System and method for dynamically displaying approach reference line
By adjusting the display range and style of the approach reference line and providing graphical prompts when deviating, the problem of too much or too little information in the existing technology has been solved, improving flight safety and information recognition.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT CORP OF CHINA LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-24
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, approach reference line displays cannot be dynamically adjusted according to the aircraft's operating status, resulting in too much or too little information, which affects the crew's information recognition and status awareness, and lacks necessary deviation warnings.
The aircraft status information acquisition module adjusts the display range and style of the approach reference line and provides graphical prompts, including color and line type changes, when deviations occur.
It enables adaptive adjustment of the approach reference line, improving the crew's awareness of the aircraft's status and safety, reducing information interference, and enhancing the human-machine interaction experience.
Smart Images
Figure CN121921996A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of avionics systems, and more specifically to a system and method for dynamic display of approach reference lines. Background Technology
[0002] As the use of VSD (Vertical Status Display) is gradually accepted and relied upon by flight crews, the vertical trajectory indications it provides, especially the ILS landing indications commonly used in operation, have become a key concern for users during the critical approach and landing phase. Whether these indications can provide dynamic heading and / or glide path references that are adaptable to the flight crew's operational tasks and needs, based on the aircraft's current operational status, has become a key concern for users.
[0003] However, current approach reference line displays either fail to provide sufficient display range when intercepting ILS signals, thus failing to meet the actual usage requirements of the unit, or they consistently provide an excessively long display range, resulting in too much information displayed on the VSD, with symbols overlapping each other, interfering with the unit's information recognition.
[0004] When approach status changes, such as before and after an ILS interception, using the same approach reference line pattern can lead to insufficient perception of changes in the aircraft's current approach status by the crew, resulting in a lack of necessary situational awareness.
[0005] In addition, when using VSD to establish the initial approach configuration and trajectory, if the aircraft deviates from the predetermined approach reference by more than a certain threshold, the crew needs to be promptly alerted to make corrections in order to establish a stable approach configuration as soon as possible.
[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution to further improve existing technologies. Summary of the Invention
[0007] This summary is provided to introduce, in a simplified form, some concepts that will be further described in the following detailed description section. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0008] To address the problems in existing technologies, this invention proposes a system and method for dynamic display of approach reference lines. In the technical solution of this invention, the display range of the approach reference line can be adjusted firstly based on the approach mode reaching a first state, and the display style of the approach reference line can be changed when the approach mode reaches a second state. Furthermore, a deviation warning is given when the aircraft's current position deviates from the approach reference line by more than a predetermined threshold.
[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a system for dynamic display of approach reference lines is disclosed, the system comprising: The aircraft status information acquisition module can be configured to acquire the aircraft's status information, which may include the first and second states of the approach mode, the aircraft's current position, and the current route plan. An approach reference line display range adjustment module, configurable to adjust the display range of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached a first state, the first state including at least the pre-positioning of the approach mode; and An approach reference line display style adjustment module can be configured to adjust the display style of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached a second state, the second state including at least the activation of the approach mode.
[0010] In one embodiment of the invention, the first and second states of the approach mode are activated by an actuation mechanism or automatically based on the aircraft’s current position and current route plan.
[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the approach reference line display range adjustment module may be further configured to determine the display range of the approach reference line as extending a predetermined distance outward from the runway end in response to the approach mode not reaching the first state.
[0012] In one embodiment of the invention, the approach reference line display range adjustment module may be further configured to, in response to the approach mode reaching a first state, determine the display range of the approach reference line to extend outward from the runway end to the current position of the aircraft.
[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the approach reference line display style adjustment module may be further configured to adjust the display style of the approach reference line to a different style than when the approach mode has not reached the second state in response to the approach mode reaching the second state.
[0014] In one embodiment of the invention, the system may further include a deviation alert module, which may be configured to provide a graphical deviation alert based on the deviation between the aircraft’s current position and the approach reference line.
