CN1742277B - Aircraft taxi planning system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A taxi planning system for aircraft provides an intuitive user interface for entering and selecting taxi plans quickly and easily. The system includes predefined reduced selection menus that prompt the pilot with feasible taxi choices. Predefined standard routes allow the pilot to select a taxi route with a minimum of keystrokes and in a minimum of time. A display screen communicates the selection menus and standard routes to the pilot who makes a selection with as little as one keystroke. A database comprising a linked list structure facilitates a flexible system that is able to represent a wide variety of airport runways, taxiways, gates, ramps, and other airport structures. The selected taxi route is communicated to other aircraft systems such as head-down displays, head-up displays, flight management computers, communication systems, and the like.

Description

Aircraft taxi planning system and method

technical field

The present invention relates to aircraft ground guidance systems (SGS) and in particular to a user interface consisting of a menu structure for quickly selecting a desired taxi route for an aircraft at an airport.

Background technique

There is significant interest in the area of improving ground guidance of aircraft. When an aircraft has landed on the runway at an airport, the next step is to taxi the aircraft to a desired destination such as a passenger boarding/exit gate. It is easy for drivers to mistake or get lost in the multitude of runways, taxiways, aprons and buildings that make up an airport. The problem is more pronounced at large airports and is especially noticeable at night when a large number of lights make it more difficult for an aircraft to taxi to a desired destination.

Efficient taxi operations save time and money. When airports get more crowded, planes often spend a lot of time taxiing between the runway and the gate. Taxi times can be even longer if a driver makes a wrong turn, gets lost, or inadvertently enters the wrong runway or taxiway. Additionally, a wrong turn or navigational error can delay other planes at the airport.

A key capability of an airport's ground guidance capability is the presentation of airport maps that are easy for the pilot to use. One conventional approach is to present such a map on a head-down display (HDD) displayed in front of the driver's field of view. The pilot typically enters or selects a taxi path that has been approved by ground control personnel. The display then indicates the current position of the aircraft and shows the taxi path superimposed on the airport map. This display gives the pilot an idea of where the aircraft is relative to the selected taxi path. A critical aspect of the actual avionics implementation of ground guidance must usually include a user interface for intuitive and rapid input of air traffic control (ATC) radio taxi commands into the onboard SGS system by the pilot or flight crew.

For ground guidance to be operationally acceptable, the aircraft crew must be provided with an intuitive and quick means to insert taxi instructions into the ground guidance system and to integrate operations and routine aircraft operations with which the pilot/crew are familiar. Together. Pilots strive to achieve ground guidance that separates the taxi planning step from the route planning process. For scheduled airline or aircraft fleet operators, this typically creates a significant training burden.

Any aircraft taxi planning system should not only be able to fulfill the task of receiving taxi instructions, but also have an intuitive user interface to minimize training time. It is also desirable to facilitate quick taxi routing and minimize input errors.

The continuing goal is thus to find ways to reduce costs, reduce taxi errors, minimize training, shorten taxi times, and improve airport efficiency.

Contents of the invention

In order to address the above-mentioned objectives and others, the taxi planning system of the present invention includes a unique user interface and a database containing information describing the runways and taxiways of an airport. The present invention integrates the taxi planning process and the route planning process and uses a similar process. This creates an intuitive user interface and further creates an operationally acceptable taxi planning implementation that significantly reduces crew training time and costs. The use of data entry techniques in accordance with the present invention minimizes the time to input taxi planning commands and also minimizes taxi planning errors.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aircraft taxi planning system comprising: a user interface comprising: a display screen, and a selection input; a data storage unit storing airport taxi data; and a display screen and a processor of said selection input communication, wherein said processor generates a menu of possible taxi branches based on said airport taxi data and a previous taxi branch selection, and said processor transmits said menu to said display screen, The above taxi branch is commensurate with the position of the aircraft.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a taxi planning system is integrated as an extension of a flight management system (FMS) that provides route planning functionality to an aircraft. The page format of the present invention is preferably an extension of the page format used by the FMS for route planning so as to be intuitive and easy to learn for the pilot and crew.

