Patent Description:
Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate generally to flight deck systems. More particularly, embodiments of the subject matter relate to a taxi navigation system in an aerial vehicle.

Despite many technological advances, aircraft surface operations continue to be a challenging task for pilots and involves a high workload. The traditional approach of pilot communication with controller for verbal taxi route clearance and subsequent execution can be challenging especially at complex airports. The disorientating experience during surface navigation can be made worse by weather conditions (e.g., fog), time of day (night or bright reflections in sunrise/sunset), confusing signage, or temporary restrictions. Loss of position awareness on the airport surface continues to be a major contributor to runway incursions. Formal incident reports convey that pilots are sometimes reluctant to request progressive taxi instructions from ATC (air traffic control). Operators are seeking cost-effective forward and retrofit solutions to mitigate surface movement incidents and losses.

Hence, it is desirable to provide a taxi navigation system in an aerial vehicle to mitigate surface movement incidents. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Relevant background is disclosed in <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

A flight deck system in an aircraft for providing progressive taxiing guidance to a destination at an aerodrome per taxi clearance information is provided. The flight deck system includes a controller configured to: generate a graphical insert to overlay a small portion (e.g., less than a third) of an active navigation display provided on a display device (e.g., heads down display (HDD), heads up display (HUD), electronic flight bag (EFB), tablet computer) in a cockpit of the aircraft, the graphical insert configured to provide a progressive depiction of upcoming travel surfaces (e.g., runways, taxiways, ramp) on a cleared taxi route using stick characters and alphanumeric characters, the graphical insert comprising a non-linear map with non-linear scaling of an area in front of the aircraft, the non-linear map including a first map section that applies a first scaling factor, a second map section that applies a second scaling factor that is smaller than the first scaling factor, a current travel surface alphanumeric indicator, and a current travel surface stick character that is representative of a current travel surface on which the aircraft travels. The controller is further configured to position, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a crossing travel surface sign representing a crossing travel surface that intersects the current travel surface; position, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a first-turn travel surface stick character representing a first-turn travel surface that intersects the current travel surface, wherein the first-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the current travel surface on the cleared taxi route; position, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a second-turn travel surface stick character representing a second-turn travel surface that intersects the first-turn travel surface, wherein the second-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the first-turn travel surface on the cleared taxi route; update the position of the crossing travel surface sign, the first-turn travel surface stick character, and/or the second-turn travel surface stick character as the aircraft travels on travel surfaces; and cause the graphical insert to be displayed as an overlay over the small portion of the active navigation display provided on the display device while the aircraft travels on travel surfaces.

A method in a flight deck system in an aircraft for providing progressive taxiing guidance to a destination at an aerodrome per taxi clearance information is provided. The method includes: generating a graphical insert to overlay a small portion (e.g., less than a third) of an active navigation display provided on a display device (e.g., heads down display (HDD), heads up display (HUD), electronic flight bag (EFB), tablet computer) in a cockpit of the aircraft, the graphical insert configured to provide a progressive depiction of upcoming travel surfaces (e.g., runways, taxiways, ramp) on a cleared taxi route using stick characters and alphanumeric characters, the graphical insert comprising a non-linear map with non-linear scaling of an area in front of the aircraft, the non-linear map including a first map section that applies a first scaling factor, a second map section that applies a second scaling factor that is smaller than the first scaling factor, a current travel surface alphanumeric indicator, and a current travel surface stick character that is representative of a current travel surface on which the aircraft travels. The method further includes positioning, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a crossing travel surface sign representing a crossing travel surface that intersects the current travel surface; positioning, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a first-turn travel surface stick character representing a first-turn travel surface that intersects the current travel surface, wherein the first-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the current travel surface on the cleared taxi route; positioning, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a second-turn travel surface stick character representing a second-turn travel surface that intersects the first-turn travel surface, wherein the second-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the first-turn travel surface on the cleared taxi route; updating the position of the crossing travel surface sign, the first-turn travel surface stick character, and/or the second-turn travel surface stick character as the aircraft travels on travel surfaces; and causing the graphical insert to be displayed as an overlay over the small portion of the active navigation display provided on the display device while the aircraft travels on travel surfaces.

The subject matter described herein discloses apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles for providing progressive taxi instruction to flight crew by correlating taxi clearance message and airport layout information present in an Aerodrome Mapping Database (AMDB). An existing TAWS/EGPWS unit may be leveraged for hosting the database and the software that generates progressive taxi instructions. The apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles provided herein can rely on using the existing hardware on fielded aircraft without major modifications thereby addressing a large number of in-service aircraft.

The apparatus, systems, techniques and articles provided herein can: allow for voice and visual assisted progressive navigation cues for taxiing per taxi clearance instructions; utilize the EGPWS terrain raster to create a visual display of taxiway related information (graphical and textual); provide a simplified visual method of depicting upcoming taxiways; provide a picture-in-picture insertion of a simplified depiction of taxiways on a display that uses a non-linear scale compared to the rest of the display in order to provide a means to zoom in at the appropriate scale (e.g., most fielded Nav Displays will not zoom down to scales of a <NUM> ft); provide aural and visual caution alerts when the aircraft deviates from the cleared taxi route; provide aural and visual caution (or warning) level alerts when the aircraft taxis onto a surface where it exceeds limits such as weight, wingspan and closed surfaces; and/or provide advisory level visual alerts when approaching runway incursion hotspots or other locations of interest such as parking stands and/or when the aircraft taxi speed has not been sufficiently reduced in anticipation of an upcoming turn.

