Method for presenting spatial attitude and heading information of a vehicle

An artificial spatial attitude and heading indicator for a vehicle including a 2D display, an inertial reference system, a computer and a graphical software for treating data provided by the inertial reference system and for preparing elements and information to be displayed, wherein the graphical software is a part of an avionic system for carrying out these steps:

• using the computer and graphical software for treating the data and defining 3D graphical elements,
• depicting the 3D graphical elements on the 2D display,
• presenting attitude and heading information of the vehicle on the 2D display by associating the information to at least one 3D graphical element,
• depicting a first graphical element as a transparent sphere representing a fixed reference system with respect to the inertial reference system for the movement of the vehicle, the sphere including longitudinal and lateral markings on its surface representing direction and orientation references, an upper half sphere representing the sky, and a lower half sphere representing the ground,
• projecting movable heading information in response to variations in heading on the surface of the sphere,
• using a second graphical element which is fixed with respect of the vehicle, representing a 3D reference symbol of the vehicle and/or main axes of the vehicle and/or an orientation plane of the vehicle,
• placing the 3D reference symbol in the sphere,
• moving the 3D reference symbol inside the fixed sphere with regard to the vehicle's movement in the inertial reference system,
• depicting the graphical elements in a vehicle external observer viewing mode, and
• using for the 3D reference symbol an additional half sphere placed inside the sphere and whose plane surface constitutes the orientation plane comprising a vehicle representation.