[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the deviation warning module may be further configured to provide a deviation warning when the aircraft’s current position deviates from the approach reference line and the deviation is greater than a predetermined threshold.
[0016] In one embodiment of the invention, the deviation indication may include changing the color and / or line type of the approach reference line.
[0017] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for dynamically displaying an approach reference line is disclosed, the method comprising: Acquire aircraft status information, which may include the first and second states of the approach mode, the aircraft's current position, and the current route plan; The display range of the approach reference line is adjusted based on whether the approach mode has reached a first state, wherein the first state includes at least the pre-positioning of the approach mode; and The display style of the approach reference line is adjusted based on whether the approach mode has reached a second state, the second state including at least the activation of the approach mode.
[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, adjusting the display range of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached a first state may further include: in response to the approach mode not reaching the first state, determining the display range of the approach reference line to extend a predetermined distance outward from the runway end.
[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, adjusting the display range of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached a first state may further include: in response to the approach mode reaching a first state, determining the display range of the approach reference line to extend outward from the runway end to the current position of the aircraft.
[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, adjusting the display style of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached a second state may further include: in response to the approach mode reaching a second state, adjusting the display style of the approach reference line to a different style than when the approach mode has not reached a second state.
[0021] In one embodiment of the invention, the method may further include providing a graphical deviation cues based on the deviation between the aircraft’s current position and the approach reference line.
[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, providing the deviation alert may further include: providing a deviation warning alert when the aircraft’s current position deviates from the approach reference line and the deviation is greater than a predetermined threshold.
[0023] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is disclosed, which stores instructions that, when executed, implement the method described in any of the above embodiments.
[0024] Other aspects, features, and embodiments of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following description of specific exemplary embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Although features of the invention may be discussed below with reference to certain embodiments and drawings, all embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while one or more embodiments may be discussed having certain advantageous features, one or more of such features may also be used according to the various embodiments of the invention discussed herein. Similarly, although exemplary embodiments may be discussed below as embodiments of devices, systems, or methods, it should be understood that such exemplary embodiments may be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods. Attached Figure Description
[0025] To gain a more detailed understanding of the features described above in this disclosure, reference can be made to a more specific description of the above-briefly summarized aspects, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of this disclosure and should not be considered as limiting its scope, as other equivalent aspects are permissible in this description.
[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic block diagram of a system for dynamically displaying approach reference lines according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0027] Figures 2a-2c This is an exemplary illustration of approach reference lines according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0028] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for dynamically displaying approach reference lines according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation
[0029] The various embodiments will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention and illustrate specific exemplary embodiments. However, the embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of these embodiments to those skilled in the art. The embodiments may be implemented as methods, systems, or devices. Therefore, these embodiments may be implemented in hardware, entirely in software, or in a combination of software and hardware aspects. Therefore, the following detailed description is not intended to be limiting.
[0030] The steps in each flowchart can be performed by hardware (e.g., processor, engine, memory, circuitry), software (e.g., operating system, application, driver, machine / processor executable instructions), or a combination thereof. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the methods involved in each embodiment may include more or fewer steps than shown.
[0031] Currently, the distances required for intercepting the Instrument Landing System (ILS) or aligning with the runway vary during flight operations. For example, at a certain airport, an ILS can be intercepted at a distance of 12-15 Nm from the runway tip. However, displaying only a 10 Nm reference line at this distance is insufficient for the actual needs of the flight crew. Conversely, displaying a longer range, such as 80 Nm, may result in excessive information on the VSD (Visible Detector System), with overlapping symbols interfering with the crew's information recognition. Therefore, the reference line needs to be dynamically adjusted according to the crew's requirements. Furthermore, the current use of the same dashed line before and after ILS signal interception may weaken the crew's perception of the aircraft's current status. Additionally, when using the VSD to establish the approach trajectory, there is currently no corresponding deviation indication or warning for the approach reference, leaving the crew lacking necessary situational awareness. In summary, further updates and optimizations to the approach reference line indication are needed.
