Patent Application
20220327939
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from Indian Patent Application No. 202111016541, filed on Apr. 8, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of navigation for urban air mobility vehicles and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing contextual three-dimensional imagery to aircraft operators.
Urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles are often used to navigate at low altitudes in regions with features such as tall buildings and structures, including some buildings on which the UAM vehicle may land. While navigating such airspaces at lower altitudes, traditional two-dimensional navigation views may not provide the vehicle operator with relevant information such as the relative heights of the buildings and structures along the vehicle's path. On the other hand, three-dimensional navigation views may be cluttered with details not relevant to the vehicle's path, while potentially obscuring relevant information behind or under the less relevant information. Further, constant and dynamic rendering of three-dimensional airspace may be a resource intensive process in a vehicle potentially operating with limited resources.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of these above-referenced challenges.
According to certain aspects of the disclosure, systems and methods are disclosed for providing contextual three-dimensional imagery to aircraft operators.
For instance, a method for providing contextual three-dimensional imagery to one or more operators of an aircraft can include obtaining aircraft flight information, from an aircraft control system, retrieving building information for one or more buildings located in a flight path area that includes the current position of the aircraft, and assigning one or more visual characteristics to each of the one or more buildings located in the flight path area based at least in part on the aircraft flight information and the building information. The method may further include rendering the one or more buildings in three dimensions with the one or more visual characteristics assigned to each of the one or more buildings and displaying the three-dimensional rendering of the one or more buildings to the one or more operators of the aircraft.
Moreover, a system for providing contextual three-dimensional imagery to aircraft operators may include a display including one or more screens, a memory storing instructions, and a processor executing the instructions to perform a process for providing contextual three-dimensional imagery to one or more operators of an aircraft. The process performed can include obtaining aircraft flight information that includes a current position and a current trajectory of the aircraft, retrieving building information for one or more buildings located in a flight path area that includes the current position of the aircraft, and assigning one or more visual characteristics to each of the one or more buildings located in the flight path area based at least in part on the aircraft flight information and the building information. The process can further include: rendering the one or more buildings in three dimensions and including the one or more visual characteristics assigned to each of the one or more buildings, and displaying the three-dimensional rendering of the one or more buildings to the one or more operators of the aircraft via the display.
Moreover, a system may include an aircraft control system, a display including one or more screens, an operator input device, a memory storing instructions, and a processor executing the instructions to perform a process for providing contextual three-dimensional imagery to one or more operators of an aircraft. The process performed can include obtaining aircraft flight information that includes a current position of the aircraft and a current trajectory of the aircraft from the aircraft control system, retrieving building information for one or more buildings located in a flight path area that includes the current position of the aircraft from a database, and wherein the building information includes locations and dimensions of each of the one or more buildings and landing information relevant to whether or not each of the one or more buildings has a landing pad. The process can further include assigning one or more visual characteristics to each of the one or more buildings based at least in part on the aircraft flight information and the building information, such that one of the one or more visual characteristics is an opacity of the one or more buildings and the opacity of the one or more buildings is assigned such that a building of the one or more buildings that includes a landing pad is assigned an opacity that is greater than the opacity assigned to a building of the one or more buildings that does not include a landing pad. The process can continue by rendering the one or more buildings in three dimensions such that they include the one or more visual characteristics assigned to each of the one or more buildings, displaying the three-dimensional rendering of the one or more buildings, receiving an operator input that includes a request for additional information about one of the one or more buildings, and displaying a graphic element that includes building information corresponding to the one of the one or more buildings in response to the operator input.
Additional objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosed embodiments.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosed embodiments, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of navigation for urban air mobility vehicles and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing contextual three-dimensional imagery to aircraft operators.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the challenges discussed above. As UAM vehicles generally operate at lower altitudes than other traditional aircraft, the presence of buildings and other structures in the airspace is relevant to aircraft operators. Accordingly, aircraft may be fitted with a number of displays and navigation aids to provide the operators with information, for example, the positions and heights of buildings in the airspace. When operating the aircraft, the operators may desire certain information and/or interface views during certain flight situations, for example, providing the nearest landing pads in an emergency, providing a visual representation of the aircraft range when power levels are low, or focusing on the destination landing pad during the landing phase of flight. Conversely, there may be situations in which there is too much information being conveyed on a crowded display, for example, displaying buildings far from the flight path or buildings that block the operator's view of the destination landing pad.
In general, the present disclosure is directed to systems and methods that are able to address one or more of the above challenges by providing contextual three-dimensional imagery to aircraft operators to keep them fully apprised of the airspace and able to view relevant information about landing pads and buildings. For instance, a system may provide the operator of a vehicle with a visual representation of each of the relevant buildings and structures present in the airspace along with visual characteristics that allow the operator to determine relevant information visually, and at a glance. The systems and/or methods of the present disclosure for providing contextual three-dimensional imagery to aircraft operators may have an advantage of reducing the burden on the vehicle operator, thereby allowing the operator to place more attention on other critical aspects of the vehicle flight.
