The subject matter described herein relates generally to vehicle systems, and more particularly, embodiments of the subject matter relate to aircraft systems and related cockpit displays for presenting a list of waypoints associated with a flight plan.
Modern electronic displays for vehicles (such as aircraft, automobiles, marine vessels, or trains) display a considerable amount of information, such as vehicle position, navigation and terrain information. In the case of an aircraft, many modern flight deck displays (or cockpit displays) are utilized to provide a number of different displays from which the user can obtain information or perform functions related to, for example, navigation, flight planning, guidance and navigation, and performance management. In some instances, a cockpit display may have a limited viewable area for a user to review a desired portion of a flight plan or other type of information. This can be an issue because flight plans can have hundreds of waypoints, and thus, navigating within the display to arrive at the desired portion of the flight plan presented on the display can be time consuming and inefficient. Accordingly, it is desirable to improve the navigability of a displayed route of travel. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.
Methods and systems are provided for presenting a waypoint list graphical user interface display. One exemplary method of presenting list of waypoints associated with a route for a vehicle on a graphical user interface display involves providing the graphical user interface display including a scrollable region comprising the list of waypoints, wherein an entry for a currently selected waypoint of the list of waypoints maintains a fixed position on the graphical user interface display while the currently selected waypoint is adjusted.
Another exemplary embodiment of a waypoint list graphical user interface display is provided. The waypoint list graphical user interface display includes a waypoint list region depicting a plurality of waypoints, wherein an entry for a currently selected waypoint of the plurality of waypoints maintains a fixed position on the waypoint list graphical user interface display while the plurality of waypoints are scrolled with respect to the entry.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, a method of presenting a flight plan associated with an aircraft on a graphical user interface display is provided. The method involves providing, on a display device onboard the aircraft, the graphical user interface display including a waypoint list region and a detail region adjacent to the waypoint list region, wherein the detail region depicts information associated with a currently selected waypoint of the flight plan identified within an entry in the waypoint list region, and dynamically updating the detail region to reflect a second waypoint of the flight plan in response to adjusting the currently selected waypoint within the flight plan from a first waypoint of the flight plan to the second waypoint of the flight plan, wherein the entry in the waypoint list region corresponding to the currently selected waypoint is maintained in a fixed position on the display device while the currently selected waypoint is adjusted from the first waypoint to the second waypoint.
Embodiments of the subject matter will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and:
Embodiments of the subject matter described herein generally relate to systems and methods for presenting a list of waypoints or other navigational reference points that define a track (or path) for a route of travel, such as waypoints of a flight plan. In this regard, although the subject matter is described herein primarily in an aviation context, it should be understood that the subject matter may be similarly utilized in other applications involving a predefined route for travel (e.g., a travel plan or travel route) or with another vehicle (e.g., automobiles, marine vessels, trains), and the subject matter described herein is not intended to be limited to use with aircraft or in an aviation environment.
As used herein, a flight plan should be understood as a sequence of navigational reference points or waypoints that define a flight path or route for an aircraft. Depending on the particular flight plan and type of air navigation, the waypoints may comprise navigational aids, such as VHF omni-directional ranges (VORs), distance measuring equipment (DMEs), tactical air navigation aids (TACANs), and combinations thereof (e.g., VORTACs), landing and/or departure locations (e.g., airports, airstrips, runways, landing strips, heliports, helipads, and the like), points of interest or other features on the ground, as well as position fixes (e.g., initial approach fixes (IAFs) and/or final approach fixes (FAFs)) and other navigational reference points used in area navigation (RNAV). For example, a flight plan may include an initial or beginning reference point (e.g., a departure or takeoff location), a final navigational reference point (e.g., an arrival or landing location), and one or more intermediate navigational reference points (e.g., waypoints, positional fixes, and the like) that define the desired path or route for the aircraft from the initial navigational reference point to the final navigational reference point. That said, it should be noted that the term waypoint should be considered interchangeable with other terms such as “landmarks,” “navigational aids,” or the like, as specific terminology may vary between the aviation, maritime and automotive applications.
