US 8,786,467 B2 · Methods and systems for filtering traffic information for display

Abstract

A method and a system for displaying an airport or runway moving map with traffic information on a display screen in the cockpit or flight deck of an aircraft. Symbology representing surface and near-surface aircraft and surface vehicle traffic and associated traffic data are filtered to prevent or limit clutter on the display screen. Traffic symbology is automatically and manually filtered to display only relevant traffic. Traffic data is selectively displayed and displayed as/when relevant or needed. The displayed traffic information may be derived from automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, traffic information system-broadcast, automatic dependent surveillance-rebroadcast, traffic collision avoidance system or other source.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method for displaying traffic information on a moving map presented in a cockpit or flight deck of an airplane on a runway at an airport, comprising:

(a) storing data defining a respective ground runway operating zone and a respective ground relevant runway zone for each runway at the airport, wherein each of said ground runway operating zones overlaps with and extends beyond a respective runway and each of said ground relevant runway zones overlaps with and extends beyond a respective ground runway operating zone;
(b) receiving data indicative of the airplane's current location;
(c) receiving data indicative of a respective current location of one or more other vehicles at the airport;
(d) determining which of the other vehicles are ground traffic but not ground runway traffic and which of the other vehicles are ground runway traffic based on the current locations of the one or more other vehicles and the data defining the ground runway operating zones, the ground runway traffic being a subset of the ground traffic that includes traffic within said ground runway operating zones;
(e) monitoring at least one of a speed, heading and track of the airplane;
(f) when the airplane has a speed less than a threshold, displaying symbols representing the airplane and ground traffic at the airport on a moving map, each symbol representing a respective other vehicle of the ground traffic being positioned on said moving map to reflect at least one of respective location, heading and track of the respective other vehicle of the ground traffic relative to the location of the airplane;
and
(g) when the airplane reaches a speed greater than said threshold, ceasing display of the symbols representing vehicles of the ground traffic which are not ground runway traffic.

5 more elements

A system for displaying traffic information on a moving map presented in a cockpit or flight deck of an airplane on a runway at an airport, comprising:

a display screen on which the moving map is displayed;
a settable traffic switch which can be set to only one of a plurality of states, said plurality of states comprising first and second states;
and
a computer system programmed to perform the following operations:
(a) retrieving data defining a respective ground runway operating zone and a respective ground relevant runway zone for each runway at the airport, wherein each of said ground runway operating zones overlaps with and extends beyond a respective runway and each of said ground relevant runway zones overlaps with and extends beyond a respective ground runway operating zone;
(b) receiving data indicative of the state of said traffic switch;
(c) receiving data indicative of at least one of the airplane's current location, speed, heading and track;
(d) receiving data indicative of at least one of a respective current location, speed, heading and track of one or more other vehicles at the airport;
(e) when said traffic switch is set to said first state, controlling said display screen to display symbols representing the airplane and ground traffic at the airport on a moving map, each symbol representing a respective other vehicle of the ground traffic being positioned on said moving map to reflect at least one of a respective location, heading, track, and speed of a respective other vehicle of the ground traffic relative to the location of the airplane;
and
(f) when said traffic switch is set to said second state, controlling said display screen to cease display of the symbols representing vehicles of the ground traffic which are not ground runway traffic on said moving map, wherein the ground runway traffic includes traffic within said ground runway operating zones.

