3D Landing Display with Color-Coded Touchdown Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pilots face challenges in accurately predicting the touchdown point on a runway due to environmental conditions and limited visibility, with existing systems providing insufficient information, which can lead to insufficient runway distance for safe landing.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a display device and processing circuit to determine aircraft performance characteristics and generate a three-dimensional visual representation of the aircraft, runway, and predicted landing path, using different colors to indicate whether the predicted touchdown point is within a recommended zone, enhancing situational awareness during landing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If basic information messages are provided to the pilot, then the system complexity is reduced, but the information completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional basic text messages to a three-dimensional visual display system. The 3D graphical interface presents comprehensive landing information (predicted touchdown point, recommended zone, runway length) in a spatial format that enhances information completeness without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the processing circuit integrates multiple data streams into a unified visual representation.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual display system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it displays the predicted landing path, indicates the recommended touchdown zone, shows the actual runway length, and provides color-coded alerts. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate display systems into a single comprehensive interface, maintaining manageable complexity while delivering complete information.
2Loss of information
If a three-dimensional visual display is generated, then the situational awareness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple data sources (aircraft performance characteristics, predicted landing path calculations, runway geometry data) and presentation elements (3D graphical interface, color-coded indicators, alert systems) into a single integrated display system. This consolidation improves situational awareness by presenting all critical information in one unified view, while the modular architecture of the processing circuit keeps device complexity manageable through systematic organization of functions.
3Loss of information
If color-coded visual indicators are used, then the information clarity is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs color-coded visual indicators (e.g., green for safe touchdown zone, red for unsafe conditions) to enhance information clarity. These color indicators are implemented through software-controlled display elements in the 3D graphical interface, which simplifies manufacturing compared to physical color-coded components. The color coding provides immediate visual feedback to the pilot about landing safety without requiring complex mechanical or optical manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for an airborne platform includes a display device and a processing circuit communicably coupled to the display device. The display device is configured to provide a display. The processing circuit is configured to determine one or more performance characteristics of the aircraft, a predicted landing path including a predicted touch down point of a runway, and whether the predicted touch down point is within a recommended touch down zone. The processing circuit is further configured to generate a three-dimensional display providing a visual representation of the aircraft, the runway, and the predicted landing path. The visual representation of the predicted landing path is provided as a first color in response to determining the touch down point is within the recommended touch down zone and the visual representation of the predicted landing path is provided as a second color in response to determining the touch down point is not within the recommended touch down zone.