As described in greater detail below in the context of
The visual display system 110 includes a processing unit 120, a display device 130, and a user interface 140. Generally, the visual display system 110 displays information from the FMS 150 via the display device 130 and enables interaction between a user (e.g., a pilot or other type of operator) and the FMS 150, as described in greater detail below. Additional information about the operation will be provided below after a brief introduction of each component.
In one or more embodiments, the processing unit 120 is a computer processor associated with flight planning and management functions, particularly the display and navigation of a list of waypoints, such as in a flight plan. In one exemplary embodiment, the processing unit 120 functions to at least receive and/or retrieve aircraft flight management information (e.g., from the FMS 150 and data sources 160, 162, 164). The processing unit 120 may also generate display commands for displaying the flight management information. In this regard, the processing unit 120 may function as a graphics display generator to generate display commands based on algorithms or other machine instructions stored in the processing unit 120 or in separate memory components. The processing unit 120 may then send the generated display commands to display device 130 for presentation to the user. The processing unit 120 may additionally receive and generate display commands based on inputs via the user interface 140.
Depending on the embodiment, the processing unit 120 may be implemented or realized with a general-purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, processing core, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. In practice, the processing unit 120 includes processing logic that may be configured to carry out the functions, techniques, and processing tasks or methods associated with operation of the system 100. The processing unit 120 may further include any suitable type of memory or data storage, such as for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, optical or magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store and access desired information.
The display device 130 is coupled to the processing unit 120 for rendering information to the user based on display commands. In one exemplary embodiment, the display device 130 may be a multifunction monitor, unit, or any display suitable for displaying various symbols and information, such as a multifunction control display unit (MCDU), cockpit display device (CDU), primary flight display (PFD), and/or navigation display. Any suitable type of display medium capable of visually presenting multi-colored or monochrome flight information for a pilot or other flight crew member can be provided, such as, for example, various types of CRT displays, LCDs, OLED displays, plasma displays, projection displays, HDDs, HUDs, and the like.
In exemplary embodiments, the user interface 140 is coupled to the processing unit 120 to allow a user to interact with the display device 130 and/or other elements of the system 100. The user interface may be realized as a keypad, touchpad, keyboard, mouse, touch panel, joystick, knob, line select key or another suitable device adapted to receive input from a user. In further embodiments, the user interface 140 is realized as audio input and output devices, such as a speaker, microphone, audio transducer, audio sensor, or the like. In some embodiments, the user interface may be incorporated into the display device 130. For example, in one embodiment, the display device 130 and user interface 140 are integrated as an interactive MCDU with a display screen and a keyboard, touch-screen and/or other mechanisms for function, display, and/or cursor control.
The FMS 150 is coupled to the display system 110 and one or more data sources 160, 162, 164 and generally functions to support navigation, flight planning, and other aircraft control functions, as well as provides real-time data and/or information regarding the operational status of the aircraft. The FMS 150 may include or otherwise access one or more of the following: a weather system, an air traffic management system, a radar system, a traffic avoidance system, an autopilot system, a flight control system, crew alerting systems, electronic checklist systems, an electronic flight bag, and/or other suitable avionics systems. In particular, the FMS 150 may store and/or generate a flight plan for traveling between a current or initial destination and a final destination.
The data sources 160, 162, 164 can include any suitable type of data source that may be used to construct or modify the flight plan, such as an avionics database 160, a navigation system 162, and a communications system 164, as examples. The avionics database 160 may store aeronautical information data, including, for example, flight plan data, data related to airways, navigational aids, navigational data, obstructions, taxi registration, Special Use Airspace, political boundaries, COM frequencies, approach information, geographical information and the like. The navigation system 162 is configured to provide real-time navigational data and/or information regarding operation of the aircraft. The communications system 164 is suitably configured to support communications between the aircraft and another aircraft or ground location (e.g., air traffic control) via a radio system or another suitable data link system.