[0032] The various aspects of the present invention will now be described in detail.
[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic block diagram of a system 100 for dynamic display of approach reference lines according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0034] In one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown, the system 100 for dynamic display of approach reference lines may include an aircraft status information acquisition module 102, an approach reference line display range adjustment module 104, and an approach reference line display style adjustment module 106. In another optional embodiment of the invention, the system 100 may also optionally include a deviation warning module 108. The following will be combined with... Figures 2a-2c These modules are described in detail.
[0035] In one embodiment of the present invention, the aircraft status information acquisition module 102 may be configured to acquire aircraft status information. This status information may include a first and second state of the approach mode, the aircraft's current position, and the current route plan. In this embodiment, the first and second states of the approach mode may be activated by an actuation mechanism (which may be a physical actuation mechanism, such as an APPR button, or a virtual actuation mechanism, such as a virtual operating element on a user interface, or any other suitable actuation mechanism, without limitation in this application), or automatically activated based on the aircraft's current position and current route plan, or activated in any other suitable manner, without limitation in this application.
[0036] In this embodiment, the first state of the approach mode may include at least the pre-positioning of the approach mode, and the second state of the approach mode may include at least the activation of the approach mode. In other optional embodiments of the present invention, the first state may further include the distance from the destination airport runway threshold reaching a first threshold (such as 8-10 NM), that is, when the aircraft reaches the first threshold distance from the destination airport runway threshold, it can be considered that the first state of the approach mode has been reached; the second state may further include the distance from the destination airport runway threshold reaching a second threshold (such as 8-10 NM), that is, when the aircraft reaches the second threshold distance from the destination airport runway threshold, it can be considered that the second state of the approach mode has been reached.
[0037] In an optional embodiment, the aircraft's status information may further include the approach procedure. In this embodiment, the first state may further include arrival at a first designated reference point in the approach procedure, such as an Intermediate Fix (IF), and the second state may further include arrival at a second designated reference point in the approach procedure, such as a Final Approach Fix (FAF). As those skilled in the art will understand, the approach procedure may also include any other suitable designated reference point, such as an Initial Approach Fix (IAF), and is not limited to the first and second designated reference points described above. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second state of the approach mode may also include a change in the activated approach procedure, such as changing from an ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach procedure to an activated VOR (Very High Frequency Ommi-directional Range) / DME (Distance Measuring Equitment) approach procedure, and so on.
[0038] In an optional embodiment, the approach modes may include at least an automatic approach mode and a vertical approach guidance mode, and the automatic approach modes may include at least Category I and Category II automatic approach (APPR1 / APPR2) modes and Category III automatic landing (LAND) modes; the vertical approach guidance mode may include at least a glideslope (GS) mode and a flight control-managed glide path (GP) mode. These approach modes may all include the first and second states described above. As those skilled in the art will understand, in other embodiments of the invention, any other suitable approach modes may be included, and are not limited to any particular one or more approach modes, and the automatic approach mode and vertical approach guidance mode may also include any other suitable approach modes.
[0039] The first and second states of the approach mode can be indicated at a fixed location on the cockpit display. In other alternative embodiments, the states of the approach mode are not limited to the first and second states described above, but may include any suitable number of states.
[0040] In one embodiment of the invention, the approach reference line display range adjustment module 104 can be configured to adjust the display range of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached a first state. In this embodiment, the approach reference line display range adjustment module 104 can be further configured to determine the display range of the approach reference line as a predetermined distance extending outward from the runway end in response to the approach mode not reaching the first state. As those skilled in the art will understand, this predetermined distance is not limited to any specific distance, but can be any suitable distance, such as 10 nautical miles. Thus, the screen display can remain concise, focusing on the near-field area that the aircraft is about to reach, avoiding the display of too much unnecessary and distant information, and facilitating the pilot's handling of recent instructions and turns.