During a taxi phase, the flight crew may be interested in having awareness of the current taxiway and runway identifier and the upcoming turns/intersections as per the issued taxi clearance. The latter includes, the distance from current location to upcoming turn so as to prepare (e.g., speed reduction) for the turn at the right time, the direction of turn (left/right) and the required change in heading to complete the turn. The apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles provided herein can extract taxi instructions by processing the taxi clearance and airport database in reference to aircraft current location. The combination of graphical and aural instruction can help the flight crew to adhere to the issued clearance. To handle an abnormal scenario, the apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles provided herein can alert the flight crew when the aircraft deviates from an expected route or enters surfaces where limitations such as wingspan or weight are exceeded. The apparatus, systems, techniques and articles provided herein may also be pre-configured to generate aural and/or visual annunciation upon the aircraft reaching specific locations of interest (e.g., low visibility points for position reporting, hold short line before crossing runways, intersections, hotspots, etc.).

<FIG> is a block diagram depicting a high-level system architecture <NUM> for an example taxi navigation system <NUM> in an aerial vehicle (e.g., aircraft). The example system architecture <NUM> includes the example taxi navigation system <NUM>, a cockpit display device <NUM> (e.g., heads down display (HDD), heads up display (HUD), electronic flight bag (EFB), tablet computer, etc.), an aural alert device <NUM> (e.g., a speaker or PA system), a visual alert device <NUM> (e.g., warning light or button), and an aerodrome map database (AMDB) <NUM>. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to provide flight crew in the aerial vehicle with progressive taxiing guidance to a destination at an aerodrome per taxi clearance information during ground operations for the aerial vehicle.

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> includes a controller that is configured to implement taxi navigation software to provide flight crew in the aerial vehicle with progressive taxiing guidance to a destination at an aerodrome per taxi clearance information during ground operations for the aerial vehicle. The controller includes at least one processor and a computer-readable storage device or media encoded with programming instructions (e.g., the taxi navigation software) for configuring the controller. The processor may be any custom-made or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the controller, a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), any combination thereof, or generally any device for executing instructions.

The computer readable storage device or media may include volatile and nonvolatile storage in read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), and keep-alive memory (KAM), for example. KAM is a persistent or non-volatile memory that may be used to store various operating variables while the processor is powered down. The computer-readable storage device or media may be implemented using any of a number of known memory devices such as PROMs (programmable read-only memory), EPROMs (electrically PROM), EEPROMs (electrically erasable PROM), flash memory, or any other electric, magnetic, optical, or combination memory devices capable of storing data, some of which represent executable programming instructions, used by the controller.

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> may be incorporated in an existing flight deck system in the aircraft (e.g., an EGPWS system, an EFB, a tablet computer, or other systems). Alternatively, the example taxi navigation system <NUM> may exist in dedicated hardware on the aircraft. The example taxi navigation system <NUM>, via the controller, is configured to generate a graphical insert <NUM> to overlay a small portion (e.g., less than a third) of an active navigation display <NUM> provided on the display device <NUM> in a cockpit of the aircraft. The graphical insert <NUM> is configured to provide a progressive depiction of upcoming travel surfaces (e.g., runways, taxiways, ramp) on a cleared taxi route using stick characters and alphanumeric characters.

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is also configured to provide an aural alert <NUM> (e.g., advisory, caution, or warning) via the aural alert device <NUM> and a visual alert <NUM> (e.g., advisory, caution, or warning) via the visual alert device <NUM> and/or display device <NUM>. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is also configured to provide an aural alert <NUM> and/or visual alert <NUM> when the aircraft deviates from a cleared taxi route. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to provide an aural alert <NUM> and/or visual alert <NUM> when the aircraft travels onto a surface where the aircraft exceeds a surface limit. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to provide an aural alert <NUM> and/or visual alert <NUM> when the aircraft approaches a location of interest (such as a runway incursion hotspot, a parking stand, or a position reporting location). The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to provide a predictive alert (e.g., an aural alert <NUM> and/or visual alert <NUM>) of a potential alert condition (e.g., missed turn) that may occur based on aircraft travel characteristics (e.g., aircraft speed) derived from aircraft sensor inputs to allow a flight crew member to take appropriate action to avoid a potential alert condition. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to provide a predictive alert (e.g., an aural alert <NUM> and/or visual alert <NUM>) of a potential missed turn when the aircraft is determined to not be decelerating ahead of an upcoming turn as per the taxi clearance information to allow a flight crew member to take appropriate action before missing a turn.