As introduced above, the display system 110 particularly functions to display a flight plan, including as examples, a selected or otherwise designated flight plan for subsequent execution, a flight plan selected for review, and/or a flight plan currently being executed by the aircraft. In some embodiments, the FMS 150 may store predefined flight plans, while in further embodiments, the flight plan may be uplinked via the communications system 164 and/or manually entered or created by the user via the user interface 140.
As described above, in exemplary embodiments, the flight plan includes a sequence of navigational reference points or waypoints that define a flight path or route for the aircraft. As described in greater detail below, the flight plan may be displayed as a textual list of waypoints in their order of proximity to the aircraft along a planned track. During flight, as the aircraft passes each successive waypoint, remaining successive waypoints may advance or otherwise move up the list, while a traversed waypoint may be removed from the list (e.g., by advancing to an effective position outside the display area). In practice, waypoints may have various types of characteristics, attributes, or properties associated therewith. These characteristics may be a function of the waypoint itself or a function of the placement of the waypoint within the flight plan. For example, a waypoint may be associated with a particular type of aircraft procedure (e.g., a turn or holding procedure) or be associated with a designated constraint, such as noise, altitude, and/or speed constraints. As further examples, a waypoint may be associated with a specific segment of the flight plan (e.g., departure, en route, approach, missed approach, and/or alternate flight plan). As described in greater detail below, one or more of the characteristics, attributes and/or properties associated with a given waypoint may be presented in association with that waypoint when that waypoint is current selected within the waypoint list, or based on the relationship between that waypoint and a currently selected waypoint.
Generally, the FMS 150 may associate different characteristics to waypoints of a flight plan based on various factors. For example, the FMS 150 may determine some waypoint characteristics based on information from the navigation system 162 and/or avionics database 160 (e.g., identifying a waypoint as a runway or compulsory reporting point; identifying stored defined patterns associated with the waypoint, such as procedure turns, published holding patterns, etc.) or based on flight plan modifications (e.g., the crew and/or operator may insert a holding pattern at a specific waypoint as instructed by ground station). In practice, the FMS 150 may evaluate and divide the entire flight plan to map the waypoints to specific flight phases (or segments), e.g., departure, en-route, arrival procedures, etc. For example, the FMS 150 can assign waypoints from origin to top of climb as departure waypoints; from top of climb to top of descent including any step climbs as en-route waypoints; and from top of descent to destination as arrival waypoints. In this manner, the FMS 150 may identify different logical groupings of waypoints according to logically distinct operational segments of the flight plan.
Referring first to
In exemplary embodiments, the waypoint list region 202 is presented at or along a left edge of the waypoint list GUI display 200 and sequentially ordered in a top-down manner, such that the first waypoint at the top of the waypoint listing corresponds to the departure or other initial waypoint of the flight plan, while the waypoint at the bottom of the waypoint listing corresponds to the destination or final waypoint of the flight plan. In the illustrated embodiment, the currently selected waypoint 206 is presented as the fourth entry in the waypoint list region 202, with preceding waypoints of the flight plan being presented above the currently selected waypoint 206 and successive or future waypoints of the flight plan being presented below the currently selected waypoint 206. The entry for the currently selected waypoint 206 in the waypoint list region 202 includes a graphical representation of one or more characteristics or attributes associated with the currently selected waypoint, such as, for example, a planned heading upon traversing the waypoint and a distance to go from the current aircraft position to the waypoint position. For example, in
In exemplary embodiments, in addition to increasing the amount of information presented within the currently selected waypoint entry 206, the currently selected waypoint entry 206 may be rendered using one or more visually distinguishable characteristics that are different from other entries in the waypoint list region 202 to visually emphasize the currently selected waypoint entry 206, such as, for example, a different fill color or pattern, a different font size or weight, and the like. In this regard, waypoints further from the currently selected waypoint entry may be progressively de-emphasized using different visually distinguishable characteristics (e.g., fading) for different entries as one moves down the waypoint list region 202, while also reducing the amount of information depicted within waypoint entries. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, heading and distance-to-go information is presented in the three waypoint entries following the currently selected waypoint entry but obscured or otherwise withheld from presentation in the remaining waypoint entries. In one or more embodiments, the depicted distance-to-go is measured along the track or path defined by the flight plan as opposed to a straight-line distance from the current aircraft position. In exemplary embodiments, the heading and distance-to-go information is presented in the waypoint entry preceding the currently selected waypoint entry 206 is that preceding waypoint has not yet been traversed by the aircraft. In this regard,
As described above, logical dividers 208, 220, 230 may be inserted between waypoints in the waypoint list region 202 to delineate or otherwise indicate different logical operational segments of the flight plan, with corresponding graphical indicia 210, 222, 232 emanating from the dividers 208, 220, 230 to identify the waypoints belonging to the respective logical grouping. In this regard, the dividers 208, 220, 230 function as headers for a logical grouping of waypoints, and accordingly, the dividers 208, 220, 230 may alternatively be referred to herein as headers. In exemplary embodiments, the flight plan segment headers 208, 220, 230 are visually distinguishable from entries corresponding to waypoints within the waypoint list region 202, for example, by using a different font type, a different font size, a different font color, and/or other visually distinguishable characteristics when rendering the headers 208, 220, 230. In the illustrated embodiment, the flight plan segment headers 208, 220, 230 utilize a smaller font size than the waypoint entries within the waypoint list region 202.