In another aspect of the invention, a selection menu is used to simplify taxi route entry and reduce errors. The present invention provides the current location of the aircraft (eg runway or gate). This information was previously entered by the pilot or received from another aircraft system. The system preferably also provides the destination (eg runway 27R or gate A25). Using this preliminary information, the present invention looks up valid taxi options associated with this current location and displays them to the driver as a menu. As the driver selects a branch of the taxi path, the screen rolls out and presents a menu of available taxi branch choices. The process proceeds quickly until taxi planning is complete. In another embodiment, predefined standard routes are stored in memory and made available for selection. In yet another embodiment, a pre-defined standard taxi route is received from ATC via a data link.

Another aspect of the present invention resides in the database structure used to implement the present invention. The database structure is preferably a linked list that can flexibly implement various airport configurations. The database can be updated frequently without having to change program software. More preferably, the present invention uses a linked list built from two data tables.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aircraft taxiing planning method, comprising the steps of: receiving aircraft position data indicating the position of the aircraft on the airport; generating a first taxiing branch commensurate with the aircraft position data according to the airport taxiing data menu; receiving a first taxi branch selection signal indicating a first selected taxi branch selected from the first taxi branch menu; generating and generating the first selected taxi branch based on the airport taxi data and the first selected taxi branch a second taxi branch menu corresponding to the branches; receiving a second taxi branch selection signal indicating a second selected taxi branch selected from the second taxi branch menu; generating a taxi route indicating the second selected taxi branch; and indicating A taxi path signal of the taxi path is transmitted to a display system.

It is clear that the present invention significantly improves upon prior art systems. Additionally, those in the industry will be aware of the limitations of using the FMS. Other processors, display screens, and data entry components may be used in practicing the invention.

Other features and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the following detailed description, and part of the features and advantages are obvious to those in the industry from the description, and the present invention can be achieved by implementing the present invention according to the following detailed description, claims and drawings Recognize other features and advantages.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is exemplary of the invention only, and is intended to provide an overview for understanding the nature and character of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The accompanying drawings are also included to provide a further understanding of the invention and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various features and embodiments of the invention, and together with their description explain the principles and operations of the invention.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a taxi planning system according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the departure/arrival index page displayed on the MCDU according to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is the departure taxi planning page according to the present invention;

Fig. 4 is an example of arriving at the sliding planning page according to the present invention;

Fig. 5 is an example of arriving at the sliding planning page according to the present invention;

Figures 6A and 6B illustrate tables made up of linked lists according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 7 shows a linked list according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 8 is a flowchart of an algorithm for searching the linked list.

Detailed ways

Reference will now be made in detail to various presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

An exemplary embodiment of a taxi planning system according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1 and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 .

The components of the taxi planning system according to the invention will first be explained briefly and then in more detail. The most common application of the invention is as an integrated part in the FMS of an aircraft, such as a commercial airliner or a cargo jet, so the following discussion will illustrate the invention with respect to this application.

Referring first to FIG. 1 , there is shown a block diagram of one embodiment of a taxi planning system and related aircraft systems in accordance with the present invention. All aircraft systems may incorporate the present invention, collectively referred to as taxi planning system 10 . The taxi planning system 10 may include a flight management computer (FMC) 11, a multi-function control display unit (MCDU) 12, a navigation database (NDB) 13, a head-up display (HUD) 14, an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) 15, a multi-mode receiving MMR (MMR) 16, transponder 17 and communication management unit (CMU) 18. FMC11 and MCDU12 are commonly referred to together as the Flight Management System (FMS).

The FMC 11 includes a processor 11A and a memory 11B. Processor 11A may comprise any suitable data processor for receiving and processing commands and data. Processor 11A is preferably a microprocessor having sufficient overall processing power to perform the required FMS and taxi planning tasks in real time. Memory 11B preferably includes both random access memory (RAM) for storing dynamic data and variables, and read only memory (ROM) for storing program data and static data. Processor 11A communicates with memory 11B to retrieve program instructions and data and to manipulate and store variables. Processor 11A also communicates with NDB 13.