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to receive the taxi clearance information <NUM> from air traffic control (via voice, digital, or manual entry), aircraft sensor inputs <NUM> (e.g., via GPS, IMU data) identifying a location of the aircraft on a travel surface, aerodrome mapping data <NUM> from the AMD <NUM>, and digital ATIS (D-ATIS) and/or digital NOTAMS <NUM> containing the latest conditions at the aerodrome such as temporarily closed runways or taxiways. The taxi clearance information could take a form of (a) clearance sent over datalink (CPDLC) or broadband and received in an avionics communication unit; (b) clearance entered by a pilot on an MCDU unit based on flight crew's radio communication with ATC; or (c) clearance text obtained by converting voice using any suitable speech transcription software. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is further configured to determine from the taxi clearance information <NUM> and the aerodrome mapping data <NUM> a cleared taxi route for the aircraft to follow to reach a cleared aerodrome destination. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is further configured to identify the cleared travel surfaces on the cleared taxi route. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to provide the progressive taxiing instructions using the cleared travel surfaces.

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to determine, using the aircraft sensor inputs, the taxi clearance information, and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft deviates from the cleared taxi route; and provide an aural and/or visual alert (e.g., advisory, caution, or warning) when the aircraft deviates from the cleared taxi route.

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to determine, using the aircraft sensor inputs, the taxi clearance information, and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft travels onto a surface where the aircraft exceeds a surface limit (e.g., one or more of weight, wingspan and the surface is closed to traffic (e.g., from the aerodrome map database, D-ATIS or NOTAMS)); and provide the aural and/or visual alert when the aircraft travels onto the surface where the aircraft exceeds the surface limit.

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to determine, using the aircraft sensor inputs and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft approaches a location of interest (such as a runway incursion hotspot, a parking stand, or a position reporting location); and provide the visual and/or aural alert when the aircraft approaches the location of interest (e.g., provide a pilot with a distance to the position reporting location while approaching).

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> has at least three modes of operation, namely an awareness mode, a navigation mode, and an alerting mode. <FIG> are diagrams depicting example navigation displays, each with a graphical insert for one of the three operating modes provided as a picture-in-picture insert by the example taxi navigation system <NUM>. A runway incursion hotspot may include areas not visible from a control tower and complex geometries at the intersection of surfaces such as crossing runways and taxiways, taxiway/taxiway intersections, taxiway intersection with runway in close proximity to another runway, and others.

<FIG> is a diagram depicting a graphical insert <NUM> for a navigation display <NUM> provided as a picture-in-picture insert by the example taxi navigation system <NUM> when the example taxi navigation system <NUM> operates in an awareness mode. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to cause the graphical insert <NUM> to be displayed as an overlay over a small portion (e.g., less than a third) of the active navigation display <NUM> provided on the display device while the aircraft travels on travel surfaces. The awareness mode is aimed at helping flight crew avoid spatial disorientation while taxiing. At any instant of time, provided graphical and/or aural instruction can help flight crew to know "where I am right now" and "what is ahead of me". The current taxiway <NUM> is depicted in a black square symbol consistent with real-world taxiway signage. This could aid flight crew in navigating against the clearance that was noted based on radio communication with ATC. As an alternate scheme of assisting flight crew, the current runway/taxiway identifier can be annunciated, for example, by press of a button in the flight deck.

The graphical insert <NUM> comprises a non-linear map with non-linear scaling of an area in front of the aircraft represented by an aircraft symbol <NUM>. The non-linear map includes a first map section <NUM> that applies a first scaling factor, a second map section <NUM> that applies a second scaling factor that is smaller than the first scaling factor, a current travel surface alphanumeric indicator <NUM>, and a current travel surface stick character <NUM> that is representative of a current travel surface on which the aircraft travels. The current travel surface stick character <NUM> include tick marks <NUM> and numeric indicators <NUM> indicative of a distance in front of the aircraft in both the first map section <NUM> and the second map section <NUM>. The graphical insert <NUM> further provides one or more travel surface signs <NUM> adjacent to the current travel surface stick character <NUM> for identifying potential upcoming turns (e.g., two travel surface signs for the next two potential upcoming turns wherein the placement (left or right) of a travel surface sign <NUM> relative to travel surface stick character <NUM> indicates the direction (left or right) of the taxiway/runway physical location relative to the travel surface), wherein each travel surface sign <NUM> identifies an upcoming travel surface onto which the aircraft may exit the current travel surface <NUM>. The graphical insert <NUM> is scaled differently to the rest of the navigation display <NUM> to allow depiction at current range selections on the navigation display <NUM>. This mode may rely on a weight-on-wheels input to indicate ground operations and be provided at groundspeeds below <NUM> kts to prevent depiction during the take-off roll.

Also, depicted in <FIG> is an illustration of an aural alert that may be provided by the example taxi navigation system <NUM> when in the awareness mode. In this example, the example taxi navigation system <NUM> provides an aural alert <NUM> indicating that the aircraft is on the "Echo" travel surface.

