Azimuthal Equidistant Projection Aircraft Navigation Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft navigation displays using two-dimensional projections of the Earth's surface suffer from distortion, making it difficult for pilots to accurately determine directions and distances to map features due to varying map scales, which can complicate safe navigation, especially at high speeds.
Innovation Solution
An azimuthal equidistant projection (AEP) system that converts geo-spatial coordinates to AEP format, presenting navigational information in a way that distances and directions are independent of the aircraft's location, using a generator for current location, a map data source, user input for desired map radius, a controller, and memory for processing, and a display to show transformed map data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a two-dimensional equidistant cylindrical projection is used to display the Earth's surface, then the display can be presented in a simple flat format, but map distortion occurs causing inaccurate representation of directions and distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the map projection parameters from an equidistant cylindrical projection to an azimuthal equidistant projection centered on the aircraft's current location. This parameter change ensures that radial lines from the center accurately represent true directions and that distance scales are uniform in all directions from the aircraft, eliminating the distortion problems of the cylindrical projection while maintaining display simplicity.
2Productivity
If the aircraft travels at high speed covering large distances, then navigation efficiency is improved, but the time available for pilots to account for map distortions and select safe flight paths is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the projection parameters to azimuthal equidistant with the aircraft position as the center point, the display provides accurate directional and distance information radiating from the aircraft's current location. This allows pilots to quickly and accurately assess terrain, obstacles, and navigation hazards without needing to mentally adjust for distortion, enabling faster navigation decisions at high speeds.
3Area of stationary object
If the map scale varies with position on the display, then the entire Earth's surface can be shown, but the relative location accuracy between features changes depending on distance from the center of projection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a local quality approach by centering the azimuthal equidistant projection on the aircraft's current location. This creates a locally accurate display where the area immediately surrounding the aircraft (the most critical navigation zone) has uniform scale and accurate directional relationships. While the overall coverage area is maintained through the projection transformation, the local accuracy around the aircraft position is preserved, which is the most important region for navigation decisions.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are provided for an azimuthal equidistant projection (AEP) aircraft navigational display. The apparatus comprises a generator providing the aircraft's current latitude and longitude (φ1,λ0), a user input for providing the desired map radius R, a display for presenting the navigational information, a map data source providing topographical information associated with geo-spatial coordinates, and a controller and memory coupled to the generator, data source, input and display for providing data transformations. Map data containing topographical information associated with each geo-spatial coordinate is obtained from the map data source for an area of approximately radius R from (φ1,λ0). Using the controller and memory, the geo-spatial coordinates are converted to AEP spatial coordinates so that the topographical information is now associated with such AEP spatial coordinates. The transformed map data is sent to the display to provide AEP navigational information on the display around (φ1,λ0).