Therefore, by providing contextual three-dimensional imagery, operators may be able to be aware of information most relevant to the flight situation, while not being overwhelmed and/or distracted with information that is not relevant in the present flight context.
While this disclosure describes the systems and methods with reference to aircraft, it should be appreciated that the present systems and methods may be applicable to various other vehicles, including those of drones, automobiles, ships, spacecraft, or any other manned, unmanned, autonomous, and/or internet-connected vehicles.
Aircraft 110 can include aircraft control system 115 to serve as the controller of flight components and aircraft systems (e.g., control surfaces, propulsion, energy generation/management). In some embodiments, aircraft control system 115 may communicate with GPS 118 in order to, for example, locate aircraft 110 in the airspace; energy source 117 to, for example, manage aircraft range and speed; and flight sensors 116 to, for example, monitor the operating and flight characteristics of aircraft 110. Without deviating from the scope of this disclosure, aircraft 110 may have additional elements that can be in communication with aircraft control system 115 and/or processor 111.
Aircraft 110 may use RF/cellular transceiver 112 to communicate with other elements of the system environment, for example, via network 120 or directly by radio communication. Network 120 may be implemented as, for example, the Internet, a wireless network, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), or any other type of network or combination of networks that provides communications between one or more components of the system environment 100. In some embodiments, the network 120 may be implemented using a suitable communication protocol or combination of protocols such as a wired or wireless Internet connection in combination with a cellular data network.
To aid and/or guide aircraft 110, one or more ground stations 130 may provide aircraft 110 with information, such as information regarding air traffic, weather conditions, and/or other information useful for the flight of aircraft 110. A ground station 130 may include a processor 131, an RF/cellular transceiver 132, memory 133, and network connection 134. Processor 131 and memory 133 may collect and transmit information via RF/cellular transceiver 132 and/or network connection 134. Ground station 130 may be in communication with, for example, air traffic control, meteorologists, and one or more databases 140.
One or more databases 140 may be repositories for system information such as map data, building data, flight plan data, and the like. Database 140 may include a processor 141, a network connection 142, and a memory 143. Memory 143 may store data, processor 141 may access and organize the stored data to respond to requests and provide updates to the stored data, and information may be provided to other elements in system environment 100 via network connection 142. In some embodiments, database 140 may communicate directly with aircraft 110 via network 120. Further, ground station 130 may be able to relay requests for information from aircraft 110 to database 140 via one or more of its RF/cellular transceiver 132 and network connection 134.
Beginning at step 210, processor 111 may obtain aircraft flight information, for example from aircraft control system 115. Aircraft flight information may include one or more of a current position, a current trajectory, an energy level, a target destination, a phase of flight, and/or an operating status of the aircraft.
Having obtained the aircraft flight information, at step 220, the system may then retrieve building information for one or more buildings located in an area around the flight path and aircraft 110. This can include, for example, map data, information regarding the dimensions and positions of one or more buildings, information regarding which of the one or more buildings is capable of being landed upon, information regarding the features and/or amenities available at one or more buildings, and/or other information that may be relevant to an aircraft that is or will be in the vicinity of one or more buildings.
Using the aircraft flight information and the building information, at step 230, processor 111 may assign visual characteristics to each of the buildings and structures located in the flight path area. For example, this may include assigning one or more visual characteristics to the destination of the aircraft, buildings with landing pads, buildings that are in restricted airspace, buildings that are out of the range of the aircraft, buildings above or below a certain height, and/or buildings that lack one or more of these features. The visual characteristics assigned to each building may include such variations as, for example, color, opacity, texture, symbology, luminescence, and/or visual effects such as blinking or flashing. In some embodiments, the operator of aircraft 110 may be able to determine their own set of visual characteristics based on a preference, such as the use of a preferred color for the destination or the avoidance of colors that the operator may not be able to distinguish (e.g., an operator with red-green color blindness). Aircraft operators can be aware of the assignment criteria, and therefore may be able to determine, based on the visual characteristic applied, that a building in the airspace has or lacks a certain feature, or is in a restricted or unreachable airspace.
Once processor 111 has determined which visual characteristics should be assigned to a building or structure, at step 240, processor 111 may begin to render the buildings and structures in three dimensions such that the three-dimensional rendering includes the assigned visual characteristics. At step 250, the rendered buildings and structures may be displayed, for example, on display/UI 114 so that the operators of the aircraft can observe the three-dimensional airspace.
As noted above, the manner in which the visual characteristics are assigned to the buildings and structures may vary based on a number of factors and contexts. A visual characteristic may be assigned based on, for example, whether or not the building is the current destination for aircraft 110. An exemplary GUI 300 in accordance with these criteria is shown in
Another factor that may be considered when assigning visual characteristics is whether or not aircraft 110 has enough energy to reach the building, and/or if the building is in a restricted portion of airspace. For example, in order to keep the aircraft operators apprised of the energy level and/or the aircraft's proximity to a no-fly zone, a visual characteristic may be assigned based on whether or not the building is within a calculated range of aircraft 110 and/or whether or not the building is in otherwise restricted airspace, such as a no-fly zone. An exemplary GUI 400 in accordance with these criteria is shown in
In some embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure, the existence of an emergency involving aircraft 110 may require an unplanned emergency landing. In response to determining that the operational status of aircraft 110 is one requiring an emergency landing, processor 111 may reassign visual characteristics to the buildings based on whether or not they are the closest emergency landing options. An exemplary GUI 500 in accordance with these criteria is shown in
Even absent an emergency, the aircraft operators may desire to be aware of which buildings have a landing pad or other arrangement on which aircraft 110 may be capable of landing.
