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a multi-mode receiver comprises the global positioning system receiver and the ground-based augmentation system receiver.

7 . (canceled)

8 . (canceled)

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the topographical information comprises an error or a bias that causes a feature of the airport to be indicated at a geographical location other than its true geographical location.

10 . (canceled)

11 . A method of operating a synthetic vision system of an aircraft comprising the steps of:
receiving a satellite signal from a global positioning satellite to determine a geographical position of the aircraft; receiving a ground-based signal from a ground-based transmitter associated with the airport, wherein the ground-based signal comprises a very-high frequency data broadcast (VDB) signal, wherein the VDB signal comprises: geographical information associated with the airport, message Type 4 information comprising final approach segment information associated with an approach to a runway at the airport, and runway occupancy status information; using a computer processor:
retrieving topographical information from based on the geographical position of the aircraft,
retrieving the geographical information associated with the airport,
validating the topographical information using the geographical information associated with the airport, and
correcting the topographical information using the geographical information associated with the airport to generate corrected topographical information; and
rendering three-dimensional synthetic imagery of environs of the aircraft based on the corrected topographical information, the three-dimensional synthetic imagery further comprising a geographical rendering of the runway at the airport, the final approach segment based on the message Type 4 information, and an aircraft symbol on the runway based on the runway occupancy status information.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving topographical information comprises receiving terrain information associated with the airport.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving topographical information comprises receiving navigational information for navigational routing and procedures associated with the airport.

14 . (canceled)

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving topographical information comprises receiving obstacle information concerning obstacles in the vicinity of the airport.

16 . (canceled)

17 . (canceled)

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving the topographical information comprises receiving topographical information that comprises an error or a bias that causes a feature of the airport to be indicated at a geographical location other than its true geographical location.

19 . (canceled)

20 . An aircraft synthetic vision display system comprising:
a plurality of topographical database comprising topographical information relating to an airport, wherein the plurality of topographical databases comprise at least a terrain database that comprises terrain information associated with the airport, a navigation database that comprises navigational information for navigational routing and procedures associated with the airport, a runway database that comprises runway information associated with the airport, and an obstacle database that comprises obstacle information concerning obstacles in the vicinity of the airport, and wherein the topographical information comprises an error or bias that causes a feature of the airport to be indicated at a geographical location other than its true geographical location. a multi-mode receiver comprising a plurality of receiver functionalities comprising at least a global positioning system receiver that receives a satellite signal from a global positioning satellite to determine a geographical position of the aircraft and a very-high frequency data broadcast receiver that receives a ground-based signal from a local area augmentation system transmitter associated with the airport, wherein the ground-based signal comprises a Type 4 message including geographical information associated with the airport that comprises final approach segment geographical information pertaining to a runway of the airport and runway occupancy status information; a computer processor that retrieves the topographical information from the topographical database based on the geographical position of the aircraft, that retrieves the geographical information associated with the airport, that validates the topographical information using the geographical information associated with the airport, and that corrects the topographical information using the geographical information associated with the airport to generate corrected topographical information; and a display device that renders three-dimensional synthetic imagery of environs of the aircraft based on the corrected topographical information, wherein the three-dimensional synthetic imagery comprises a

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Wang Guoqing
• Zhang Bin
• Du Lin

Classifications

• G08G5/723

  from the aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/74

  for monitoring terrain · CPC title

• G08G5/54

  for approach or landing · CPC title

• G08G5/26

  Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations · CPC title

• G08G5/21

  located onboard the aircraft · CPC title