[0041] In the above embodiments, the approach reference line display range adjustment module 104 can be further configured to, in response to the approach mode reaching a first state, determine the display range of the approach reference line to extend outward from the runway end to the aircraft's current position. This achieves adaptive adjustment of the approach reference line.
[0042] In another embodiment of the invention, in addition to the display range, the data source of the approach reference line can also be adjusted based on whether the approach mode has reached a first state.
[0043] In one exemplary embodiment, the approach reference line may correspond to an approach procedure, which may be selected based on the set destination airport. For example, when the approach procedure is a precision approach (RNP) or a non-precision approach (VOR), the approach reference line may be an FLS approach reference line; when the approach procedure is a precision approach (ILS / GLS), the approach reference line may be a GS approach reference line. As an example and not a limitation, when an ILS / GLS approach procedure is selected, a GS reference line indication may be provided. When the aircraft's current position is within 3 NM of the main route plan and the heading is at an angle of less than 50° to the runway direction, the GS reference line indication is displayed, with a default display range of 10 NM, i.e., extending a predetermined distance outward from the runway end. When the APPR button is activated and the LOC / GS mode is preset, the display range is updated according to the aircraft's current position to the range extending from the runway end to the aircraft's current position.
[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, the approach reference line display style adjustment module 106 may be configured to adjust the display style of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached a second state. In this embodiment, the approach reference line display style adjustment module 106 may be further configured to adjust the display style of the approach reference line to a different style than when the approach mode has not reached the second state in response to the approach mode reaching the second state.
[0045] Figures 2a-2c This is an exemplary illustration of approach reference lines according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2a As shown, and not as a limitation, when the approach mode is pre-positioned (such as GS pre-positioning), an approach reference line extending from the aircraft's current position to the runway tip can be displayed. This approach reference line is displayed as a white dashed line. Figure 2b As shown, and not as a limitation, when the approach mode is engaged (such as GS engaged), the approach reference line can change from a white dashed line to a green solid line to indicate that the crew has intercepted the ILS signal.
[0046] In another optional embodiment of the invention, system 100 may also optionally include a deviation alert module 108 (represented by a dashed box), which can be configured to provide a graphical deviation alert based on the deviation value between the aircraft's current position and the approach reference line. In this embodiment, the deviation alert module 108 may be further configured to provide a deviation alarm when the aircraft's current position deviates from the approach reference line and the deviation is greater than a predetermined threshold. The deviation (alarm) alert may include changing the color and / or line type (such as solid and dashed lines) of the approach reference line. Figure 2cAs shown, and not as a limitation, when the aircraft's current position deviates from the approach reference line by a predetermined threshold, the approach reference line can be changed to a solid amber line to indicate to the crew that the aircraft has deviated from the glide path. This provides the pilot with an excellent visual reference for monitoring the aircraft's autopilot status; if the aircraft is not accurately tracking the ILS signal and deviates from the displayed path, the pilot can detect it earlier and more intuitively. As those skilled in the art will understand, the aforementioned predetermined threshold (deviation value) is not limited to any specific threshold, but can be any suitable threshold, and any other suitable graphical indication method can be used to indicate the deviation.
[0047] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method 300 for dynamically displaying an approach reference line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0048] like Figure 3 As shown, method 300 begins at step 302, acquiring aircraft status information, which may include a first and second state of the approach mode, the aircraft's current position, and the current route plan. In one embodiment of the invention, the first and second states of the approach mode are activated by an actuation mechanism, or automatically activated based on the aircraft's current position and the current route plan.
[0049] Next, method 300 continues to step 304, adjusting the display range of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached a first state. In one embodiment of the invention, this step may further include: in response to the approach mode not reaching the first state, determining the display range of the approach reference line to extend outward from the runway end by a predetermined distance. In this embodiment, the step may further include: in response to the approach mode reaching the first state, determining the display range of the approach reference line to extend outward from the runway end to the aircraft's current position.
[0050] Then, method 300 continues to step 306, adjusting the display style of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached a second state. In one embodiment of the invention, this step may further include adjusting the display style of the approach reference line to a different style than when the approach mode has not reached the second state in response to the approach mode reaching the second state.
