Tactile interface for the flight management system of an aircraft

• US 10,055,116 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Coulmeau, Francois, Bonamy, Frederic, Mazoyer, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US14/879,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3- 18, 701531-533, 244 751, 244 76 R, 244195-197
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0047 Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft details of equipment G08G5/0017
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00

Abstract

A graphic interaction method for piloting an aircraft, comprises receiving an indication of an object selected on a display screen of the aircraft; determining one or more flight plan revisions of the aircraft associated with the selected object and displaying one or more of said flight plan revisions; receiving an indication of selection of a displayed revision; determining a revision type associated with the revision displayed and selected; and as a function of the revision type determined, displaying a tactile interface data entry graphic symbol. Developments notably concern the symbology used, the validation or the modification of a selected revision, the taking account of the flight context, the taking account of the speed of manipulation of the tactile interface, etc. System and software aspects are described. In particular, the human-machine interface may be exclusively of tactile type.

Claims

1. A method for piloting an aircraft with a graphical interaction computer, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of an object selected on a display screen of the aircraft;

determining one or more flight plan revisions of the aircraft associated with the selected object and displaying one or more of said flight plan revisions;

receiving an indication of a selected revision of the one or more displayed revisions;

determining a revision type associated with the selected revision;

displaying a tactile interface data entry graphic symbol as a function of the determined revision type, said data entry graphic symbol being selected from a plurality of data entry graphic symbols;

detecting a movement of a finger on or over the display screen to measure a cognitive load of a pilot of the aircraft; and

modifying the displayed entry graphic symbol as a function of the measurement of the cognitive load of the pilot of the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data after displaying the data entry graphic symbol.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising modifying the received data.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising validating the selected revision.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising modifying the selected revision.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the data entry graphic symbol comprises distributing said display spatially and/or temporally.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving or determining a parameter associated with the selected object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining one or more flight plan revisions of the aircraft is a function of said parameter associated with the selected object.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining and/or displaying the tactile interface data entry graphic symbol is a function of said parameter associated with the selected object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining and/or displaying the tactile interface data entry graphic symbol is a function of one or more parameters comprising:

the amount of data to enter, the type of revision to be made, the entry unit type, the display range, the representation type, and one or more predefined criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the displayed entry graphic symbol is further a function of a measurement of a flight context of the aircraft.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the measurement of the flight context of the aircraft includes a measurement of a turbulence of the aircraft.

13. A system for piloting an aircraft, the system comprising:

a graphical interaction computer configured to;

receive an indication of an object selected on a display screen;

determine one or more flight plan revisions of the aircraft associated with the selected object and displaying one or more of said flight plan revisions;

receive an indication of a selected revision of the one or more displayed revisions;

determine a revision type associated with the selected revision;

display a tactile interface data entry graphic symbol as a function of the determined revision type, said data entry graphic symbol being selected from a plurality of data entry graphic symbols;

detect a movement of a finger on or over the display screen to measure a cognitive load of a pilot of the aircraft; and

modify the displayed entry graphic symbol as a function of the measurement of the cognitive load of the pilot of the aircraft.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical interaction computer comprises at least one of a PFD principal flight display, an ND/VD navigation display, and an MFD multifunction display.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical interaction computer comprises at least one of Flight Management System type avionic means, Electronic Flight Bag type non-avionic means, augmented, and virtual reality means.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical interaction computer comprises only tactile type interface means.