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to position, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, the crossing travel surface signs <NUM> representing crossing travel surfaces that intersects the current travel surface. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to update the position of the crossing travel surface signs <NUM> as the aircraft travels on travel surfaces. To position the crossing travel surface signs <NUM>, the example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to position, on the graphical insert <NUM>, the crossing travel surface signs <NUM> to intersect the current travel surface stick character <NUM> at the position based on the tick marks and the applicable scaling factor that is proportional to an actual distance of the crossing travel surface to the front of the aircraft, when the crossing travel surface is within the area covered by the non-linear map.

<FIG> is a diagram depicting a graphical insert <NUM> for a navigation display <NUM> provided as a picture-in-picture insert by the example taxi navigation system <NUM> when the example taxi navigation system <NUM> operates in a navigation mode. In the navigation mode, the example taxi navigation system <NUM> correlates taxi clearance (e.g., received CPDLC messages or clearance messages manual keyed in by flight crew using an input device such as the MCDU) and airport layout information to generate progressive taxi instruction. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> determines if the taxi clearance data received from ATC is valid and if valid, determines the aircraft current position with respect to the aerodrome map database. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> also determines the next step to be performed to get to the desired location on the airport surface. The determined next step may be annunciated aurally and is also sent to the display unit, in a graphical insert <NUM>, for example, as a "matchstick representation" using ASCII protocol on a terrain display.

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to cause the graphical insert <NUM> to be displayed as an overlay over a small portion (e.g., a third or less) of the active navigation display <NUM> provided on the display device while the aircraft travels on travel surfaces. The graphical insert <NUM> comprises a non-linear map with non-linear scaling of an area in front of the aircraft represented by an aircraft symbol <NUM>. The non-linear map includes a first map section <NUM> that applies a first scaling factor, a second map section <NUM> that applies a second scaling factor that is smaller than the first scaling factor, a current travel surface alphanumeric indicator <NUM>, and a current travel surface stick character <NUM> that is representative of a current travel surface on which the aircraft travels. The current travel surface stick character <NUM> including tick marks <NUM> and numeric indicators <NUM> indicative of a distance in front of the aircraft in both the first map section <NUM> and the second map section <NUM>. The graphical insert <NUM> further provides travel surface stick characters <NUM>, <NUM> for identifying a plurality of turns (e.g., the next two turns) in the cleared taxi route, and the destination <NUM> for the cleared taxi route.

Also, depicted is an illustration of an aural alert that may be provided by the example taxi navigation system <NUM> when in the navigation mode. In this example, the example taxi navigation system <NUM> provides an aural alert <NUM> indicating that the aircraft is on the "Echo" travel surface and indicating the next turn for the aircraft of the cleared traffic route.

When in the navigation mode, the example taxi navigation system <NUM>, is further configured to provide a predictive alert (e.g., an aural and/or visual alert) of a potential alert condition (e.g., missed turn) that may occur based on aircraft travel characteristics (e.g., aircraft speed) derived from aircraft sensor inputs to allow a flight crew member to take appropriate action to avoid the potential alert condition. When in the navigation mode, the example taxi navigation system <NUM>, is also configured to provide a predictive alert (e.g., an aural and/or visual alert) of a potential missed turn when the aircraft is determined to not be decelerating ahead of an upcoming turn as per the taxi clearance information to allow a flight crew member to take appropriate action before missing the turn.

The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to position, on the graphical insert <NUM> based on an applicable scaling factor, the first-turn travel surface stick character <NUM> representing a first-turn travel surface that intersects the current travel surface, wherein the first-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the current travel surface on the cleared taxi route. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to position, on the graphical insert <NUM> based on an applicable scaling factor, a second-turn travel surface stick character <NUM> representing a second-turn travel surface that intersects the first-turn travel surface, wherein the second-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the first-turn travel surface on the cleared taxi route. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to update the position of the first-turn travel surface stick character <NUM>, and the second-turn travel surface stick character <NUM> as the aircraft travels on travel surfaces.

To position the first-turn travel surface stick character <NUM>, the example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to position, on the graphical insert <NUM>, the first-turn travel surface stick character <NUM> to intersect the current travel surface stick character <NUM> at the position based on the tick marks and the applicable scaling factor that is proportional to an actual distance of the first-turn travel surface to the front of the aircraft, when the first-turn travel surface is within the area covered by the non-linear map. To position the second-turn travel surface stick character <NUM>, the example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to position, on the graphical insert, the second-turn travel surface stick character <NUM> to intersect the first-turn travel surface stick character <NUM> at the position based on the applicable scaling factor that is proportional to an actual distance of an intersecting point between the second-turn travel surface and the first-turn travel surface, when the second-turn travel surface is within the area covered by the non-linear map. Any hold short line that is present between aircraft current location and next intersection or between first intersection and second intersection can also be depicted.

<FIG> is a diagram depicting a graphical insert <NUM> for a navigation display <NUM> provided as a picture-in-picture insert by the example taxi navigation system <NUM> when the example taxi navigation system <NUM> operates in an alerting mode. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> is configured to cause the graphical insert <NUM> to be displayed as an overlay over a small portion (e.g., a third or less) of the active navigation display <NUM> provided on the display device while the aircraft travels on travel surfaces.

