System, apparatus, and method for presenting a monochrome image of terrain on a head-up display unit

An apparatus for presenting a monochrome image of terrain on a head-up display unit, such apparatus comprising:

• an input communications interface configured to facilitate the receiving of navigation and terrain data by an image generating processor;
• the image generating processor configured to
• receive navigation data corresponding to aircraft position and orientation;
• receive terrain data from a database, where
• the terrain data corresponds to the navigation data;
• generate an image data set as a function of the terrain data and color intensity data, where
• the image data set is representative of a non-wireframe, single color perspective of the terrain scene outside the aircraft, where
• the perspective has the visual appearance of a three-dimensional, lighted solid terrain image formed by varying the brightness of the single color, and
• the color intensity data is comprised of shading effect data, such that
• changes in terrain elevation or terrain contours are indicated by varied brightnesses of the single color, whereby
• darker and lighter areas of the three-dimensional, lighted solid terrain image comprised of the varied brightnesses correlate to greater and lesser transparencies of a head-up display unit, respectively;
• and
• provide the image data set to an output communications interface;
• and
• the output communications interface configured to facilitate the providing of the image data set to the head-up display unit.

A method for presenting a monochrome image of terrain on a head-up display unit, such method comprising:

• receiving navigation data corresponding to aircraft position and orientation;
• receiving terrain data from a database, where
• the terrain data corresponds to the navigation data;
• generating an image data set as a function of the terrain data and color intensity data, where
• the image data set is representative of a non-wireframe, single color perspective of the terrain scene outside the aircraft, where
• the perspective has the visual appearance of a three-dimensional, lighted solid terrain image formed by varying the brightness of the single color, and
• the color intensity data is comprised of shading effect data, such that
• changes in terrain elevation or terrain contours are indicated by varied brightnesses of the single color, whereby
• darker and lighter areas of the three-dimensional, lighted solid terrain image comprised of the varied brightnesses correlate to greater and lesser transparencies of a head-up display unit, respectively;
• and
• providing the image data set to the head-up display unit, whereby
• the perspective represented in the image data set is displayed.