Electronic moving map of airport surface on electronic flight bag

Abstract

Electronic flight bags (EFB) based on personal computers are finding increasing utility in the flight deck as replacements to paper charts, and are useful for additional services provided to the flight crew. This paper addresses the development of a prototype Electronic Display of a Moving Map with Traffic Information on the Airport Surface hosted and displayed on an EFB. The Electronic Moving Map with Traffic Information display integrates the airport surface map derived from an accurately surveyed, object-based airport database, with own-ship position, and provides situational awareness of other traffic using requirements similar to those of Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI). Traffic information is derived via Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and Traffic Information Services -Broadcast (TIS-B) surveillance links. The Electronic Moving Map with Traffic Information display prototype that was developed was evaluated from a human factors perspective in order to identify display requirements. The benefit of a database driven map is to allow "smart" runway and taxiway labels that are visible irrespective of the zoom range, and to allow smart decluttering of displayed information. Some of the Electronic Moving Map with Traffic Information display features implemented include map centered and map offset (full rose and arc) orientation, range ring selection, selection of specific traffic and an associated data block, depiction of traffic velocity vectors, zoom and auto zoom capability, altitude filtering, surface map decluttering, surface traffic on/off selection, etc. While not currently implemented, Electronic Moving Map with Traffic Information display can also support the depiction of NOTAMS. Electronic Moving Map with Traffic Information display benefits include increased airport surface situational awareness for the flight crew of own-ship and traffic location. With ongoing enhancements, it also has the potential to add situational awareness in the approach phase. This situational awareness is expected to provide significant safety benefits by reducing errors associated with landing, takeoff and taxi operations (e.g., taxiway and runway incursions, aircraft departing the prepared surface). Functionality of Electronic Moving Map with Traffic Information display could be ported to any specific display device such as an integrated multi-function cockpit display. Architectural, integration and certification issues are not addressed in the paper and in the prototype development. The purpose of the project was to implement a PC based electronic moving map display with traffic information in order to evaluate its suitability and to identify issues related to its operational use.