Hybrid Centered Head-Down Display Drift Angle Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current head-down displays in aircraft lack effective visualization of drift angles and symbology, leading to increased pilot workload during varying flight conditions, as they are typically oriented with respect to the aircraft's heading rather than its actual direction of travel.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid centered head-down display system that includes a processor to determine and display a drift angle limit, aligning the centerline between the aircraft's track and heading, and generating symbology representing terrain, attitude, and flight path, ensuring that terrain objects are centered with respect to the aircraft's track, reducing pilot workload by providing optimal awareness of flight conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the head-down display is oriented with reference to the aircraft's heading, then the display layout is simple and familiar to pilots, but the pilot must make numerous flight adjustments to account for the difference between heading and track
Solution Approach 1:
The display dynamically adapts its orientation based on flight conditions. The system calculates a displayed drift angle that optimizes the alignment between terrain symbology and the aircraft's actual track, rather than using a fixed heading-up orientation. This dynamic adjustment reduces the time pilots need to make corrections while maintaining an intuitive display layout.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the display parameter (orientation angle) from the conventional fixed heading reference to a variable displayed drift angle. By calculating and applying this adjusted angle, the terrain symbology becomes better aligned with the aircraft's actual track over ground, reducing pilot workload and correction time.
2Loss of information
If the displayed drift angle is increased to improve awareness of track differences, then the pilot's awareness of drift conditions improves, but the terrain symbology may become misaligned with the aircraft's actual path
Solution Approach 1:
The displayed drift angle is dynamically calculated and adjusted based on current flight conditions, including the difference between heading and track, aircraft attitude, and terrain data. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize both drift awareness and terrain alignment simultaneously, rather than using a fixed offset.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a new dimension to the display by calculating and applying a displayed drift angle that is distinct from both the conventional drift angle and the heading. This additional angular dimension allows the terrain symbology to be optimally aligned with the aircraft's track while maintaining accurate drift information for pilot awareness.
3Area of stationary object
If the display screen size is kept small for head-down display, then the display is compact and does not obstruct the pilot's view, but the visualization of drift angles and symbology becomes less effective
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes the visualization by changing the angular parameter of the displayed drift angle to fit within the limited screen real estate. By calculating an optimal displayed drift angle that maximizes information density, the system effectively communicates drift information on a compact display without requiring a larger screen area.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and apparatus are provided for displaying terrain and attitude data symbology for an aircraft. The apparatus is a hybrid centered head-down display for an aircraft having a monitor configured to generate a display and a processor coupled to the display. The display has a centerline. The processor is configured to calculate a displayed drift angle limit, a displayed drift angle, align the centerline of the display with reference to the displayed drift angle, and generate on the display a first symbol corresponding to a terrain and a second symbol corresponding to an attitude of the aircraft The processor is further configured to center the first symbol and the second symbol with reference to the centerline.