Aircraft navigational systems and methods for creating navigational guidepoints

An aircraft navigational system comprising:

• a. input means:
• 1. for entering information defining a selected distance from a selected geographical fix, and
• 2. for outputting a navigational distance signal defining said selected distance from said selected geographical fix;
• b. computer means, including a memory, responsive to said navigational distance signal and arranged to:
• 1. provide a first informational signal indicating geographical locations of a plurality of predetermined selected guidepoints which define a navigational route, and
• 2. respond to said navigational distance signal and to provide a second informational signal indicating a point of intersection of said navigational route with a navigational point which is located from said selected geographical fix at said selected distance in order to define a new guidepoint at said point of intersection, and
• 3. store data defining the geographical location of said new guidepoint in said memory.

A method for creating an aircraft navigational guidepoint comprising the steps of:

• a. establishing a plurality of navigational guide points which define a navigational route, each guidepoint defined by a known geographical location, and generating a first informational signal indicating the geographical location;
• b. providing information defining at least one navigational point which is a selected distance from a selected geographic fix so as to intersect at a point of intersection a segment of the navigational route, the segment defined by two of the guidepoints, the point of intersection of the navigational point with the navigational route defining a new navigational guidepoint, and generating a second informational signal indicating the point of intersection;
• and
• c. transmitting the first and second information signals to visual display means to provide an informational display of data for navigating relative to the new navigational guidepoint.

An aircraft navigational system comprising:

• a. receiver means:
• 1. for receiving electronic navigational signals from a selected navigational station, and
• 2. for outputting a navigational radial signal defining a selected navigational radial of said navigational station;
• b. input means for inputting a navigational distance defining a selected navigational distance from said navigational station and for outputting a navigational distance signal which is representative of said navigational distance;
• c. computer means responsive to said navigational radial signal and to said navigational distance signal, and arranged to (i) respond to said navigational radial signal and to said navigational distance signal, and (ii) to provide an informational signal indicating a point of intersection of said navigational distance with said navigational radial to define a new guidepoint;
• and
• d. informational display means responsive to said informational signal to provide an informational display of the geographical locations of said navigational radial, said navigational distance and said point of intersection, the geographical locations of said navigational radial, said navigational distance, and said point of intersection being displayed as symbols on a cartographic display, said navigational distance displayed as an arc having a center coincident with said navigational station and having a radius equal to said navigational distance, and said navigational radial being displayed as a line segment orginating inside said arc and intersecting said circle at said point of intersection.

A method for creating aircraft navigational guidepoints comprising the steps of:

• a. receiving navigational signals from a selected navigational station;
• b. selecting a radial of the navigational station to intersect with a selected distance from the navigational station at a point of intersection, the point of intersection of the navigational station radial with the navigational station distance defining a new navigational guidepoint, and generating an informational signal indicating the point of intersection;
• and
• c. providing the information signal to visual display means to display the geographical locations of the navigational station radial, navigational station distance and the point of intersection as symbols on a cartographic display, the navigational distance displayed as a circle having a center coincident with the geographical location and having a radius equal to the navigational distance, and the navigational radial being displayed as a line segment originating inside said arc and intersecting said are at the point of intersection.

An aircraft navigational system comprising:

• a. input means
• 1. for manually entering information by an aircrew including (i) navigational distance data defining a selected distance from a selected geographical fix, and (ii) navigational radial data defining a selected bearing from said selected geographical fix, and
• 2. for outputting a navigational distance signal defining said selected distance from said geographical fix and a navigational radial signal defining said bearing from said selected geographical fix;
• b. computer means responsive to said navigational distance signal and to said navigational radial signal, and arranged to respond to said navigational radial signal and to said navigational distance signal, and to provide an informational signal indicating a point of intersection of said navigational distance with said navigational radial to define a new guidepoint;
• and
• c. informational display means responsive to said informational signal to provide an informational display of the geographical locations of said navigational radial, said navigational distance and said point of intersection, said navigational radial, said navigational distance, said navigational distance being displayed as an arc having a center coincident with said selected geographical location and having a radius equal to said navigational distance, and said navigational radial being displayed as a line segment originating within the arc and intersecting the arc at the point of intersection.

