초록 ▼

An apparatus and method for displaying weather and other hazard information to a pilot with additional content which helps a pilot avoid no-fly-zones and to prepare a new flight path through a group of widely scattered thunderstorms. The display shows a no-fly-zone around the storm and the no-fly-zo

An apparatus and method for displaying weather and other hazard information to a pilot with additional content which helps a pilot avoid no-fly-zones and to prepare a new flight path through a group of widely scattered thunderstorms. The display shows a no-fly-zone around the storm and the no-fly-zone is depicted differently, depending upon variables, such as distance from the aircraft, velocity of the storm being tracked and others.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An avionics system comprising: a display showing a plurality of dynamic hazards disposed around a central point depicting a current location of an aircraft, where increased distance on the display corresponds to increased separation between a dynamic hazard and the aircraft; and, a line draw

1. An avionics system comprising: a display showing a plurality of dynamic hazards disposed around a central point depicting a current location of an aircraft, where increased distance on the display corresponds to increased separation between a dynamic hazard and the aircraft; and, a line drawn around each of said plurality of dynamic hazards to create a no-fly-zone; WHEREBY, a flight crew member on said aircraft can readily see areas which are to be avoided. 2. An avionics system of claim 1 wherein said line is drawn such as to represent a no-fly-zone which is at least large enough to include airspace within a predetermined minimum safe separation distance from a dynamic hazard.3. An avionics system of claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of dynamic hazards is a storm cell, and said predetermined minimum safe separation distance is nominally 20 NM.4. An avionics system of claim 2 wherein said plurality of dynamic hazards are weather-related hazards and further comprising: additional graphic representation providing information relating to a predicted future contour of a tracked storm cell. 5. An avionics system of claim 4 wherein said additional graphic representation is predicted future no-fly-zone.6. An avionics system of claim 5 wherein said predicted future no-fly-zone is disposed around a predicted future contour of said tracked storm cell.7. An avionics system of claim 2 wherein a size characteristic of said no-fly-zone is determined by a separation distance between a tracked storm cell and a location of the aircraft.8. An avionics system of claim 7 further comprising a displayed vector depicting predicted future movement of said tracked storm cell.9. An avionics system of claim 8 wherein a length characteristic of said displayed vector represents a speed characteristic of said tracked storm cell.10. An avionics system of claim 9 further including a display of an automated deviated flight path which avoids said tracked storm cell.11. A method of assisting a pilot with navigating an aircraft through a plurality of dynamic hazards, the method comprising the steps of: providing a map display of weather information; providing a display of a zone line drawn around a dynamic hazard, where the zone line represents airspace within a predetermined distance of said dynamic hazard. 12. A method of claim 11 wherein said dynamic hazard is a contoured region within a storm.13. A method of claim 12 wherein said contoured region is tracked to predict a future location.14. A method of claim 13 further including the step of providing a future zone line disposed about said predicted future location.15. A method of claim 12 wherein said storm cell is a tracked storm cell having a predicted future velocity.16. A method of claim 15 wherein said predetermined distance is variable and is, at least in part, related to a radial distance from said tracked storm cell to said aircraft.17. A method of claim 16 further comprising the step of: providing a display of a velocity vector of said tracked storm cell, where a length characteristic of said velocity vector corresponds to a relative speed characteristic between said aircraft and said tracked storm cell. 18. A method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of: automatically generating an alternate flight path of said aircraft in response to said tracked storm cell and automatically flying said aircraft along said alternate flight path. 19. A method of claim 17 wherein said step of providing a display of a zone line is performed at a location other than on said aircraft; and said aircraft is an unmanned aerial vehicle.20. A system comprising: means for providing and processing weather information; means for displaying said weather information on-board an aircraft; wherein said means for providing and processing weather information being configured to determine a no-fly-zone around a tracked storm cell; wherein said no-fly-zone is sized, shaped, located and orie nted in response to a size characteristic of said tracked storm cell, a velocity characteristic of said tracked storm cell, and a separation distance between said tracked storm cell and said aircraft; and, means for generating an alternate flight path of said aircraft in response to said tracked storm cell.