Aircraft dialog device, for dialog with a system of said aircraft

• US 20020118166A1
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Roux, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

The dialog device (1) includes at least one screen (E1 to E8) displaying responsive objects on at least two interactive windows (F), at least one actuatable cursor control device (5, 12), which includes means for displacing a cursor on an interactive window (F) in such a way as to designate a responsive object, and to confirm a responsive object which is designated in such a way as to initiate execution of an associated function, and actuatable auxiliary control means (8), for controlling an auxiliary object marker without affecting the control of the cursor, which include means which make it possible to cause a discrete displacement of the auxiliary object marker on an interactive window (F) and to confirm a responsive object which has the auxiliary object marker in such a way as to initiate execution of an associated function.

Claims

1. A device for dialog between at least one operator of an aircraft and at least one system of said aircraft, said dialog device (1) including:

at least one screen (E1 to E8) which is capable of displaying at least two responsive objects (OS) on at least two interactive windows (F), each of said responsive objects (OS) being associated with one of multiple functions, said functions being capable of being initiated by said dialog device (1) under the action of the operator so that they are executed; and

at least one cursor control device (5, 12) which is arranged so that it can be actuated by said operator, and which includes at least;

one actuatable displacement means, which is capable of displacing a cursor (CU) on an interactive window (F), in order to designate a responsive object (OS) by making a main object marker (M1) appear; and

one actuatable confirmation means, which is capable of confirming a responsive object (OS) which has said main object marker (M1), in order to initiate execution of the function which is associated with said responsive object (OS),

 

which includes, additionally, auxiliary control means (8) which are arranged in such a way that they can also be actuated by said operator, which are intended to control an auxiliary object marker (M2) without affecting control of said main object marker (M1), and which include;

at least one actuatable displacement element (11A to 1C), making it possible to cause a discrete displacement of said auxiliary object marker (M2), responsive object (OS) by responsive object (OS), on an interactive window (F); and

at least one actuatable confirmation element (1E), making it possible to confirm a responsive object (OS) which has said auxiliary object marker (M2), in order to initiate execution of the function which is associated with said responsive object (OS).

2. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said displacement and confirmation elements of the auxiliary control means (8) are keys (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E) of a specific box.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1,

which includes, additionally, a keyboard (10) to enable said operator to enter data, and wherein said displacement and confirmation elements of the auxiliary control means (8) are keys (11) of said keyboard (10).

4. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said responsive objects (OS) are arranged according to at least one direction which is defined on said interactive window (F), and wherein said auxiliary control means (8) include at least one displacement element which corresponds to a direction arrow (11A, 11B) which makes it possible to displace the auxiliary object marker (M2) from one responsive object (OS) to another, responsive object (OS) after responsive object (OS), in said defined direction in a chosen sense.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said cursor control device (5, 12) and said auxiliary control means (8) are formed such that control of the main object marker (M1) by said cursor control device (5, 12) has priority over control of the auxiliary object marker (M2) by said auxiliary control means (8) when the two markers, main and auxiliary, are on the same interactive window (F).

6. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said cursor control device (5, 12) causes continuous displacement of the cursor (CU) on an interactive window (F).

7. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said cursor control device (5, 12) causes a discrete displacement of the cursor (CU) on an interactive window (F).

8. The device as claimed in claim 3,

wherein said cursor control device (5, 12) includes some of the keys (11) of said keyboard (10).

9. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein it includes two cursor control devices (5, 12) which are arranged in such a way that they can both be actuated by said operator, one of said cursor control devices causing continuous displacement of the cursor (CU) and the other causing discrete displacement of said cursor (CU).

10. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said cursor control device (5, 12) includes a means for displacing the cursor (CU) from interactive window (F) to interactive window (F).

11. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein it includes at least two screens (E1 to E8) and wherein said cursor control device (5, 12) includes a means for displacing the cursor (CU) from screen to screen.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein it includes two cursor control devices (5, 12) and two sets of auxiliary control means (8), one cursor control means (5, 12) and one set of auxiliary control means (8) being intended for the pilot of the aircraft, and the other cursor control device (5, 12) and the other set of auxiliary control means (8) being intended for the copilot of the aircraft.

13. An aircraft system,

which includes a dialog device (1) as specified in claim 1, to allow a dialog between said system and an operator of said aircraft.