Avionics Display Correlation for Vertical Situational Awareness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current avionics display systems fail to provide sufficient situational awareness by not adequately displaying contextual correlations of objects and conditions from a vertical situational display (VSD) on a lateral map display (LMAP), leading to increased workload and potential delays in flight operations.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that correlate and superimpose objects and conditions from the VSD onto the LMAP display, using a processor-driven graphics module to generate a combined display that enhances situational awareness by providing a unified view of vertical and horizontal information, reducing the need for pilots to switch between multiple displays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If weather hazard icons and vertical situation objects are displayed only on separate displays (VSD and LMAP), then the display systems remain simple and independent, but situational awareness is insufficient and pilot workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges weather hazard icons from the VSD with the LMAP display by transforming vertical display objects into horizontal plane representations. The graphics module correlates vertical situational objects (weather hazards, terrain, obstacles) with their horizontal map positions and displays them together on the LMAP, allowing pilots to view both vertical and horizontal information on a single integrated display, thereby improving situational awareness and reducing the need to switch between multiple displays
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms three-dimensional vertical display objects into two-dimensional horizontal plane representations. The processor transforms vertical positions and altitudes into corresponding horizontal map coordinates, projecting vertical weather hazards and situational objects onto the horizontal LMAP display plane. This dimensional transformation enables the integration of vertical situational awareness into the horizontal map view without requiring a third dimension, resolving the contradiction by preserving information completeness while maintaining display simplicity
2Loss of information
If multiple separate displays (VSD and LMAP) are used to show different flight information, then each display can be optimized for its specific function, but pilots must switch between displays increasing workload and reducing situational awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines weather hazard icons and vertical situational objects from the VSD with the LMAP display by transforming vertical display objects into horizontal plane representations. The graphics module correlates vertical situational objects with their horizontal map positions and displays them together on the LMAP, allowing pilots to view both vertical and horizontal information on a single integrated display, thereby improving situational awareness and reducing the need to switch between multiple displays
Solution Approach 2:
The LMAP display is enhanced to serve multiple functions simultaneously. It continues to provide horizontal navigation and map information while also displaying transformed vertical situational objects, weather hazards, and correlated flight data. This multi-functionality allows a single display to replace the information previously requiring separate VSD and LMAP displays, eliminating display switching and improving contextual correlation
3Reliability
If weather and object data are displayed on the LMAP with contextual correlation from VSD, then situational awareness improves, but the display complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a graphics module as an intermediary component between the VSD and LMAP display systems. This graphics module receives vertical situational objects from the VSD, transforms them into horizontal plane representations, correlates them with horizontal map positions, and outputs the integrated data to the LMAP display. The intermediary handles the complex transformation and correlation logic, keeping the overall system architecture manageable while enabling enhanced situational awareness and flight safety through integrated display information
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and system for displaying contextual correlations of objects of a lateral map (LMAP) display to objects of a vertical situational display (VSD) which includes: receiving a first set of latitude objects of graphic representations of a plurality of conditions on the LMAP display wherein the graphic representations represent a particular condition; receiving a second set of vertical objects of graphic representations of a plurality of conditions on the VSD; and correlating using correlation solutions the first and second set of latitude and vertical objects graphically represented of the particular condition between the LMAP display and the VSD to provide a correlation of both the latitude objects and the vertical objects within the LMAP display for rendering on the LMAP display.