Process and system of modeling of an interface between a user and his environment aboard a vehicle

• US 20070156295A1
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus
• Original Assignee: Airbus
• Inventors: Stephane, Alexandre-Lucas
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining a model of an interface between a user and his environment on board a vehicle, characterized in that it includes the following steps:

• • construction (E1) of an interface model on the basis, on the one hand, of a first type of information representative of interface elements of the vehicle and, on the other hand, of a second type of information representative of the knowledge that a user has concerning the use of interface elements.
  • acquisition (E2) of data representative of at least one human activity which is sought during the interaction between the user and these interface elements, the acquisition of these data being achieved by means of at least one data-acquisition apparatus,
  • analysis (E3) of the data thus acquired,
  • adjustment (E4) of the interface model as a function of the data analysis.

Claims

1. A method for determining a model of an interface between a user and his environment on board a vehicle, characterized in that it includes the following steps:

construction (E1) of an interface model on the basis on the one hand, of a first type of information representative of interface elements of the vehicle and, on the other hand, of a second type of information representative of the knowledge that a user has concerning the use of interface elements.

acquisition (E2) of data representative of at least one human activity which is sought during the interaction between the user and these interface elements, the acquisition of these data being achieved by means of at least one data-acquisition apparatus,

analysis (E3) of the data thus acquired,

adjustment (E4) of the interface model as a function of the data analysis.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the two types of information, the first type of information of technical origin and the second type of information of human origin, are furnished with an identical configuration to a dynamic database having a symmetric user-technical system structure.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that both types of information are configured according to the same multi-agent cognitive model.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the configuration of information of the first type according to a multi-agent cognitive model comprises a step of establishment of a link between procedures for use of the vehicle and the interface elements of the vehicle.

5. A method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the configuration of information of the first type according to a multi-agent cognitive model comprises a step of identification of functional zones on each interface element under consideration.

6. A method according to claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the configuration of information of the first type according to a multi-agent cognitive model comprises the following steps for each interface element:

determination of tasks relating to the use of the vehicle and performed by the interface element under consideration,

determination of agents of the multi-agent cognitive model relative to the determined tasks,

establishment of a link between the thus determined agents of the cognitive model and the identified functional zones of the interface element under consideration.

7. A method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the human activity sought during the interaction between the user and the interface elements is selected among vision, speech, audition, motor function, and physiological manifestations and reactions of the human body.

8. A method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the data-acquisition apparatus is an oculometric apparatus recording visual data representative of the eye movements of the user over the interface elements.

9. A method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the interface elements are the on-board instruments of an airplane cockpit.

10. A method according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the interface elements are the instruments of an on-board panel of a motor vehicle.

11. The use of the interaction model determined according to one of claims 1 to 10 to design one or more interface elements and/or the arrangement thereof.

12. The use of the interaction model determined according to one of claims 1 to 10 to evaluate one or more new interface elements.

13. The use of the interaction model determined according to one of claims 1 to 10 to modify a procedure for use of the vehicle.

14. The use of the interaction model determined according to one of claims 1 to 10 to train a pilot.

15. A system (30) for determining a model of an interface between a user and his environment on board a vehicle, characterized in that it includes:

means (36) for construction of an interface model on the basis, on the one hand, of a first type of information representative of interface elements of the vehicle and, on the other hand, of a second type of information representative of the knowledge that a user has concerning the use of interface elements.

at least one apparatus (38) for acquisition of data representative of at least one human activity which is sought during the interaction between the user and these interface elements,

means (36) for analysis of the data thus acquired,

means (36) for adjustment of the interface model as a function of the data analysis.