Flight Display Terrain Deemphasis for Low Altitude Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flight display systems face challenges in effectively displaying terrain data, as it can become dense and occlude important airport features, particularly in low-altitude operations, making it difficult for pilots to visualize and navigate safely.
Innovation Solution
The system implements a terrain deemphasis method by decreasing terrain contrast within a predefined boundary surrounding a desired landing area, while maintaining higher contrast for airport features, and restoring original contrast upon certain conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If terrain data is displayed with high contrast to enhance terrain awareness, then terrain visibility is improved, but airport features become occluded and difficult to identify
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different contrast levels to different geographic regions: high terrain contrast is applied outside the airport boundary to enhance terrain awareness, while low terrain contrast is applied within the airport boundary to improve airport feature visibility. This spatial differentiation resolves the contradiction by making terrain contrast context-dependent rather than uniform across the entire display.
2Reliability
If terrain contrast is increased for safety awareness, then terrain detection capability is improved, but cognitive workload increases due to information density
Solution Approach 1:
The system reduces terrain contrast within the airport boundary where pilots need to focus on airport features and procedures, thereby reducing cognitive workload in the critical decision-making area. Outside the airport boundary, full terrain contrast is maintained to ensure safety awareness. This localized adjustment resolves the contradiction by reducing information density only where it creates cognitive overload while maintaining it where safety is critical.
3Quantity of substance
If terrain data is displayed densely to provide comprehensive coverage, then geographic information completeness is improved, but screen usability deteriorates due to crowding
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements boundary-based contrast adjustment where terrain data within the airport boundary is displayed with reduced contrast to improve screen usability and reduce visual crowding, while terrain data outside the boundary maintains full contrast to preserve geographic information completeness. This resolves the contradiction by making information density context-dependent on the pilot's operational needs.
4Loss of information
If terrain contrast is uniformly reduced to improve airport feature visibility, then airport feature identification is improved, but terrain awareness is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies contrast reduction only within the airport boundary where airport feature identification is needed, while maintaining full terrain contrast outside the boundary to preserve terrain awareness. This spatially-selective approach resolves the contradiction by ensuring that terrain awareness is maintained in regions where it is critical while improving airport feature visibility only in the relevant airport area.
Data Source
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AI summary
Improved flight display systems and methods that selectively deemphasize terrain are provided. The method includes receiving and processing navigation reference point data, terrain data, and aircraft status data. Next, the method (a) renders on a display system, in real-time, a viewing segment defined as at least a navigation reference point for the aircraft, the viewing segment having terrain rendered in a first level of terrain contrast; and (b) determines that the aircraft is in a terrain deemphasis scenario when an altitude is certain low altitude operations. When the aircraft is in the terrain deemphasis scenario, the method deemphasizes terrain within a determined boundary in the viewing segment. Deemphasizing includes decreasing terrain contrast to a second level of terrain contrast within the boundary. Terrain contrast within the boundary is restored to the first level responsive to receiving a restore trigger.