Depending on the phase of flight, particular information may be important to the aircraft operators, and some information may be less relevant.
While the selective rendering of buildings 720 may be appropriate during the cruising phase of flight,
In addition to visual characteristics associated with the buildings themselves, processor 111 can assign visual characteristics that may include graphic elements to display information, such as landing information related to the destination.
In addition to being able to provide a graphic element for the destination building,
Systems and methods for providing contextual three-dimensional imagery to aircraft operators in accordance with the present disclosure may be able to provide an aircraft operator with contextually relevant information regarding the buildings and structures along the aircraft's path in a visual manner. Displaying three-dimensional navigation imagery that visually represents characteristics or features that may be relevant to the aircraft's current or future phase of flight may reduce or eliminate the need for an aircraft operator to manually change displays or consult separate lists or displays to receive relevant information. By automatically providing information that may answer some of the questions an aircraft operator may have at a particular time, and by reducing the amount an aircraft operator may have to shift their focus to another display or to manually change/adjust a display, aircraft operators may exhibit an increased awareness of how the aircraft may safely proceed through the airspace at any given time.
The general discussion of this disclosure provides a brief, general description of a suitable computing environment in which the present disclosure may be implemented. In one embodiment, any of the disclosed systems and/or methods may be executed by or implemented by a computing system consistent with or similar to that depicted and/or explained in this disclosure. Although not required, aspects of the present disclosure are described in the context of computer-executable instructions, such as routines executed by a data processing device, e.g., a server computer, wireless device, and/or personal computer. Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that aspects of the present disclosure can be practiced with other communications, data processing, or computer system configurations, including: internet appliances, hand-held devices (including personal digital assistants (“PDAs”)), wearable computers, all manner of cellular or mobile phones (including Voice over IP (“VoIP”) phones), dumb terminals, media players, gaming devices, virtual reality devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, set-top boxes, network PCs, mini-computers, mainframe computers, and the like. Indeed, the terms “computer,” “server,” and the like, are generally used interchangeably herein, and refer to any of the above devices and systems, as well as any data processor.
Aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in a special purpose computer and/or data processor that is specifically programmed, configured, and/or constructed to perform one or more of the computer-executable instructions explained in detail herein. While aspects of the present disclosure, such as certain functions, are described as being performed exclusively on a single device, the present disclosure may also be practiced in distributed environments where functions or modules are shared among disparate processing devices, which are linked through a communications network, such as a Local Area Network (“LAN”), Wide Area Network (“WAN”), and/or the Internet. Similarly, techniques presented herein as involving multiple devices may be implemented in a single device. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and/or remote memory storage devices.
Aspects of the present disclosure may be stored and/or distributed on non-transitory computer-readable media, including magnetically or optically readable computer discs, hard-wired or preprogrammed chips (e.g., EEPROM semiconductor chips), nanotechnology memory, biological memory, or other data storage media. Alternatively, computer implemented instructions, data structures, screen displays, and other data under aspects of the present disclosure may be distributed over the internet and/or over other networks (including wireless networks), on a propagated signal on a propagation medium (e.g., an electromagnetic wave(s), a sound wave, etc.) over a period of time, and/or they may be provided on any analog or digital network (packet switched, circuit switched, or other scheme).
Program aspects of the technology may be thought of as “products” or “articles of manufacture” typically in the form of executable code and/or associated data that is carried on or embodied in a type of machine-readable medium. “Storage” type media include any or all of the tangible memory of the computers, processors or the like, or associated modules thereof, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives and the like, which may provide non-transitory storage at any time for the software programming. All or portions of the software may at times be communicated through the internet or various other telecommunication networks. Such communications, for example, may enable loading of the software from one computer or processor into another, for example, from a management server or host computer of the mobile communication network into the computer platform of a server and/or from a server to the mobile device. Thus, another type of media that may bear the software elements includes optical, electrical and electromagnetic waves, such as used across physical interfaces between local devices, through wired and optical landline networks and over various air-links. The physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical links, or the like, also may be considered as media bearing the software. As used herein, unless restricted to non-transitory, tangible “storage” media, terms such as computer or machine “readable medium” refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution.
The terminology used above may be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific examples of the present disclosure. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized above; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Description section. Both the foregoing general description and the detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the features, as claimed.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “having,” “including,” or other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus.
In this disclosure, relative terms, such as, for example, “about,” “substantially,” “generally,” and “approximately” are used to indicate a possible variation of ±10% in a stated value.
The term “exemplary” is used in the sense of “example” rather than “ideal.” As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference unless the context dictates otherwise.
Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202111016541 | Apr 2021 | IN | national |
