초록 ▼

An improved system and method are disclosed for facilitating target aiming and aircraft control by flight crews using electronic displays. For example, an aircraft display system is disclosed that includes a database for storing target location and boundary data, a processing unit, a position and d

An improved system and method are disclosed for facilitating target aiming and aircraft control by flight crews using electronic displays. For example, an aircraft display system is disclosed that includes a database for storing target location and boundary data, a processing unit, a position and direction determination unit for use in determining the position of an aiming symbol on a display, a graphics display generator, and a visual display. The processing unit determines whether or not a selected target to be displayed is obscured or covered by the aiming symbol to be displayed. If any portion of the target is obscured or covered by the aiming symbol, then the processing unit directs the graphics display generator to generate graphic control signals for the visual display, which increase the transparency of the portions of the aiming symbol that obscure or cover the target. Notably, the transparency of any symbol (or portion of a symbol) can be increased if that symbol obscures or covers a target being displayed or viewed. Thus, the visibility of targets viewed using onboard visual displays is significantly enhanced, whereby the targets are obscured by the symbols used to aim and control the aircraft. Advantageously, target aiming and aircraft control are facilitated, which reduces pilot workload and navigation errors, and thus results in increased aircraft safety.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A system for enhancing target aiming and aircraft control using a visual display, comprising: a position and direction determination unit, said position and determination unit operable to determine at least one of a current position and a direction of an aircraft; a data stor

What is claimed is: 1. A system for enhancing target aiming and aircraft control using a visual display, comprising: a position and direction determination unit, said position and determination unit operable to determine at least one of a current position and a direction of an aircraft; a data storage unit, said data storage unit operable to store target data defining at least one of target location data and target boundary data; and a processing unit coupled to said position determination and direction unit and said data storage unit, said processing unit operable to: receive said current position and said direction of said aircraft; retrieve said target data; generate a first plurality of control signals for a visual display, said first plurality of control signals representing a flight control symbol for said visual display; determine if a portion of said flight control symbol for said visual display overlays a portion of a target for said visual display; and if said portion of said flight control symbol for said visual display overlays said portion of said target for said visual display, generate said first plurality of control signals for said visual display so as to adjust a transparency of said portion of said flight control symbol for said visual display such that said target is visible through said portion of said flight control symbol. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said flight control symbol comprises an aiming symbol. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said flight control symbol comprises a Flight Path Vector symbol. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said target comprises a runway. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein said target comprises a high priority target. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein said generating operation comprises an operation of increasing said transparency of said portion of said flight control symbol. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual display comprises a Heads-Down Display that is operable to display a visual representation of said flight control symbol and said target. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual display comprises a Heads-Up Display that is operable to display a visual representation of said flight control symbol and enables an actual viewing of said target. 9. A display system for target aiming and aircraft control, comprising: means for determining at least one of a current position and a direction of an aircraft; means for storing target data defining at least one of target location data and target boundary data; and a processing unit coupled to said means for determining and said means for storing, said processing unit operable to: determine an aiming point for said aircraft; retrieve a target for display; generate a first plurality of control signals for a visual display, said first plurality of control signals representing a symbol located on said visual display at said aiming point for said aircraft; determine if a portion of said symbol obscures a portion of said target for display; and if said portion of said symbol obscures said portion of said target for display, generate said first plurality of control signals for said visual display so as to adjust a transparency of said portion of said symbol for said visual display such that said target is visible through said portion of said symbol. 10. The display system of claim 9, wherein said symbol comprises a Flight Path Vector symbol. 11. The display system of claim 9, wherein said target comprises a high priority target. 12. The display system of claim 9, wherein said target comprises a runway. 13. The display system of claim 9, wherein said target comprises an aircraft. 14. The display system of claim 9, wherein said generate operation comprises an operation to increase said transparency of said portion of said symbol. 15. The display system of claim 9, wherein said visual display comprises a Heads-Down Display that is operable to display a visual representation of said symbol and said target. 16. The display system of claim 9, wherein said visual display comprises a Heads-Up Display that is operable to display a visual representation of said symbol and enables an actual viewing of said target. 17. A method for facilitating target aiming and aircraft control using a visual display, comprising the steps of: receiving at least one of a current position and a direction of an aircraft; retrieving data defining a location of a target; generating a first plurality of control signals representing a flight control symbol for a visual display; determining if a portion of said flight control symbol for said visual display overlays a portion of a target for said visual display; and adjusting a transparency of said portion of said flight control symbol for said visual display such that said target is visible through said portion of said flight control symbol if said portion of said flight control symbol for said visual display overlays said portion of said target for said visual display. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the adjusting step comprises a step of increasing said transparency of said portion of said flight control symbol. 19. A computer program product, comprising: a computer-usable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for configuring a computer processor, the computer program product comprising: a first executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to determine at least one of a current position and a direction of an aircraft; a second executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to store target data defining at least one of target location data and target boundary data; and a third executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to determine an aiming point for said aircraft; a fourth executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to retrieve a target for display; a fifth executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to generate a first plurality of control signals for a visual display, said first plurality of control signals representing a symbol located on said visual display at said aiming point for said aircraft; a sixth executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to determine if a portion of said symbol obscures a portion of said target for display; and a seventh executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to generate said first plurality of control signals for said visual display so as to adjust a transparency of said portion of said symbol for said visual display such that said target is visible through said portion of said symbol if said portion of said symbol obscures said portion of said target. 20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said symbol comprises a Flight Path Vector symbol.