[0051] In another optional embodiment of the invention, method 300 may further include step 308 (indicated by a dashed box), providing a graphical deviation alert based on the deviation between the aircraft's current position and the approach reference line. In this embodiment, the step may further include providing a deviation warning when the aircraft's current position deviates from the approach reference line and the deviation is greater than a predetermined threshold. The deviation warning may include changing the color and / or line type of the approach reference line.
[0052] Method 300 ends after step 306 or step 308.
[0053] In summary, this invention proposes an adaptive adjustment method for approach profile indication, which can provide visual decision support based on the aircraft's approach status and improve the crew's situational awareness of the approach trajectory, enabling them to perceive the aircraft's current status in a timely manner, including normal interception or abnormal deviation, thereby improving flight safety and obtaining a better human-machine interaction experience.
[0054] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to block diagrams and / or operational descriptions of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. The functions / actions indicated in the blocks may appear in a different order than shown in any flowchart. For example, depending on the functions / actions involved, two blocks shown consecutively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or these blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order.
[0055] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A system for dynamically displaying approach reference lines, the system comprising: The aircraft status information acquisition module is configured to acquire the aircraft's status information, which includes the first and second states of the approach mode, the aircraft's current position, and the current route plan. An approach reference line display range adjustment module is configured to adjust the display range of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached the first state, wherein the first state includes at least the pre-position of the approach mode; as well as An approach reference line display style adjustment module is configured to adjust the display style of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached the second state, wherein the second state includes at least the activation of the approach mode.
2. The system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first and second states of the approach mode are activated by an actuation mechanism, or automatically activated based on the aircraft's current position and the current route plan.
3. The system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The approach reference line display range adjustment module is further configured to, in response to the approach mode not reaching the first state, determine the display range of the approach reference line to extend a predetermined distance outward from the runway end.
4. The system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The approach reference line display range adjustment module is further configured to, in response to the approach mode reaching the first state, determine the display range of the approach reference line to extend outward from the runway end to the current position of the aircraft.
5. The system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The approach reference line display style adjustment module is further configured to adjust the display style of the approach reference line to a different style than when the approach mode has not reached the second state in response to the approach mode reaching the second state.
6. The system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a deviation alert module, which is configured to provide graphical deviation alerts based on the deviation value between the aircraft's current position and the approach reference line.
7. The system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The deviation alert module is further configured to issue a deviation alarm when the aircraft's current position deviates from the approach reference line and the deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold.
8. The system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The deviation warning includes changing the color and / or line type of the approach reference line.
9. A method for dynamically displaying an approach reference line, the method comprising: Acquire the aircraft's status information, which includes the first and second states of the approach mode, the aircraft's current position, and the current route plan; The display range of the approach reference line is adjusted based on whether the approach mode has reached the first state, and the first state includes at least the pre-position of the approach mode; as well as The display style of the approach reference line is adjusted based on whether the approach mode has reached a second state, the second state including at least the activation of the approach mode.
10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, Adjusting the display range of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached the first state further includes: in response to the approach mode not reaching the first state, determining the display range of the approach reference line to extend a predetermined distance outward from the runway end.
11. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, Adjusting the display range of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached the first state further includes: in response to the approach mode reaching the first state, determining the display range of the approach reference line to extend outward from the runway end to the current position of the aircraft.
12. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, Adjusting the display style of the approach reference line based on whether the approach mode has reached the second state further includes: in response to the approach mode reaching the second state, adjusting the display style of the approach reference line to a different style than when the approach mode has not reached the second state.
13. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The method also includes providing graphical deviation prompts based on the deviation between the aircraft's current position and the approach reference line.
14. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The deviation warning further includes: issuing a deviation alarm when the aircraft's current position deviates from the approach reference line and the deviation is greater than a predetermined threshold.
15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed, implement the method of any one of claims 9-14.