# US 9,437,112 B1 · Depiction of relative motion of air traffic via an air traffic display > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,437,112 B1 - Document ID: US9437112B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/737,260 - Filed: 2015-06-11 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-11 - Assignees: Garmin International, Inc. - Applicants: Philip A. Greene - Inventors: Philip A. Greene - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437112B1 ## CPC - G08G 5/21: located onboard the aircraft - G08G 5/25: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft - G08G 5/53: for cruising - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/723: {from the aircraft} - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract Techniques are described that allow an air traffic display of an aircraft to display the relative motion of air traffic proximate to the aircraft. The air traffic display may be switched between a first display mode in which absolute motion of air traffic is displayed (e.g., motion of air traffic targets relative to a fixed point on the earth's surface or relative to an apparently fixed celestial point is displayed) and a second display mode in which motion of air traffic targets is displayed relative to the aircraft. The techniques further facilitate the selection of individual traffic targets from a displayed traffic depiction to activate a third display mode in which additional information about the relative motion of the selected target, such as its estimated closest point of approach (CPA) to the aircraft and the estimated time it will take the selected target to reach the CPA are shown. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated avionics system configured for implementation in an aircraft, the integrated avionics system comprising: a display device configured to furnish an air traffic display depicting air traffic surrounding the aircraft; and an avionics unit communicatively coupled with the display device, the avionics unit including: a memory operable to store one or more modules; and a processor coupled with the memory, the processor operable to execute the one or more modules to: access traffic information corresponding to an air traffic target; generate an air traffic target icon using the accessed traffic information, the target icon indicating the absolute heading of the air traffic target; generate a relative motion vector using the accessed traffic information, the relative motion vector indicating the relative heading of the air traffic target with respect to the aircraft; and control the display to present the target icon and relative motion vector so that the relative motion vector extends from the target icon. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the accessed traffic information is based upon dynamically received data from at least one of: an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system; a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS); and a Traffic Information Services-Broadcast (TIS-B) system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate target icons and corresponding relative motion vectors for a plurality of air traffic targets. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the target icon presents a chevron shape with the apex of the chevron indicating the absolute heading of the target. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the relative motion vector is a line extending from the chevron. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the display indicates the location of the aircraft in relation to the target icon. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system. ### Claim 8 An integrated avionics system configured for implementation in an aircraft, the integrated avionics system comprising: a display device configured to furnish an air traffic display depicting air traffic surrounding the aircraft; and an avionics unit communicatively coupled with the display device, the avionics unit including: a memory operable to store one or more modules; and a processor coupled with the memory, the processor operable to execute the one or more modules to: access traffic information corresponding to an air traffic target; generate an air traffic target icon using the accessed traffic information, the target icon comprising a chevron shape where the apex of the chevron indicates the absolute heading of the air traffic target; generate a relative motion vector using the accessed traffic information, the relative motion vector indicating the relative heading of the air traffic target with respect to the aircraft; and control the display to present the target icon and relative motion vector so that the relative motion vector extends from the chevron-shaped target icon. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the accessed traffic information is based upon dynamically received data from at least one of: an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system; a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS); and a Traffic Information Services-Broadcast (TIS-B) system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the display indicates the location of the aircraft in relation to the target icon. ### Claim 11 A method for furnishing an air traffic display depicting air traffic within a monitored airspace surrounding an aircraft comprising: dynamically receiving and aggregating air traffic information describing the location of at least one air traffic target within the monitored airspace; generating an air traffic target icon using the traffic information, the target icon comprising a chevron shape where the apex of the chevron indicates the absolute heading of the air traffic target; generating a relative motion vector using the accessed traffic information, the relative motion vector indicating the relative heading of the air traffic target with respect to the aircraft; and controlling a display to present the target icon and relative motion vector so that the relative motion vector extends from the chevron-shaped target icon. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step of dynamically receiving and aggregating data comprises: dynamically receiving and aggregating data from: an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system; a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS); and a Traffic Information Services-Broadcast (TIS-B) system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising controlling the display to indicate the location of the aircraft in relation to the target icon.