Combined Vision Display Obstacle Highlighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current combined vision displays in aircraft lack effective obstacle detection and awareness, particularly for small obstacles like thin radio towers and high voltage wires, due to low resolution and sensitivity issues in enhanced vision systems, which can lead to reduced situational awareness and increased risk of collision during low-altitude operations.
Innovation Solution
The system selectively overlays and visually highlights synthetic vision images of obstacles over enhanced vision images in a combined display, enhancing their visibility by adjusting opacity, color, or shape, allowing pilots to better identify and avoid obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If enhanced vision system images are displayed with high opacity to improve visibility, then the underlying synthetic vision images become obscured and invisible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of different regions in the display. The EVS image is displayed with high opacity in regions where obstacles are detected (indicated by SVS symbology), while maintaining lower opacity in other regions. This allows obstacle areas to be visually prominent while preserving visibility of the underlying SVS terrain information in non-obstacle areas.
2Measurement precision
If EVS image opacity is increased to improve obstacle visibility, then obstacle detection capability improves, but situational awareness of terrain is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses SVS-generated obstacle symbology as an intermediary to guide the display of EVS images. The symbology acts as a marker that indicates where obstacles are located, and the EVS image is selectively enhanced in those specific regions. This intermediary approach allows obstacle detection to be improved without sacrificing overall terrain awareness, as the symbology provides contextual information about what to look for in the EVS image.
3Measurement precision
If EVS resolution is increased to detect small obstacles, then obstacle detection improves, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the strengths of two different systems: the EVS provides actual visual information from sensors, while the SVS provides precise obstacle location data from databases and position information. By combining these systems and using the SVS symbology to highlight obstacle locations on the EVS display, the patent achieves small obstacle detection capability without requiring the EVS alone to have extremely high resolution. This merging approach leverages the complementary strengths of both systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for enhanced display of obstacles in a combined vision display are provided. The system comprises a display unit and an enhanced vision system configured to generate first signals representative of enhanced vision images. Data storage device contains obstacle data representative of obstacles. Synthetic vision system is configured to selectively retrieve obstacle data from data storage device and generate second signals representative of synthetic vision images of one or more obstacles. Processor is in operable communication with display unit and coupled to receive first and second signals and configured, in response thereto, to: overlay the synthetic vision images of the one or more obstacles over the enhanced vision images and command display unit to display the synthetic vision images of the one or more obstacles overlaid over the enhanced vision images. The overlaid synthetic vision images of the one or more obstacles may be visually highlighted.