NDB 13 contains airport taxi data describing airport runways, taxiways, gates, aprons, and various other required airport facilities. These airport taxiing data are stored in the linked list 13A, and each standard taxiing route 13B is also stored in the database. Airport taxi data includes data such as runway data representing the position and width of a runway, taxiway data representing the position of a taxiway, and boarding gate data representing the position and approach of a boarding gate. NDB 13 is preferably rewritable or replaceable so that it can be easily updated as needed and so that the data contains current changes with respect to airport runways, taxiways, etc. NDB 13 is built using any of a variety of memory storage technologies, such as PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, disk drives, optical drives, or various combinations of these and similar components. Linked lists described later are best stored in NDB 13.

The user interface is preferably implemented through MCDU 12 in communication with FMC 11 and processor 11A. MCDU 12 includes display screen 12A, row selection key set 19, and keypad 12B. The MCDU 12 is typically used to input route flight planning commands to the FMC 11 and to output route aircraft data to the pilot, crew or operator via the display screen 12A. Operation of the individual row selection keys 19 allows quick selection or deletion of displayed items. The present invention preferably utilizes this prior user interface component to implement a user interface for airport surface navigation, although other user interfaces may be utilized to implement the invention. For example, other displays such as EFIS 15 or HUD 14 could be used as part of the user interface if desired.

HUD 14 and EFIS 15 are shown communicating with FMC 11 via taxi path signal 11C. Taxi path signal 11C contains data expressing the selected taxi path. The HUD 14 projects an image on a combiner located in front of the pilot's line of sight so that the pilot can simultaneously view the image and look out from the front windshield of the aircraft. EFIS 15 (also known as HDD) typically Located under the front windshield of the aircraft. EFIS 15 includes one or more display screens, which are typically implemented using cathode ray tubes (CRTs), flat panel displays, or functional types of display components. When a taxi plan is selected, it is preferably displayed to the driver on the HUD 14 or EFIS 15 .

Several communication systems are also connected to the FMC 11. The MMR 16 receives navigation or position signals, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, Differential GPS (DGPS), Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) signals, Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) signals, and the like. These signals are transmitted to the FMC 11 on which the position of the aircraft relative to the various airport feature points is determined. This aircraft position information is then used to calculate the appropriate taxi selection options for the pilot.

Transponder 17 and CMU 18 provide additional input and output communication channels. Transponder 17 may, for example, receive Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals from other aircraft or ATC. CMU 18 has a data link with ATC or similar control authority through which taxi plans and instructions are communicated, negotiated, modified, approved or rejected.

2-5 illustrate user interfaces. User access to the present invention is preferably accomplished through the DEP/ARR INDEX page as shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 shows a display screen 12A and a row selection key (LSK) set 19 . The individual row selection keys 19 are identified with 1L to 6L and 1R to 6R respectively, which are used to select the desired option. To access the taxi planning page the driver motivates one of 2L, 2R or 4R. The display shows an aircraft preparing to fly from KJFK airport to KATL airport. The LSK 2L is activated for planning the departure taxi path to the runway. To plan the return to the gate, eg to force the aircraft back to KJFK, the taxi path is LSK 2R. To plan the arrival taxi path from the taxiway to the boarding gate of the destination aircraft KMEM select LSK 4R. Once the LSK 2L is activated, the screen changes to the KJFK departure taxi page shown in Figure 3.

Using the displayed departure taxiing page, first get the current boarding gate position and destination runway. This information may be recalled from memory, received from other aircraft systems, entered by the pilot on a different FMS page or entered by the pilot on the current page. If this information has not been entered, the driver is prompted for the location via a possible gate menu and then a possible runway menu. Alternatively, the pilot can enter gate and runway information through the escrow area of the MCDU. After getting the gate and runway, the system accesses the NDB 13, calculates a menu of possible taxiways and/or links and displays them on the screen 12A adjacent to the LSK 19. With each selection from the menu of possible taxiways and/or links, a new menu appears with the next possible selection under the "TO" heading. The selected entry is highlighted and the "TO" heading drops to prepare space for the selected entry above the "TO" heading. The page scrolls up and down to display the appropriate information. Re-selecting the highlighted item re-establishes the menu for that item and discards previous items below the re-selected item. This process is continued until the destination runway is obtained. After getting both gate and runway data, the "STD ROUTE" option appears near LSK 5R. Standard routing automatically selects a menu of pre-defined glide paths, enabling selection of glide paths from the current location to the destination with a single keystroke. Determining the appropriate menu selection is preferably achieved by using the following linked list and algorithm.

