Patent ID: 7209053

Claim:
A system for displaying validity of visual approach slope indicators, comprising: a position determination unit, said position determination unit operable to determine a current position of an aircraft; a data storage unit, said data storage unit operable to store a first plurality of data elements associated with a plurality of validity factors for a plurality of visual approach slope indicator systems; and a processing unit coupled to said position determination unit and said data storage unit, said processing unit operable to: receive said current position of said aircraft from said position determination unit; retrieve a second plurality of data elements from said data storage unit, said second plurality of data elements associated with at least one validity factor of said plurality of validity factors for one visual approach slope indicator system of said plurality of visual approach slope indicator systems; compare said current position of said aircraft with said second plurality of data elements; and if said comparison of said current position of said aircraft and said second plurality of data elements indicates that said second plurality of data elements includes invalid data, generate a plurality of visual display control signals associated with said one visual approach slope indicator system, wherein at least one visual display control signal of said plurality of visual display control signals represents an invalidity of said plurality of visual display control signals.