The graphical insert <NUM> comprises a non-linear map with non-linear scaling of an area in front of the aircraft represented by an aircraft symbol <NUM>. The non-linear map includes a first map section <NUM> that applies a first scaling factor, a second map section <NUM> that applies a second scaling factor that is smaller than the first scaling factor, a current travel surface alphanumeric indicator <NUM>, a current travel surface stick character <NUM> that is representative of a current travel surface on which the aircraft travels, and the aerodrome destination <NUM> for the cleared taxi route. The current travel surface stick character <NUM> including tick marks <NUM> and numeric indicators <NUM> indicative of a distance in front of the aircraft in both the first map section <NUM> and the second map section <NUM>.

To provide a predictive alert, the example taxi navigation system <NUM> also monitors the speed of the aircraft and alerts if there is a probability of missing an upcoming turn. This will aid in the flight crew correcting the path in a timely manner rather than getting too far to correct the path. The example taxi navigation system <NUM> also generates aural and visual alerts when the pilot deviates from cleared route, violates weight and wingspan limitations, or enters a closed surface (taxiway or runway).

Also, depicted is an illustration of an aural alert that may be provided by the example taxi navigation system <NUM> when in the alerting mode. In this example, the example taxi navigation system <NUM> provides an aural alert <NUM> indicating that the aircraft is on the "Wrong Taxiway". The current travel surface alphanumeric indicator <NUM> may be visually displayed in a manner to indicate that the aircraft is traveling on the wrong travel surface (e.g., displayed in a different color, such as red, to indicate travel surface disagreement). To further gain flight crew attention, the graphical insert <NUM> may cease to display travel surface stick characters for upcoming turns. Additionally, a visual indication <NUM>, such as CHK CLR (for check clearance), may also be presented.

<FIG> is a process flow chart depicting an example process <NUM> in an example taxi navigation system <NUM> for providing progressive taxiing guidance. The order of operation within the process <NUM> is not limited to the sequential execution as illustrated in the figure, but may be performed in one or more varying orders as applicable and in accordance with the present disclosure.

The example process <NUM> includes determining the aircraft intent (e.g., position, heading) (operation <NUM>) and monitoring the current aircraft position with respect to the airport map (operation <NUM>), which can be retrieved from an airport map database <NUM>.

The example process <NUM> includes determining whether a CPDLC message (or other source such as broadband) has been received from a communication management unit (CMU) (decision <NUM>), and if yes at operation <NUM>, parsing the CPDLC message based on the standard representation and inferring the designated route for the destination (operation <NUM>).

If no at operation <NUM>, the example process <NUM> includes determining if the pilot entered a designated route (e.g., through a controller) for the destination received (decision <NUM>). If yes at decision <NUM>, the example process <NUM> includes parsing the pilot entered message and inferring the designated route for the destination (operation <NUM>).

After inferring the designated route for the destination (operations <NUM> or <NUM>), the example taxi navigation system is in a navigation mode and the example process <NUM> includes determining the current position of the aircraft with respect to the airport using the aircraft position and airport map; and from the route information through the CMU feed, mapping the aircraft position to the route; and generating aural and visual annunciations for navigation guidance (operation <NUM>). A voice database <NUM> may be accessed for voice vocabulary.

If no at decision <NUM>, the example taxi navigation system is in an awareness mode and the example process <NUM> includes determining the current position of the aircraft with respect to the airport using the aircraft position and the airport map and performing the following: generating aural annunciation of the taxiway that the current aircraft is ON, if it is on a taxiway; generating a textual annunciation of the taxiway; and generating textual annunciation of the upcoming left/right turns to taxiway/runway (operation <NUM>). The voice database <NUM> may be accessed for voice vocabulary. The example process <NUM> includes continuously monitoring the aircraft position with respect to the airport map and continuing navigation/situational awareness processing (operation <NUM>) and monitoring the current aircraft position with respect to the airport map (operation <NUM>).

In the navigation mode, the example process <NUM> includes determining if the current taxiway the aircraft is ON is different than the intended taxiway (decision <NUM>). If yes at decision <NUM>, the example process <NUM> includes annunciating an aural message such as 'Taxiway Disagree' and highlighting the current taxiway on the display in red (operation <NUM>). If no at decision <NUM>, the example process <NUM> includes determining if the aircraft is close to an upcoming taxi turn and not decelerating adequately (decision <NUM>). If yes at decision <NUM>, then the example process <NUM> includes annunciating an aural message 'Turn Left/Right' 'Turn Left/Right' and highlight the upcoming taxiway on the display in yellow (operation <NUM>). If no at decision <NUM>, then the example process <NUM> includes continuously monitoring the aircraft position with respect to the airport map and continuing navigation/situational awareness processing (operation <NUM>) and monitoring the current aircraft position with respect to the airport map (operation <NUM>).

Described herein are apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles for providing progressive taxi instruction to the crew by correlating taxi clearance message and airport layout information present in an Aerodrome Mapping Database (AMDB).

