초록 ▼

Systems and methods for improving situational awareness on an in-trails procedures display. A radar system transmits a radar signal and receives and stores weather radar reflectivity values into a three-dimensional buffer. A processor determines whether any of the stored weather reflectivity values

Systems and methods for improving situational awareness on an in-trails procedures display. A radar system transmits a radar signal and receives and stores weather radar reflectivity values into a three-dimensional buffer. A processor determines whether any of the stored weather reflectivity values indicate the presence of a weather hazard and generates one or more weather hazard icons based on the stored weather reflectivity values. An in-trail procedures display device displays the generated weather hazard icons. Wake vortex information for other aircraft is generated and outputted on the in-trail procedures display. Also, the processor receives a request for an altitude change and generates an alert when the aircraft is determined not to be cleared to transition to the requested altitude based on a projected transition, any existing weather hazards, wake vortices of proximate aircraft, and in-trail procedures.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method comprising: transmitting a radar signal from a present aircraft and receiving weather radar reflectivity values at the present aircraft;determining that the weather radar reflectivity values indicate the presence of at least one weather hazard;generating at least one weather hazard icon

1. A method comprising: transmitting a radar signal from a present aircraft and receiving weather radar reflectivity values at the present aircraft;determining that the weather radar reflectivity values indicate the presence of at least one weather hazard;generating at least one weather hazard icon based on the weather radar reflectivity values, wherein the at least one weather hazard icon represents an in-trail procedure position of the at least one weather hazard in relation to an in-trail procedures position of the present aircraft; andsimultaneously displaying the at least one weather hazard icon and at least one aircraft icon on an in-trail procedures display, wherein the at least one aircraft icon represents an in-trail procedure position of at least one aircraft in relation to the in-trail procedures position of the present aircraft. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating comprises generating the at least one weather hazard icon based on in-trail procedures position information associated with the at least one weather hazard and displaying comprises displaying the at least one weather hazard icon on at least a vertical situational awareness display of the in-trail procedures display. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying comprises displaying the at least one weather hazard icon on at least one of a plan view display or a three-dimensional display. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating comprises generating at least one of a lightning icon if the weather radar reflectivity values indicate the presence of lightning or a hail icon if the weather radar reflectivity values indicate the presence of hail. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving Doppler information;generating a turbulence icon, if the received Doppler information indicates the presence of turbulence; anddisplaying the turbulence icon on the in-trail procedures display. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving flight identification information from one or more target aircraft; andgenerating and displaying on the in-trail procedures display a wake vortex icon for the one or more target aircraft when the one or more target aircraft are determined to be within a predefined window from the present aircraft, based on position information of the one or more target aircraft and the present aircraft. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the wake vortex is based on the received aircraft identification, performance information associated with the aircraft identification, ambient condition information and a wake vortex algorithm. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a request from a flight crew of the present aircraft for an altitude change;determining whether the present aircraft is cleared to transition to the requested altitude; andoutputting an alert when the present aircraft is determined not to be cleared to transition to the requested altitude,wherein the request is determined clear to transition if a projected altitude transition does not conflict with an existing weather hazard, wake vortex of another aircraft, and does not violate in-trail procedures. 9. A system comprising: a memory device;a radar system configured to transmit a radar signal from a present aircraft and receive weather radar reflectivity values at the present aircraft;a processor in signal communication with the memory device, the processor configured to: determine that the weather radar reflectivity values indicate the presence of at least one weather hazard; andgenerate at least one weather hazard icon based on the weather radar reflectivity values, wherein the at least one weather hazard icon represents an in-trail procedure position of the at least one weather hazard in relation to an in-trail procedures position of the present aircraft; andan in-trail procedures display configured to simultaneously display the at least one weather hazard icon and at least one aircraft icon, wherein the at least one aircraft icon represents an in-trail procedure position of at least one aircraft in relation to the in-trail procedures position of the present aircraft. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the in-trail procedures display comprises a vertical situational awareness display that outputs the at least one weather hazard icon based on in-trail procedures position information associated with the at least one weather hazard. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the in-trail procedures display comprises at least one of a plan view display or a three-dimensional display. 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one weather hazard icon comprises at least one of a lightning icon if the weather radar reflectivity values indicate the presence of lightning or a hail icon if the weather radar reflectivity values indicate the presence of hail. 13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive Doppler information;generate a turbulence icon, if the received Doppler information indicates the presence of turbulence; anddisplay the turbulence icon on the in-trail procedures display. 14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive flight identification information from one or more proximate aircraft; andgenerate a wake vortex for the one or more proximate aircraft when the one or more proximate aircraft are determined to be within a predefined window from the present aircraft, based on position information of the present and proximate aircraft,wherein the in-trail procedures display displays the generated wake vortex,wherein the processor generates the wake vortex based on aircraft identification information, performance information associated with the aircraft identification, ambient condition information and a wake vortex algorithm. 15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive a request for an altitude change; andgenerate an alert when the present aircraft is determined not to be cleared to transition to the requested altitude based on a projected altitude transition, any existing weather hazards, wake vortices of proximate aircraft, and in-trail procedures,wherein the in-trail procedures display outputs the generated alert. 16. A system comprising: means for transmitting a radar signal from a present aircraft;means for receiving weather radar reflectivity values at the present aircraft;means for determining that the weather radar reflectivity values indicate the presence of at least one weather hazard;means for generating at least one weather hazard icon based on the weather radar reflectivity values, wherein the at least one weather hazard icon represents an in-trail procedure position of the at least one weather hazard in relation to an in-trail procedures position of the present aircraft; andmeans for simultaneously displaying the at least one weather hazard icon and at least one aircraft icon on an in-trail procedures display, wherein the at least one aircraft icon represents an in-trail procedure position of at least one aircraft in relation to the in-trail procedures position of the present aircraft. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for generating comprise means for generating the at least one weather hazard based on in-trail procedures position information associated with the at least one weather hazard and displaying comprises displaying the at least one weather hazard icon on at least a vertical situational awareness display of the in-trail procedures display. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for displaying comprise means for displaying the at least one weather hazard icon on at least one of a plan view display or a three-dimensional display. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for generating comprise means for generating at least one of a lightning icon if the weather radar reflectivity values indicate the presence of lightning or a hail icon if the weather radar reflectivity values indicate the presence of hail. 20. The system of claim 16, further comprising: means for receiving Doppler information;means for generating a turbulence icon, if the received Doppler information indicates the presence of turbulence; andmeans for displaying the turbulence icon on the in-trail procedures display.