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In exemplary embodiments, the emphasized entry 206 corresponding to the currently selected waypoint is maintained in a fixed position on the display device 130 with the waypoint list effectively scrolling behind the currently selected entry 206. In this regard, as the waypoint list scrolls under or behind the emphasized entry 206, a different waypoint is highlighted by the emphasized entry 206 with the waypoint detail region 204 updating accordingly. Waypoints associated with departures, arrivals, approaches, airways, or other logical flight plan segments are visually grouped together using a line that emanates from the header or divider that demarcates where that logical flight plan segment begins within the waypoint list. The header or divider with the name of the flight plan segment grouping sticks or is otherwise maintained at the top of the waypoint list as individual waypoints of the group scroll underneath until the header is no longer necessary or relevant to the currently selected waypoint or the immediately preceding waypoint.
By anchoring the currently selected waypoint to a fixed position on the display, the subject matter described herein solves the problem of a pilot having to locate the currently selected waypoint within the list. Additionally, by logically grouping waypoints within the list, it is easier for a pilot to identify where they are within the flight plan. For example, a pilot might not recognize individual waypoints by name, but may recognize the airway, procedure, or other higher level functional or operational significance that the waypoint is associated with. By maintaining presentation of the flight plan segment group name on the display along with a graphical indicator of the waypoints belonging to that grouping, a pilot may more easily relate the selected waypoint to its operational significance. Reducing the information presented for waypoints further down the waypoint list or waypoints that have already been traversed declutters the display, and thereby improves readability.
In exemplary embodiments, the display device 1004 is realized as an electronic display capable of graphically displaying flight information or other data associated with operation of the aircraft 1002 under control of the display system 1010 and/or processing system 1008. In this regard, the display device 1004 is coupled to the display system 1010 and the processing system 1008, wherein the processing system 1008 and the display system 1010 are cooperatively configured to display, render, or otherwise convey one or more graphical representations or images associated with operation of the aircraft 1002 on the display device 1004. For example, as described in greater detail below, a navigational map that includes a graphical representation of the aircraft 1002 and one or more of the terrain, meteorological conditions, airspace, air traffic, navigational reference points, and a route associated with a flight plan of the aircraft 1002 may be displayed, rendered, or otherwise presented on the display device 1004.
The user input device 1006 is coupled to the processing system 1008, and the user input device 1006 and the processing system 1008 are cooperatively configured to allow a user (e.g., a pilot, co-pilot, or crew member) to interact with the display device 1004 and/or other elements of the aircraft system 1000, as described in greater detail below. Depending on the embodiment, the user input device 1006 may be realized as a keypad, touchpad, keyboard, mouse, touch panel (or touchscreen), joystick, knob, line select key or another suitable device adapted to receive input from a user. In some embodiments, the user input device 1006 is realized as an audio input device, such as a microphone, audio transducer, audio sensor, or the like, that is adapted to allow a user to provide audio input to the aircraft system 1000 in a “hands free” manner without requiring the user to move his or her hands, eyes and/or head to interact with the aircraft system 1000.