In one embodiment, a flight deck system in an aircraft for providing progressive taxiing guidance to a destination at an aerodrome per taxi clearance information is provided. The flight deck system comprises a controller configured to: generate a graphical insert to overlay a small portion (e.g., less than a third) of an active navigation display provided on a display device (e.g., heads down display (HDD), heads up display (HUD), electronic flight bag (EFB), tablet computer) in a cockpit of the aircraft, the graphical insert configured to provide a progressive depiction of upcoming travel surfaces (e.g., runways, taxiways, ramp) on a cleared taxi route using stick characters and alphanumeric characters, the graphical insert comprising a non-linear map with non-linear scaling of an area in front of the aircraft, the non-linear map including a first map section that applies a first scaling factor, a second map section that applies a second scaling factor that is smaller than the first scaling factor, a current travel surface alphanumeric indicator, and a current travel surface stick character that is representative of a current travel surface on which the aircraft travels. The controller is further configured to position, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a crossing travel surface sign representing a crossing travel surface that intersects the current travel surface; position, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a first-turn travel surface stick character representing a first-turn travel surface that intersects the current travel surface, wherein the first-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the current travel surface on the cleared taxi route; position, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a second-turn travel surface stick character representing a second-turn travel surface that intersects the first-turn travel surface, wherein the second-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the first-turn travel surface on the cleared taxi route; update the position of the crossing travel surface sign, the first-turn travel surface stick character, and/or the second-turn travel surface stick character as the aircraft travels on travel surfaces; and cause the graphical insert to be displayed as an overlay over the small portion of the active navigation display provided on the display device while the aircraft travels on travel surfaces.

These aspects and other embodiments may include one or more of the following features. The controller may be further configured to: receive the taxi clearance information from air traffic control (e.g., via voice, digital, or manual entry), aircraft sensor inputs identifying a location of the aircraft on a travel surface, and aerodrome mapping data; determine from the taxi clearance information and the aerodrome mapping data the cleared taxi route; travel surface current status (e.g., closed runway, closed taxiway) from sources such as the aerodrome mapping data, Digital ATIS or Digital NOTAMS; and identify a plurality of cleared travel surfaces on the cleared taxi route including the first-turn travel surface and the second-turn travel surface.

The controller may be further configured to: determine, using the aircraft sensor inputs, the taxi clearance information, and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft deviates from the cleared taxi route; and provide an aural and/or visual alert (e.g., advisory, caution, or warning) when the aircraft deviates from the cleared taxi route.

The controller may be further configured to: determine, using the aircraft sensor inputs, the taxi clearance information, and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft travels onto a surface where the aircraft exceeds a surface limit (e.g., one or more of weight, wingspan and the surface is closed to traffic); and provide the aural and/or visual alert when the aircraft travels onto the surface where the aircraft exceeds the surface limit.

The controller may be further configured to: determine, using the aircraft sensor inputs and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft approaches a location of interest (such as a runway incursion hotspot, a parking stand, or a position reporting location); and provide the visual alert when the aircraft approaches the location of interest.

To position the crossing travel surface sign, the controller may be configured to position, on the graphical insert, the crossing travel surface sign to intersect the current travel surface stick character at the position based on the applicable scaling factor that is proportional to an actual distance of the crossing travel surface to the front of the aircraft, when the crossing travel surface is within the area covered by the non-linear map.

To position the first-turn travel surface stick character, the controller may be configured to position, on the graphical insert, the first-turn travel surface stick character to intersect the current travel surface stick character at the position based on the applicable scaling factor that is proportional to an actual distance of the first-turn travel surface to the front of the aircraft, when the first-turn travel surface is within the area covered by the non-linear map.

To position the second-turn travel surface stick character, the controller may be configured to position, on the graphical insert, the second-turn travel surface stick character to intersect the first-turn travel surface stick character at the position based on the applicable scaling factor that is proportional to an actual distance of an intersecting point between the second-turn travel surface and the first-turn travel surface, when the second-turn travel surface is within the area covered by the non-linear map.

The graphical insert may comprise a plurality of display modes wherein in a first mode (an awareness mode), the graphical insert provides a current travel surface indicator and one or more travel surface signs adjacent to the current travel surface stick character for identifying upcoming turns (e.g., two travel surface signs for the next two upcoming turns), wherein each travel surface sign identifies an upcoming travel surface onto which the aircraft may exit the current travel surface.

In a second mode (e.g., a navigation mode), the graphical insert may provide the current travel surface alphanumeric indicator, travel surface stick characters for identifying a plurality of turns (e.g., the next two turns) in the cleared taxi route, and the destination for the cleared taxi route.

In the second mode (e.g., the navigation mode), the controller may provide a predictive alert (e.g., an aural and/or visual alert) of a potential alert condition (e.g., missed turn) that may occur based on aircraft travel characteristics (e.g., aircraft speed) derived from aircraft sensor inputs to allow a flight crew member to take appropriate action to avoid the potential alert condition.

In the second mode (e.g., the navigation mode), the controller may provide a predictive alert (e.g., an aural and/or visual alert) of a potential missed turn when the aircraft is determined to not be decelerating ahead of an upcoming turn as per the taxi clearance information to allow a flight crew member to take appropriate action before missing a turn.

