Aircraft Ground Rolling Aid System for Unobstructed Taxiing Views
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for assisting aircraft taxiing on the ground provide limited and obstructed views, making it difficult for pilots to assess the overall airport situation and landing gear position due to camera placements and image capture angles.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that acquire successive images, modify them to remove the aircraft's fuselage and wings, combine these images to create a recomposed view, and superimpose a characteristic aircraft image for a clearer, more global display on the cockpit screen, adjusting the viewpoint based on taxiing speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a camera is placed on the vertical stabilizer or under the fuselage to assist the pilot in maneuvering, then the pilot can see the landing gear and taxiing surface, but the view is obstructed by the fuselage and wings, limiting the overall situational awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the obstructed 2D camera views into a synthesized 3D spatial representation that eliminates obstructions. By processing images from multiple camera positions (vertical stabilizer and under fuselage) and reconstructing the scene in three dimensions, the system provides comprehensive situational awareness without the limitations of single-point 2D views.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines images from multiple camera sources (vertical stabilizer camera and under-fuselage camera) into a single synthesized view. This merging of multiple partial views creates a complete, obstruction-free representation of the taxiing environment, allowing the pilot to see both the landing gear area and the overall airport surface situation simultaneously.
2Measurement precision
If the camera captures a localized view under the fuselage, then the landing gear position can be assessed, but the overall airport surface situation remains hidden
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the visual field into multiple zones captured by different cameras: one camera focuses on the landing gear and immediate taxiing surface area for precise position assessment, while another captures the broader airport environment. The system then integrates these segmented views into a unified display that preserves both detailed and contextual information.
3Manufacturing precision
If the image capture angle is optimized for localized views, then specific areas are clearly visible, but the global taxiing context is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional imaging system where the same camera setup serves multiple purposes: capturing detailed landing gear position information, providing overall airport surface context, and enabling both localized and global situational awareness simultaneously. The synthesized display adapts to show different aspects of the taxiing environment based on pilot needs.
Data Source
AI summary
In an aircraft comprising a cockpit comprising a display screen, a camera configured to acquire images of the environment of the aircraft, as well as a display management system, a ground rolling aid system configured so as to a) acquire several successive images of the environment of the aircraft via the camera, corresponding to various ground positions of the aircraft, b) modify these images by removing at least zones corresponding to the aircraft, so as to produce modified images, c) combine several of the modified images to produce a recomposed image, d) superpose an image characteristic of the aircraft on the recomposed image so as to produce a reference image, and e) display, on the cockpit display screen, an image corresponding to the reference image.