Fig. 4 shows a landing page according to an embodiment of the present invention. The LSK 4R can be incentivized to enter the arrival page by being on the departure/arrival index page, such as shown in Figure 2. Determine runway and gate information as discussed above. Processor 11A accesses NDB 13 and calculates a menu of possible taxiways and links, with each menu selection a new menu of possible taxi selections is calculated and displayed under the "TO" heading. The selected entry is highlighted and the "TO" heading drops to make room for the selected entry. Re-selecting the highlighted item re-establishes the menu for that item and discards previous items below the re-selected item. After getting the runway and gate information, the "STD ROUTE" prompt appears.

Figure 5 shows an example menu of possible taxiways and links.

As shown, this possible taxiway selection consists of the respective intersections L5, L6, M4 and M5. The letters and numbers assigned to the various runways, taxiways, links etc. are unique to each airport and are stored in the linked list 13A of the NDB 13.

Another aspect of the invention resides in the database used to implement the taxi planning system of the invention. This database stores airport taxi data for each airport. Linked lists are preferably used to implement this aspect of the invention. Linked lists are shown in FIGS. 6A , 6B and 7 . The two data tables are linked together. The first table is the Taxi Path ID Table (TPIDT) 71 which includes the Taxi Path ID Record (TPIDR) 61 .

The TPIDR 61 includes an identifier field 61A, such as 36L for a runway, A16 for a gate or L5 for a taxiway link. Taxi Type field 61B identifies the current path such as a runway, taxiway, apron, gate, or similar airport area. Pointer field 61C is a link to a taxi point record (TPR) 62 in a taxi point table (TPT) 72 that contains each taxi point associated with the taxi route ID. The number field 61D tells the program the number of the taxi point for this taxi ID.

The second table is TPT 72 composed of TPR 62. Each TPR 62 includes a latitude field 62A and a longitude field 62B to precisely specify the horizontal location of the point. Width field 62C specifies the pavement width at this point. Altitude field 62D contains the altitude of the point. It can be an absolute altitude or a relative position relative to a reference point or marker in the airport. Point type field 62E identifies the point by a particular characteristic (eg, part of a curved or flat surface, holding point or gate). Certain points cause specific actions. For example a HOLD point causes the system to remind the driver to approve the hold before proceeding. This is preferably achieved by stopping the advance of the display screen or scrolling through the display screen until the driver confirms the hold by actuating a row selection key 19 .

The taxi point record includes a link 62F on another marker to a pointer to the record in TPIPT 71. For example, if there is an aircraft on a runway, there are typically multiple connections to each taxiway. Using this pointer field, processor 11A can quickly identify possible taxiways and links and create a menu of appropriate taxi branches for display on the menu.

A linked list between these two tables is shown in FIG. 7 . Each record in TPIDT 71 contains a link to a record in TPT 72. They are indicated with links 71A and 71B. Similarly, many records in TPT 72 contain multiple links to records in TPIDT 71. This is shown by links 72A and 72B, which show two links from record TPR 1 to records TPIDR 4 and TPIDR N-3.

Employing a linked list structure allows the present invention to quickly identify appropriate taxi options and allows the driver to quickly build a taxi plan consisting of taxi points in the NDB 13.

The method of the present invention is shown in FIG. 8 by means of a flow 80 , and after starting block 81 , the method proceeds to block 82 to receive the current position of the aircraft at the airport. This step is preferably accomplished through driver input data. The driver can also enter this data en route to the destination airport. This step may also include receiving a destination location in a similar manner. Instead, the data may be received through an automatic data link with ATC or determined from position data from a positioning system such as GPS.

