Traffic advisory-instantaneous vertical speed display

A display for presenting symbolically to an aircraft flight crew the traffic advisory and resolution advisory information developed by a Traffic Advisory and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) computer aboard an aircraft, comprising:

• an electronic display panel
• an instantaneous vertical speed sensor aboard the aircraft, said sensor providing output data containing rate of climb or descent information for the aircraft;
• first means receiving output data from said TCAS computer for controlling said display panel to present thereon a first display indicating the locations of other aircraft relative to the aircraft, said other aircraft being characterized by particular symbols in accordance with their degree of collision threat to the aircraft,
• second means receiving output data from said instantaneous vertical speed sensor for controlling said display panel to present thereon a second display indicating the vertical speed of the aircraft, said second display being located in an area of said panel adjacent said first display;
• and
• third means receiving output data from said TCAS computer for controlling said display panel to cause said second display to indicate vertical speeds of the aircraft which comply with a particular resolution advisory generated by said TCAS computer,
• said second display including a scale of climb and descent rates and a pointer, the information content of said sensory output data being indicated by the position of said pointer along said scale, said third means controlling said display panel to cause illumination of the backgrounds of different portions of said scale with light of contrasting colors in accordance with resolution advisories generated by said TCAS computer, wherein said first display is presented in PPI format and said second display is laid out about the outer periphery of said first display.