Man-machine interface for controlling the automatic pilot of a heavier-than-air air-craft provided with an atn transmission network terminal

• US 20040254691A1
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Subelet, Michel
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

This MCP/FCU interface (30) for control of the automatic pilot (13) and/or flight director (14) is provided with an access port linked to the ATN terminal (2) by a digital information transmission link (4) and furnished with display means displaying the trajectory modification orders originating from the air traffic control authorities and with enabling means imposing on the automatic pilot (13) and/or flight director (14) the operating mode and the directives corresponding to a trajectory modification order having formed the subject of an acceptance by the pilot.

Claims

1. A man/machine interface for piloted aerodyne provided with a digital transmission terminal routing on board trajectory modification orders originating from an air traffic control authority, and returning the aerodyne pilot'"'"'s acceptance or refusal to the air traffic control authority, with an automatic pilot and/or flight director having operating modes for tracking directives for attitude, heading, ground speed, vertical speed and altitude, the said man/machine interface making it possible to choose an operating mode of the automatic pilot and/or flight director from among the possible modes and to tailor the mode chosen, the man/machine interface comprising:

an access port which is linked to the digital transmission terminal and on which the trajectory modification orders emanating from the air traffic control authority is received from the digital transmission terminal;

display means displaying the trajectory modification orders received by way of the digital transmission terminal, in a manner distinct from the directives currently being executed by the automatic pilot and/or flight director; and

enabling means imposing on the automatic pilot and/or flight director the operating mode and the directives corresponding to a trajectory modification order originating from an air traffic control authority, and having formed the subject of an acceptance on the part of the pilot.

2. The interface according to claim 1, wherein the display means alternately display, in various ways, a directive of an operating mode currently being executed by the automatic pilot and/or the flight director and a directive corresponding to a trajectory modification order emanating from an air traffic control authority and on standby pending acceptance or refusal by the pilot.

3. The interface according to claim 1, wherein it'"'"'s the display means display under different colours a directive of an operating mode currently being executed by the automatic pilot and/or the flight director and a directive corresponding to a trajectory modification order emanating from an air traffic control authority and on standby pending acceptance or refusal by the pilot.

4. The interface according to claim 1, further comprising means for detecting incompatibilities existing between on the one hand the operating mode that it imposes on the automatic pilot and/or flight director and on the other hand a trajectory modification order originating from an air traffic control authority and applied to its access port, and alarm means triggered by the means for detecting incompatibility.