A method of creating aircraft navigational guidepoints comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a navigational distance signal defining a selected distance from a selected geographical fix;
• b. providing a navigational radial signal defining a selected bearing from the selected geographical fix;
• c. outputting a navigational distance signal defining the selected distance from the geographical fix and a navigational radial defining the bearing from the selected geographical fix;
• d. responding to the navigational radial signal and to the navigational distance signal, and providing and informational signal indicating a point of intersection of the navigational distance with the navigational radial to serve as a new guidepoint;
• and
• e. responding to the informational signal to provide a cartographic display of the geographical locations of the navigational radial, the navigational distance and the point of intersection, the navigational distance signal being displayed as a circle having a center coincident with the selected geographical fix and having a radius equal to the navigational distance, the navigational radial being displayed as a line originating within the circle and intersecting the circle at the point of intersection.

An aircraft navigational system for locating and displaying a circle defining a selected navigational distance from a selected geographical location, said navigational system comprising:

• a. input means
• 1. for inputting said selected navigational distance from said selected geographical location, and
• 2. for outputting a navigational distance signal defining said selected distance from said selected geographical location;
• b. computer means responsive to said navigational distance signal and characterized in that
• 1. said computer means is predisposed to provide a first information signal indicating the geographical locations of a plurality of points forming an arcuate path which define a portion of a projected route of aircraft flight, said computer means responding to inputs, including (i) a first selected geographic locational input defining a starting point of said arcuate path, (ii) a second selected geographic locational input defining an ending point of said arcuate path, (iii) a radius input defining a radius of said arcuate path having a center coincident with said selected geographical location, (iv) a subtended angle input defining an angle subtended by said arcuate path between said starting point and said ending point, and (v) initial course input defining an initial direction of said arcuate path from said first selected geographical location, to provide said first informational signal;
• 2. said computer means further comprising means to provide a second informational signal indicating the geographical locations of a plurality of points defining a circle having a center coincident with said selected geographical location, and having a radius equal to said selected navigational distance, said circle representing a constant omnidirectional distance from said selected geographical location, said computer means defining said initial course as zero when the subtended angle is a value of 360.degree. and defining said initial course as 180.degree. when said subtended angle is a value of -360.degree., said computer means responding to inputs comprising (i) a third geographical locational input defining a starting point and ending point of said circle, and (ii) a radius input defining the radius of said circle, to provide said second informational signal;
• and
• c. informational display means responsive to said second informational signal to provide a cartographic display of said circle.

A method of navigating an aircraft comprising the steps of:

• a. establishing a plurality of navigational guidepoints which define a navigational route, each guidepoint defined by a known geographical location, and generating a first informational signal indicating the geographical locations of the navigational guidepoints;
• b. receiving navigational signals from a selected navigational station;
• c. selecting a navigational station radial to intersect at a first point of intersection a segment of the navigational route, the segment defined by two of the guidepoints, the point of intersection of the navigational radial with the navigational route defining a new navigational guidepoint, and generating a second information signal indicating the point of intersection;
• d. determining the geographical location of the point of intersection by
• 1. determining the position of the selected navigational radial between two of the guidepoints, and
• 2. measuring a distance along the navigational route between the navigational radial and at least one of the two guidepoints;
• e. providing the first and second informational signals to visual display means to display the geographic locations of the navigational guidepoints and the new guidepoint;
• and
• f. navigating an aircraft relative to the new navigational guidepoint by monitoring the visual display means.