In a third mode (e.g., an alerting mode), the graphical insert visually may display the current travel surface alphanumeric indicator in a manner to indicate travel surface disagreement and, to gain flight crew attention, ceases to display the travel surface stick characters for upcoming turns.

In another embodiment, a method in a flight deck system in an aircraft for providing progressive taxiing guidance to a destination at an aerodrome per taxi clearance information is provided. The method comprises: generating a graphical insert to overlay a small portion (less than a third) of an active navigation display provided on a display device (e.g., heads down display (HDD), heads up display (HUD), electronic flight bag (EFB), tablet computer) in a cockpit of the aircraft, the graphical insert configured to provide a progressive depiction of upcoming travel surfaces (e.g., runways, taxiways, ramp) on a cleared taxi route using stick characters and alphanumeric characters, the graphical insert comprising a non-linear map with non-linear scaling of an area in front of the aircraft, the non-linear map including a first map section that applies a first scaling factor, a second map section that applies a second scaling factor that is smaller than the first scaling factor, a current travel surface alphanumeric indicator, and a current travel surface stick character that is representative of a current travel surface on which the aircraft travels; positioning, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a crossing travel surface sign representing a crossing travel surface that intersects the current travel surface; positioning, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a first-turn travel surface stick character representing a first-turn travel surface that intersects the current travel surface, wherein the first-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the current travel surface on the cleared taxi route; positioning, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a second-turn travel surface stick character representing a second-turn travel surface that intersects the first-turn travel surface, wherein the second-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the first-turn travel surface on the cleared taxi route; updating the position of the crossing travel surface sign, the first-turn travel surface stick character, and/or the second-turn travel surface stick character as the aircraft travels on travel surfaces; and causing the graphical insert to be displayed as an overlay over the small portion of the active navigation display provided on the display device while the aircraft travels on travel surfaces.

These aspects and other embodiments may include one or more of the following features. The method may further comprise: receiving the taxi clearance information from air traffic control (e.g., via voice, digital, or manual entry), aircraft sensor inputs identifying a location of the aircraft on a travel surface, and aerodrome mapping data; determining from the taxi clearance information and the aerodrome mapping data the cleared taxi route; determining travel surface current status (e.g., closed runway, closed taxiway) from sources such as the aerodrome mapping data, Digital ATIS or Digital NOTAMS; and identifying a plurality of cleared travel surfaces on the cleared taxi route including the first-turn travel surface and the second-turn travel surface.

The method may further comprise: determining, using the aircraft sensor inputs, the taxi clearance information, and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft deviates from the cleared taxi route; providing an aural and/or visual alert (e.g., advisory, caution, or warning) when the aircraft deviates from the cleared taxi route; determining, using the aircraft sensor inputs, the taxi clearance information, and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft travels onto a surface where the aircraft exceeds a surface limit (e.g., one or more of weight, wingspan and the surface is closed to traffic); providing the aural and/or visual alert when the aircraft travels onto the surface where the aircraft exceeds the surface limit; determining, using the aircraft sensor inputs and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft approaches a location of interest (such as a runway incursion hotspot, a parking stand, or a position reporting location); and providing the visual alert when the aircraft approaches the location of interest.

The graphical insert may comprise a plurality of display modes wherein in a first mode, the graphical insert provides a current travel surface indicator and one or more travel surface signs adjacent to the current travel surface stick character for identifying upcoming turns, wherein each travel surface sign identifies an upcoming travel surface onto which the aircraft may exit the current travel surface. In a second mode (e.g., a navigation mode), the graphical insert may provide the current travel surface alphanumeric indicator, travel surface stick characters for identifying a plurality of turns (e.g., the next two turns) in the cleared taxi route, and the destination for the cleared taxi route. In a third mode (e.g., an alerting mode), the graphical insert may visually display the current travel surface alphanumeric indicator in a manner to indicate travel surface disagreement and, to gain flight crew attention, ceases to display the travel surface stick characters for upcoming turns and/or displays a visual indication that indicates possible travel surface disagreement. In the second mode (e.g., the navigation mode), the graphical insert may provide a predictive alert (e.g., an aural and/or visual alert) of a potential alert condition (e.g., missed turn) that may occur based on aircraft travel characteristics (e.g., aircraft speed) derived from aircraft sensor inputs to allow a flight crew member to take appropriate action to avoid the potential alert condition. In the second mode (e.g., the navigation mode), the graphical insert may provide a predictive alert (e.g., an aural and/or visual alert) of a potential missed turn when the aircraft is determined to not be decelerating ahead of an upcoming turn as per the taxi clearance information to allow a flight crew member to take appropriate action before missing a turn.