The method proceeds to box 83 where the associated taxi path ID record is retrieved from the NDB. For example, if the aircraft is on runway 27R, then the taxi path ID record for 27R is retrieved. The taxipath ID record contains a pointer to associated taxipoint records that include data such as the location and width of the runway.

Associated taxipoint records are retrieved in block 84 . These taxipoint records include pointers to possible taxiways and links that are appropriate taxi branches for a particular taxipoint. The method proceeds to box 85 where possible taxiways and links are determined using respective pointers to different taxiway records. There may be multiple pointers to different taxi path ID records. The method continues at block 86 where the individual taxiways and links form a selection menu and are displayed on the display screen. At block 87, user input specifying a desired taxiway or link is received.

The method continues at decision box 88 where it is checked whether the selected taxiway or link is a terminating branch. For example, if the selection is a boarding gate, it is assumed that taxi route planning is done and the process ends. If this is not the case, the process continues back to block 84 where again the appropriate associated taxipoint record is retrieved. This process continues until the taxi plan is complete or the pilot terminates the plan before reaching the regular termination point. When the taxi route is selected, the route is displayed on the HDD at block 89 and superimposed on top of the airport map, thereby giving the driver an improved understanding of the situation.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the preferred embodiments of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. An aircraft taxiing planning system, comprising: A user interface, including: a display screen, and a selection input; a data storage unit storing airport taxi data; and a processor in communication with said display screen and said selection input, Wherein the processor generates a menu of possible taxi branches based on the airport taxi data and a previous taxi branch selection, and the processor transmits the menu to the display screen, the taxi branches commensurate with the position of the aircraft. 2. The aircraft taxi planning system according to claim 1, wherein said airport taxi data includes runway data, taxiway data and boarding gate data. 3. The aircraft taxi planning system according to claim 1, wherein said data storage component stores predefined standard taxi routes. 4. The aircraft taxi planning system according to claim 1, wherein said airport taxi data is stored in a linked list. 5. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein said display screen comprises a drop-down display system. 6. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein said display screen comprises a head-up display system. 7. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein said display screen is selected from the group consisting of an electronic flight instrument system, a head-up display, a transponder, and a wireless communication system. 8. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a multi-function control display unit. 9. The aircraft taxi planning system of claim 1, wherein said processor comprises a flight management computer. 10. A method for aircraft taxi planning, comprising the steps of: receiving aircraft position data indicating the position of the aircraft on the airport; Generate a first taxiing branch menu commensurate with the aircraft position data according to the airport taxiing data; receiving a first taxi leg selection signal indicative of a first selected taxi leg selected from said first taxi leg menu; generating a second taxi branch menu commensurate with the first selected taxi branch according to the airport taxi data and the first selected taxi branch; receiving a second taxi leg selection signal indicative of a second selected taxi leg selected from said second taxi leg menu; generating a taxi route indicative of said second selected taxi branch; and A taxi path signal indicative of the taxi path is communicated to a display system. 11. The aircraft taxi planning method of claim 10, further comprising the step of receiving aircraft destination data indicative of a destination location on said airport. 12. The aircraft taxi planning method of claim 10, wherein the first generating step includes generating a standard taxi route. 13. The aircraft taxi planning method of claim 10, wherein each step of generating a menu includes searching a linked list of airport taxi data. 14. The aircraft taxi planning method of claim 13, wherein said linked list comprises a taxi point table. 15. The aircraft taxi planning method according to claim 13, wherein said linked list comprises a taxi path ID table. 16. The aircraft taxi planning method of claim 10, further comprising the step of sending said taxi path to a ground control system. 17. The aircraft taxi planning method of claim 13, wherein said linked list includes a point type field. 18. The aircraft taxi planning method of claim 17, wherein said point type field includes a HOLD value. 19. The aircraft taxi planning method of claim 18, further comprising the step of requesting an action by the pilot upon said aircraft approaching a taxi point associated with said HOLD value. 20. The aircraft taxi planning method of claim 10, wherein said display system is selected from the group consisting of a lead-down display system and a lead-up display system.

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