The processing system 1008 generally represents the hardware, circuitry, processing logic, and/or other components configured to facilitate communications and/or interaction between the elements of the aircraft system 1000 and perform additional processes, tasks and/or functions to support operation of the aircraft system 1000, as described in greater detail below. Depending on the embodiment, the processing system 1008 may be implemented or realized with a general purpose processor, a controller, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, processing core, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. In practice, the processing system 1008 includes processing logic that may be configured to carry out the functions, techniques, and processing tasks associated with the operation of the aircraft system 1000 described in greater detail below. Furthermore, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in a software module executed by the processing system 1008, or in any practical combination thereof. In accordance with one or more embodiments, the processing system 1008 includes or otherwise accesses a data storage element 1024, such as a memory (e.g., RAM memory, ROM memory, flash memory, registers, a hard disk, or the like) or another suitable non-transitory short or long term storage media capable of storing computer-executable programming instructions or other data for execution that, when read and executed by the processing system 1008, cause the processing system 1008 to execute and perform one or more of the processes, tasks, operations, and/or functions described herein.
The display system 1010 generally represents the hardware, firmware, processing logic and/or other components configured to control the display and/or rendering of one or more displays pertaining to operation of the aircraft 1002 and/or systems 1012, 1014, 1016, 1018, 1020 on the display device 1004 (e.g., synthetic vision displays, navigational maps, and the like). In this regard, the display system 1010 may access or include one or more databases 1022 suitably configured to support operations of the display system 1010, such as, for example, a terrain database, an obstacle database, a navigational database, a geopolitical database, a terminal airspace database, a special use airspace database, or other information for rendering and/or displaying navigational maps and/or other content on the display device 1004. In this regard, in addition to including a graphical representation of terrain, a navigational map displayed on the display device 1004 may include graphical representations of navigational reference points (e.g., waypoints, navigational aids, distance measuring equipment (DMEs), very high frequency omnidirectional radio ranges (VORs), and the like), designated special use airspaces, obstacles, and the like overlying the terrain on the map.
As described in greater detail below, in an exemplary embodiment, the processing system 1008 includes or otherwise accesses a data storage element 1024 (or database), which maintains information regarding airports and/or other potential landing locations (or destinations) for the aircraft 1002. In this regard, the data storage element 1024 maintains an association between a respective airport, its geographic location, runways (and their respective orientations and/or directions), instrument procedures (e.g., approaches, arrival routes, and the like), airspace restrictions, and/or other information or attributes associated with the respective airport (e.g., widths and/or weight limits of taxi paths, the type of surface of the runways or taxi path, and the like). Additionally, in accordance with one or more embodiments, the data storage element 1024 also maintains status information for the runways and/or taxi paths at the airport indicating whether or not a particular runway and/or taxi path is currently operational along with directional information for the taxi paths (or portions thereof). The data storage element 1024 may also be utilized to store or maintain other information pertaining to the airline or aircraft operator (e.g., airline or operator preferences, etc.) along with information pertaining to the pilot and/or co-pilot of the aircraft (e.g., pilot preferences, experience level, licensure or other qualifications, etc.).
