System and method for determining and displaying optimized aircraft energy level

A system for displaying optimized aircraft energy level to a flight crew, comprising:

• a display device coupled to receive image rendering display commands and configured, upon receipt thereof, to render various images;
• and
• a processor coupled to receive flight plan data and aircraft data and configured to:
• process the flight plan data to determine the optimized aircraft energy level along a descent profile of the aircraft from cruise altitude down to aircraft destination,
• continuously process the aircraft data to continuously determine, in real-time, an actual aircraft energy level,
• continuously compare the actual aircraft energy level of the aircraft to the optimized aircraft energy level, and
• supply image rendering display commands to the display device that cause the display device to render an image that indicates (i) the optimized aircraft energy level, (ii) how the actual aircraft energy level differs from the optimized aircraft energy level, and (iii) how the actual aircraft energy level is trending relative to the optimized aircraft energy level,
• wherein:
• the image is rendered as a numbered energy scale having a middle position, a left end, and a right end,
• a “0” is rendered at the middle position and represents the optimized aircraft energy level,
• increasing magnitude positive numbers are rendered left of the middle position to indicate a relative amount by which the aircraft actual energy level differs from the optimized aircraft energy level in an over-energy condition, and
• increasing magnitude negative numbers are rendered right of the middle position to indicate a relative amount by which the aircraft actual energy level differs from the optimized aircraft energy level in an under-energy condition.

A system for displaying optimized aircraft energy level to a flight crew, comprising:

• an aircraft speed sensor configured to sense aircraft speed and supply an aircraft speed signal representative thereof;
• an aircraft altitude sensor configured to sense aircraft altitude and supply an aircraft altitude signal representative thereof,
• a display device coupled to receive image rendering display commands and configured, upon receipt thereof, to render various images;
• and
• a processor coupled to receive flight plan data, the aircraft speed signal, and the aircraft altitude signal, the processor configured to:
• process the flight plan data to determine the optimized aircraft energy level along a descent profile of the aircraft from cruise altitude down to aircraft destination,
• continuously process the sensed aircraft speed to determine the actual aircraft kinetic energy level,
• continuously process the sensed aircraft altitude to determine the actual aircraft potential energy level
• continuously compare the actual aircraft energy level of the aircraft to the optimized aircraft energy level,
• continuously sum the actual aircraft kinetic energy level and the actual aircraft potential energy level to determine the actual aircraft energy level, and
• supply image rendering display commands to the display device that cause the display device to:
• render an image that indicates (i) the optimized aircraft energy level, (ii) how the actual aircraft energy level differs from the optimized aircraft energy level, and (iii) how the actual aircraft energy level is trending relative to the optimized aircraft energy level, and
• render one or more visual cues that indicate actions the flight crew could take to converge the actual aircraft energy level toward the optimized aircraft energy level,
• wherein:
• the image is rendered as a numbered energy scale having a middle position, a left end, and a right end,
• a “0” is rendered at the middle position and represents the optimized aircraft energy level,
• increasing magnitude positive numbers are rendered left of the middle position to indicate a relative amount by which the aircraft actual energy level differs from the optimized aircraft energy level in an over-energy condition, and
• increasing magnitude negative numbers are rendered right of the middle position to indicate a relative amount by which the aircraft actual energy level differs from the optimized aircraft energy level in an under-energy condition.