In another embodiment, provided is non-transitory computer readable media encoded with programming instructions configurable to cause a processor in a flight deck system in an aircraft to perform a method for providing progressive taxiing guidance to a destination at an aerodrome per taxi clearance information. The method comprises: generating a graphical insert to overlay a small portion (e.g., less than a third) of an active navigation display provided on a display device (e.g., heads down display (HDD), heads up display (HUD), electronic flight bag (EFB), tablet computer) in a cockpit of the aircraft, the graphical insert configured to provide a progressive depiction of upcoming travel surfaces (e.g., runways, taxiways, ramp) on a cleared taxi route using stick characters and alphanumeric characters, the graphical insert comprising a non-linear map with non-linear scaling of an area in front of the aircraft, the non-linear map including a first map section that applies a first scaling factor, a second map section that applies a second scaling factor that is smaller than the first scaling factor, a current travel surface alphanumeric indicator, and a current travel surface stick character that is representative of a current travel surface on which the aircraft travels. The method further comprises positioning, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a crossing travel surface sign representing a crossing travel surface that intersects the current travel surface; positioning, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a first-turn travel surface stick character representing a first-turn travel surface that intersects the current travel surface, wherein the first-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the current travel surface on the cleared taxi route; positioning, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a second-turn travel surface stick character representing a second-turn travel surface that intersects the first-turn travel surface, wherein the second-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the first-turn travel surface on the cleared taxi route; updating the position of the crossing travel surface sign, the first-turn travel surface stick character, and/or the second-turn travel surface stick character as the aircraft travels on travel surfaces; and causing the graphical insert to be displayed as an overlay over the small portion of the active navigation display provided on the display device while the aircraft travels on travel surfaces.

In another embodiment, provided is a flight deck system in an aircraft for providing a flight crew with ground path guidance to a destination at an aerodrome (e.g., progressive taxiing instruction per taxi clearance information via a graphical insert on a navigation display HDD that provides a simplified depiction of upcoming taxiways). The flight deck system comprises a controller configured to: receive the taxi clearance information from ATC (via voice, digital, or manual entry), aircraft sensor inputs identifying a location of the aircraft on a taxiway, and aerodrome mapping data; determine from the taxi clearance information and the aerodrome mapping data a cleared taxi route; identify a plurality of cleared taxiways on the cleared taxi route; and generate a graphical display for insertion (e.g., picture in picture insertion) on a navigational display, wherein the graphical display depicts a current taxiway on which the aircraft is traveling and a non-linear scale in a direction of aircraft travel. In an awareness mode, the graphical display provides a current taxiway indicator and a plurality of taxiway signs adjacent to the non-linear scale for identifying upcoming turns (e.g., two taxiway signs for the next two upcoming turns), wherein each taxiway sign identifies an upcoming taxiway onto which the aircraft may exit the current taxiway. In a navigation mode, the graphical display provides the current taxiway indicator, taxiway signs for identifying a plurality of turns (e.g., the next two turns) in the cleared taxi route, and the destination for the cleared taxi route. In an alerting mode, the graphical display provides the current taxiway indicator displayed visually in a manner to indicate taxiway disagreement and, to gain flight crew attention, ceases to display the taxiway signs for an upcoming turn. The controller is further configured to determine, using the aircraft sensor inputs, the taxi clearance information, and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft deviates from the cleared taxi route; provide an aural and/or visual caution alert when the aircraft deviates from the cleared taxi route; determine, using the aircraft sensor inputs, the taxi clearance information, and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft travels onto a surface where the aircraft exceeds a surface limit including one or more of weight, wingspan and the surface is closed to traffic; provide an aural and/or visual caution or warning alert when the aircraft travels onto the surface where the aircraft exceeds the surface limit; determine, using the aircraft sensor inputs and the aerodrome mapping data, when the aircraft approaches a location of interest (such as a runway incursion hotspot, a parking stand, or a position reporting location); and provide an advisory level visual alert when the aircraft approaches the location of interest.

Claim 1:
A flight deck system in an aircraft for providing progressive taxiing guidance to a destination at an aerodrome per taxi clearance information, the flight deck system comprising a controller configured to:
generate a graphical insert to overlay a small portion of an active navigation display provided on a display device in a cockpit of the aircraft, the graphical insert configured to provide a progressive depiction of upcoming travel surfaces on a cleared taxi route using stick characters and alphanumeric characters, the graphical insert comprising a non-linear map with non-linear scaling of an area in front of the aircraft, the non-linear map including a first map section that applies a first scaling factor, a second map section that applies a second scaling factor that is smaller than the first scaling factor, a current travel surface alphanumeric indicator, and a current travel surface stick character that is representative of a current travel surface on which the aircraft travels;
position, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a crossing travel surface sign representing a crossing travel surface that intersects the current travel surface;
position, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a first-turn travel surface stick character representing a first-turn travel surface that intersects the current travel surface, wherein the first-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the current travel surface on the cleared taxi route;
position, on the graphical insert based on an applicable scaling factor, a second-turn travel surface stick character representing a second-turn travel surface that intersects the first-turn travel surface, wherein the second-turn travel surface is the next travel surface after the first-turn travel surface on the cleared taxi route;
update the position of the crossing travel surface sign, the first-turn travel surface stick character, and/or the second-turn travel surface stick character as the aircraft travels on travel surfaces; and
cause the graphical insert to be displayed as an overlay over the small portion of the active navigation display provided on the display device while the aircraft travels on travel surfaces.