A method of navigating an aircraft comprising the steps of:

• a. establishing a plurality of navigational guidepoints which define a navigational route, each guidepoint defined by a known geographical location, and generating a first informational signal indicating the geographical locations;
• b. providing information defining a selected distance from a selected geographic fix to intersect a segment of the navigational route at a point of intersection, the segment defined by two of the navigational guidepoints, the point of intersection of the navigational distance with the navigational route defining a new navigational guidepoint, and generating a second informational signal indicating the point of intersection which defines the new navigational guidepoint;
• c. transmitting the first and second informational signals to visual display means to provide an informational display of data for navigating relative to the point of intersection;
• and
• d. navigating an aircraft relative to the point of intersection by monitoring the visual display means.

A method of navigating an aircraft comprising the steps of:

• a. receiving navigational signals from a selected navigational station;
• b. selecting a radial of the navigational station to intersect with a selected distance from the navigational station at a point of intersection, the point of intersection of the navigational station radial with the navigational station distance defining a new navigational guidepoint, and generating an information signal indicating the point of intersection;
• c. providing the informational signal to visual display means to display the geographical locations of the navigational station radial, navigational station distance and the point of intersection as symbols on a cartographic display, the navigational distance being displayed as a circle having a center coincident with the selected geographical location and having a radius equal to the navigational distance, and the navigational radial being displayed as a line beginning at the center of the circle and intersecting the circle at the point of intersection;
• and
• d. navigating an aircraft relative to the point of intersection by monitoring the visual display means.

A method of navigating an aircraft comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a navigational distance signal defining a selected distance from a selected geographical fix;
• b. providing a navigational radial signal defining a selected bearing from the selected geographical fix;
• c. outputting a navigational distance signal defining the selected distance from the geographical fix and a navigational radial signal defining the bearing from the selected geographical fix;
• d. responding to the navigational radial signal and to the navigational distance signal, and providing an informational signal indicating a point of intersection of the navigational distance with the navigational radial to serve as a new guidepoint;
• e. responding to the informational signal to provide a cartographic display of the geographical locations of the navigational radial, the navigational distance and the point of intersection, the navigational distance signal displayed as a circle having a center coincident with the selected geographical fix and having a radius equal to the navigational distance, the navigational radial being displayed as a line beginning within the circle and intersecting the circle at the point of intersection;
• and
• f. navigating an aircraft relative to the point of intersection by monitoring the visual display means.

An aircraft navigational system comprising:

• a. input means:
• 1. for entering information defining a selected navigational radial from a selected geographical fix, and
• 2. for outputting a navigational signal defining said selected navigational radial;
• b. computer means, including a memory, responsive to said selected navigational signal and arranged to:
• 1. provide a first informational signal indicating geographic locations of a plurality of selected guidepoints which define a navigational route,
• 2. respond to said navigational signal and provide a second informational signal indicating a point of intersection of said navigational route with said navigational radial to define a geographic location of a new guidepoint,
• 3. determine the geographic location of said new guidepoint by (i) determing the position of said selected navigational radial between two of said selected guidepoints, and (ii) measuring a distance along said navigational route between said point of intersection and at least one of said two selected guidepoints, and
• 4. storing data defining the geographical location of said new guidepoint in said memory.

A method for creating aircraft navigational guidepoints comprising the steps of:

• a. establishing a plurality of navigational guidepoints which form a navigational route, each guidepoint defined by a known geographical location, and generating a first informational signal indicating the geopgraphical locations of the navigational guidepoints;
• b. receiving navigational signals from a selected navigational station;
• c. selecting a navigational station radial to intersect at a first point of intersection a segment of the navigational route, the segment defined by two of the guidepoints, the point of intersection of the navigational radial with the navigational route defining a new navigational guidepoint;
• d. determining a geographical location of the new guidepoint by
• 1. determining the bearing of the selected navigational radial with respect to the bearing of at least one of the selected guidepoints, and
• 2. measuring the position of the navigational radial with respect to the selected one guidepoint;
• e. generating a second informational signal indicating the point of intersection;
• and
• f. providing the first and second informational signals to visual display means to display the geographical locations of the navigational guidepoints and the new guidepoint.