8 more elements

A system for displaying traffic information on a moving map presented in a cockpit or flight deck of an airplane on a runway at an airport, comprising a display screen and a computer system programmed to perform the following operations:

(a) retrieving data defining a respective ground runway operating zone and a respective ground relevant runway zone for each runway at the airport, wherein each of said ground runway operating zones overlaps with and extends beyond a respective runway and each of said ground relevant runway zones overlaps with and extends beyond a respective ground runway operating zone;
(b) receiving data indicative of the airplane's current location;
(c) receiving data indicative of a respective current location of one or more other vehicles at the airport;
(d) determining which of the other vehicles are ground traffic but not ground runway traffic and which of the other vehicles are ground runway traffic based on the current locations of the one or more other vehicles and further based on the data defining the ground runway operating zones, the ground runway traffic being a subset of the ground traffic that includes traffic within said ground runway operating zones;
(e) monitoring at least one of a speed, heading and track of the airplane;
(f) when the airplane has a speed greater than a threshold, controlling said display screen to display symbols representing the airplane and vehicles of the ground traffic at the airport which are ground runway traffic on a moving map and to not display symbols representing vehicles of the ground traffic which are not ground runway traffic on said moving map;
and
(g) when the speed of the airplane decreases to less than said threshold, controlling said display screen to additionally display symbols representing vehicles of the ground traffic which are not ground runway traffic on said moving map, wherein each symbol representing a respective vehicle of the ground traffic is positioned on said moving map to reflect at least one of respective location, heading and track of the respective vehicle of the ground traffic relative to the location of the airplane.

5 more elements

(a) retrieving data defining a respective ground runway operating zone and a respective ground relevant runway zone for each runway at the airport, wherein each of said ground runway operating zones overlaps with and extends beyond a respective runway and each of said ground relevant runway zones overlaps with and extends beyond a respective ground runway operating zone;
(b) receiving data indicative of the airplane's current location;
(c) receiving data indicative of a respective current location of one or more other vehicles at the airport;
(d) determining which of the other vehicles are ground traffic but not ground runway traffic and which of the other vehicles are ground runway traffic based on the current locations of the one or more other vehicles and the data defining the ground runway operating zones, the ground runway traffic being a subset of the ground traffic that includes traffic within said ground runway operating zones;
(e) monitoring a speed, heading and track of the airplane;
(f) when the airplane has a speed less than a threshold, controlling a display, screen to display symbols representing the airplane and ground runway traffic at the airport and traffic data associated with the respective other vehicles on a moving map, each symbol representing a respective other vehicle of the ground runway traffic being positioned on said moving map to reflect at least one of respective location, heading and track of the respective other vehicle of the ground runway traffic relative to the location of the airplane;
and
(g) when the airplane reaches a speed greater than said threshold, controlling said display screen to cease display of said traffic data associated with the symbols representing the other vehicles on said moving map.

5 more elements

A method for displaying traffic information on a moving map presented on a vehicle that is moving on the ground within an area, comprising:

(a) storing data defining a plurality of first zones within an area;
(b) storing data defining a plurality of second zones within said area, each of said second zones overlapping with and extending beyond a respective one of said first zones;
(c) receiving data indicative of at least one of the moving vehicle's location, heading, track, and speed within said area;
(d) receiving data indicative of at least one of a respective location, identity and groundspeed of one or more other vehicles within said area;
(e) prior to entry of the moving vehicle into one of the second zones, displaying symbols representing the vehicle and other vehicles located within said area and traffic data associated with the respective other vehicles on a moving map, each symbol representing a respective other vehicle being positioned on said moving map to reflect at least one of a respective location, heading, track, and speed of the respective other vehicle relative to the location of the moving vehicle, and the traffic data including respective vehicle identifiers in proximity with at least some of said symbols representing other vehicles and not including respective groundspeed datum for each of the other vehicles;
(f) determining whether the moving vehicle has entered one of the second zones;
(g) if the moving vehicle has entered one of the second zones, determining whether any of the other vehicles are located within the first zone associated with the second zone entered by the moving vehicle at a time of said entry;
and
(h) if any of the other vehicles are located within the first zone associated with the second zone entered by the moving vehicle at the time of said entry, displaying a respective groundspeed datum for each of the other vehicles located within the first zone associated with the second zone entered by the moving vehicle at the time of said entry.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and systems for filtering traffic information for display

Life of this patent

Methods and systems for filtering traffic information for display

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16