Still referring to
In an exemplary embodiment, the processing system 1008 is also coupled to the FMS 1016, which is coupled to the navigation system 1014, the communications system 1012, and one or more additional avionics systems 1018 to support navigation, flight planning, and other aircraft control functions in a conventional manner, as well as to provide real-time data and/or information regarding the operational status of the aircraft 1002 to the processing system 1008. It should be noted that although
In the illustrated embodiment, the onboard detection system(s) 1020 generally represents the component(s) of the aircraft 1002 that are coupled to the processing system 1008 and/or the display system 1010 to generate or otherwise provide information indicative of various objects or regions of interest within the vicinity of the aircraft 1002 that are sensed, detected, or otherwise identified by a respective onboard detection system 1020. For example, an onboard detection system 1020 may be realized as a weather radar system or other weather sensing system that measures, senses, or otherwise detects meteorological conditions in the vicinity of the aircraft 1002 and provides corresponding radar data (e.g., radar imaging data, range setting data, angle setting data, and/or the like) to one or more of the other onboard systems 1008, 1010, 1014, 1016, 1018 for further processing and/or handling. For example, the processing system 1008 and/or the display system 1010 may generate or otherwise provide graphical representations of the meteorological conditions identified by the onboard detection system 1020 on the display device 1004 (e.g., on or overlying a lateral navigational map display). In another embodiment, an onboard detection system 1020 may be realized as a collision avoidance system that measures, senses, or otherwise detects air traffic, obstacles, terrain and/or the like in the vicinity of the aircraft 1002 and provides corresponding detection data to one or more of the other onboard systems 1008, 1010, 1014, 1016, 1018.
In the illustrated embodiment, the processing system 1008 is also coupled to the communications system 1012, which is configured to support communications to and/or from the aircraft 1002 via a communications network. For example, the communications system 1012 may also include a data link system or another suitable radio communication system that supports communications between the aircraft 1002 and one or more external monitoring systems, air traffic control, and/or another command center or ground location. In this regard, the communications system 1012 may allow the aircraft 1002 to receive information that would otherwise be unavailable to the pilot and/or co-pilot using the onboard systems 1014, 1016, 1018, 1020. For example, the communications system 1012 may receive meteorological information from an external weather monitoring system, such as a Doppler radar monitoring system, a convective forecast system (e.g., a collaborative convective forecast product (CCFP) or national convective weather forecast (NCWF) system), an infrared satellite system, or the like, that is capable of providing information pertaining to the type, location and/or severity of precipitation, icing, turbulence, convection, cloud cover, wind shear, wind speed, lightning, freezing levels, cyclonic activity, thunderstorms, or the like along with other weather advisories, warnings, and/or watches. The meteorological information provided by an external weather monitoring system may also include forecast meteorological data that is generated based on historical trends and/or other weather observations, and may include forecasted meteorological data for geographical areas that are beyond the range of any weather detection systems 1020 onboard the aircraft 1002. In other embodiments, the processing system 1008 may store or otherwise maintain historic meteorological data previously received from an external weather monitoring system, with the processing system 1008 calculating or otherwise determining forecast meteorological for geographic areas of interest to the aircraft 1002 based on the stored meteorological data and the current (or most recently received) meteorological data from the external weather monitoring system. In this regard, the meteorological information from the external weather monitoring system may be operationally used to obtain a “big picture” strategic view of the current weather phenomena and trends in its changes in intensity and/or movement with respect to prospective operation of the aircraft 1002.
It should be understood that
In exemplary embodiments, the electronic device 1102 is realized as a laptop or notebook computer, a tablet computer, or another suitable computing device configured to provide EFB-functionality, and accordingly, the electronic device 1102 is alternatively referred to herein as an EFB. The EFB 1102 includes at least a display device (e.g., display device 1004) and a processing system (e.g., processing system 1008 and/or display system 1010), a data storage element (or memory) configured to support generating energy management GUI displays as described herein. In various situations, the EFB 1102 may be subject to regulations or restrictions that limit the use of the EFB 1102 or the type or content of information presented thereon (e.g., no tactical information may be presented, etc.). In one or more embodiments, a pilot of the aircraft utilizes the EFB 1102 to view and scroll through the waypoint list GUI displays as described above.
The route scrolling process 1200 is performed after initially displaying or otherwise providing a waypoint list GUI display including a scrollable waypoint list region including a list of the waypoints associated with a planned route of travel and a detail region adjacent to the scrollable waypoint list region to depict additional information associated with a currently selected waypoint in the waypoint list. In this regard, the scrollable waypoint list region includes an entry that indicates or is otherwise associated with the currently selected waypoint, and the entry graphically emphasized to distinguish the currently selected waypoint from other waypoints in the list. In exemplary embodiments, the waypoint list GUI display may be initialized by depicting the first or initial waypoint of a flight plan within the currently selected waypoint entry, with graphical indication of the departure airport and/or runway and the route segment associated with the initial waypoint (e.g., the name of an assigned departure procedure) provided above the currently selected waypoint entry. The currently selected waypoint entry is populated with the name or other identifier associated with the initial waypoint along with other information associated with the waypoint (e.g., the planned heading upon traversing the waypoint according to the assigned departure procedure and a distance to go from the current aircraft position), with the detail region including additional information associated with the waypoint as described above.
