Multifunction keyboard for advanced cursor driven avionic flight decks

• US 20060238511A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark I. Snyder, Michael J. Stewart, Mike G. Gyde
• Original Assignee: Mark I. Snyder, Michael J. Stewart, Mike G. Gyde
• Inventors: Stewart, Michael J., Gyde, Mike G., Snyder, Mark I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,724,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• 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: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

An aircraft display and control system generally includes a processor, a cursor control and selection device, a multifunction keyboard, an aeronautical information database, a geographic database, and a plurality of display devices. Users, such as an aircraft pilot and copilot, can perform flight plan entry and modification by manipulating graphical and textual information on the display devices using the cursor control device and the multifunction keyboard. In one embodiment, the present invention provides an interface to flight deck information systems that is intuitive and easy to use, and which enables flight crew members to easily and effectively enter and modify data displayed by the aircraft flight deck, substantially centralizes avionics controls within one controller, and decreases flight crew “heads-down” time.

Claims

1. A multifunction keyboard for use with an avionics system, the multifunction keyboard comprising:

a plurality of alphanumeric keys, the plurality of alphanumeric configured to enter alphanumerical data into the avionics system;

a plurality of shortcut keys, each of the plurality of shortcut keys configured to select a data field from a plurality of data fields on the avionic system, wherein a pilot can enter data into a selected data field using the plurality of alphanumeric keys when the selected data field is selected using the shortcut key; and

a feedback window on the keyboard for displaying the pilot-entered data entered on the multifunction keyboard.

2. The keyboard of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of shortcut keys opens a window corresponding to the selected data field if the window was not already open.

3. The keyboard of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of shortcut keys opens a panel on the window corresponding to the selected data field if the panel was not already open.

4. The keyboard of claim 1 wherein the plurality of data fields selectable by the plurality of shortcut keys includes a radio field.

5. The keyboard of claim 1 wherein the plurality of data fields selectable by the plurality of shortcut keys includes a navigation field.

6. The keyboard of claim 1 wherein the feedback window does not display pilot-entered data when the avionics system is not accepting the pilot entered data.

7. A multifunction keyboard for use with an avionics system, the multifunction keyboard comprising:

a plurality of alphanumeric keys, the plurality of alphanumeric configured to enter alphanumerical data into the avionics system;

a plurality of shortcut keys, each of the plurality of shortcut keys configured to select a data field from a plurality of data fields on the avionic system, wherein the shortcut key opens a window corresponding to a selected data field if the window corresponding to the selected data field is not already open, a first of the plurality of shortcut keys corresponding to a radio field, and a second of the plurality of shortcut keys corresponding to a navigation field, and wherein a pilot can enter data into the selected data field using the plurality of alphanumeric keys when the selected data field is selected using the shortcut key; and

a feedback window for displaying the pilot-entered data entered on the multifunction keyboard, wherein the feedback window does not display pilot-entered data when the avionics system is not accepting the pilot entered data.

8. The keyboard of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of shortcut keys further opens a panel on the window corresponding to the selected data field if the panel was not already open.

9. An aircraft display and control system comprising:

a plurality of display devices disposed on an aircraft flight deck control panel;

a multifunction keyboard for receiving pilot-entered data, the multifunction keyboard including a plurality of alphanumeric keys, a plurality of shortcut keys, and a feedback window for displaying pilot-entered data entered on the multifunction keyboard; and

a processor coupled to the display devices and the multifunction keyboard, the processor generating a display upon the display devices, wherein the processor facilitates individual selection of a plurality of data fields with the plurality of shortcut keys, and wherein the processor facilitates entry of data into a selected data field using the plurality of alphanumeric keys when the selected data field is selected using a corresponding shortcut key.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of shortcut keys opens a window corresponding to the selected data field if the window was not already open.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of shortcut keys opens a panel on the window corresponding to the selected data field if the panel was not already open.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of data fields selectable by the plurality of shortcut keys includes a radio field.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of data fields selectable by the plurality of shortcut keys includes a navigation field.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the feedback window does not display pilot-entered data when the avionics system is not accepting the pilot entered data.