The route scrolling process 1200 identifies or detects a change to the currently selected waypoint and in response dynamically updates both the currently selected waypoint entry and the detail region to reflect the newly selected waypoint (tasks 1202, 1204, 1206). In this regard, the currently selected waypoint may be automatically adjusted or updated either in response to the aircraft traversing the previously-selected waypoint or a user manually scrolling the list of waypoints. The currently selected waypoint entry is repopulated or otherwise updated to depict the name or other identifier associated with the newly selected waypoint along with additional information associated with the newly selected waypoint (e.g., the planned heading and distance to go) in lieu of the previously-displayed information associated with the previously-selected waypoint, and the detail region is correspondingly repopulated or updated to include additional information associated with the newly selected waypoint in lieu of the previously-selected waypoint. The other waypoints in the waypoint list are then dynamically repositioned or adjusted with respect to the currently selected waypoint entry to maintain the ordered sequence of waypoints defined by the flight plan (task 1208). For example, in response to the aircraft traversing the initial waypoint, the name or other identifier of the initial waypoint may be removed from the currently selected waypoint entry and instead depicted at another location within the waypoint list above the currently selected waypoint entry, with the following waypoints successively advancing their location within the waypoint list upward in accordance with the adjustment to the currently selected waypoint. In this manner, the other waypoints in the waypoint list appear to effectively scroll behind or otherwise with respect to the currently selected waypoint entry.
In the illustrated embodiment, the route scrolling process 1200 identifies or otherwise determines whether the currently selected waypoint is associated with a different route segment than the previously-selected waypoint (task 1210). When the currently selected waypoint is associated with the same route segment, the route scrolling process 1200 maintains the association between the currently selected waypoint and that route segment (task 1212), for example, by extending or otherwise maintaining the waypoint group indicator 210 that extends from the route segment indicator 208 beyond at least the upper edge or boundary of the currently selected waypoint entry 206 as depicted in
For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to aircraft procedures, flight planning, graphical user interfaces, graphics and image processing, avionics systems, and other functional aspects of the systems (and the individual operating components of the systems) may not be described in detail herein. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in an embodiment of the subject matter.
The subject matter may be described herein in terms of functional and/or logical block components, and with reference to symbolic representations of operations, processing tasks, and functions that may be performed by various computing components or devices. It should be appreciated that the various block components shown in the figures may be realized by any number of hardware components configured to perform the specified functions. For example, an embodiment of a system or a component may employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Furthermore, embodiments of the subject matter described herein can be stored on, encoded on, or otherwise embodied by any suitable non-transitory computer-readable medium as computer-executable instructions or data stored thereon that, when executed (e.g., by a processing system), facilitate the processes described above.
The foregoing description refers to elements or nodes or features being “coupled” together. As used herein, unless expressly stated otherwise, “coupled” means that one element/node/feature is directly or indirectly joined to (or directly or indirectly communicates with) another element/node/feature, and not necessarily mechanically. Thus, although the drawings may depict one exemplary arrangement of elements directly connected to one another, additional intervening elements, devices, features, or components may be present in an embodiment of the depicted subject matter. In addition, certain terminology may also be used herein for the purpose of reference only, and thus are not intended to be limiting.
The foregoing detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the subject matter of the application and uses thereof. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background, brief summary, or the detailed description.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the subject matter in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the subject matter. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the subject matter as set forth in the appended claims. Accordingly, details of the exemplary embodiments or other limitations described above should not be read into the claims absent a clear intention to the contrary.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/771,353, filed Nov. 26, 2018, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62771353 | Nov 2018 | US |