METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AVIONIC TOUCHSCREEN OPERATION PROVIDING SENSIBLE FEEDBACK

• US 20100156809A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Grothe, Steve, Nutaro, Joseph J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,330,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method is provided for avionic touchscreen operation. The method includes the steps of displaying one or more user input devices on a touchscreen panel, receiving user inputs on a face of the touchscreen panel, and generating input signals in response to the user inputs. The method further includes the steps of generating operational signals in response to comparing the input signals to predetermined user input signals, adjusting one or more avionic operation parameters in response to the operational signals, and providing user sensible outputs in response to the operational signals and in accordance with the user inputs. The step of providing user sensible output includes providing two or more user sensible outputs selected from the group of providing user sensible outputs including providing visual outputs, providing audible outputs and providing tactile outputs. Alternatively, the one or more user input devices displayed on the touchscreen panel includes one or more knobs.

Claims

1. A method for avionic touchscreen operation, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying one or more user input devices on a touchscreen panel;

receiving user inputs on a face of the touchscreen panel;

generating input signals in response to the user inputs;

generating operational signals in response to comparing the input signals to predetermined user input signals;

adjusting one or more avionic operation parameters in response to the operational signals; and

providing two or more user sensible outputs in response to the operational signals and in accordance with the user inputs, wherein the step of providing two or more user sensible outputs comprises providing two or more user sensible outputs selected from the group of providing user sensible outputs including providing visual outputs, providing audible outputs and providing tactile outputs.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of providing visual outputs comprises the step of altering a visual appearance of the one or more user input devices displayed on the touchscreen panel in response to the operational signals by one or more of changing a size of at least one of the one or more user input devices in accordance with the user inputs, changing a color of at least one of the one or more user input devices in accordance with the user inputs, or changing a legend on at least one of the one or more user input devices in accordance with the user inputs.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of providing audible outputs comprises the step of providing audio output signals to one or more of a flight crew headset or flight deck speaker system in response to the operational signals and in accordance with the user inputs.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3 wherein the step of displaying the one or more user input devices comprises the step of displaying a knob including one or more detents, and wherein the step of receiving user inputs on the face of the touchscreen panel comprises the step of receiving user inputs corresponding to rotating the knob, and wherein the step of providing audible outputs in response to the operational signals comprises the step of providing an audible click having a predetermined amplitude to indicate the knob being rotated to one of the one or more detents in accordance with the user inputs corresponding to rotating the knob to the one of the one or more detents.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of providing tactile outputs comprises the step of providing haptic feedback tactile outputs by vibrating the touchscreen panel at a predetermined frequency and a predetermined amplitude.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5 wherein the step of displaying the one or more user input devices comprises the step of displaying a knob, and wherein the step of receiving user inputs on the face of the touchscreen panel comprises the step of receiving user inputs corresponding to rotating the knob at a rotational speed, and wherein the step of providing haptic feedback tactile outputs in response to the operational signals comprises the step of varying the predetermined frequency at which the touchscreen panel is vibrated in accordance with the rotational speed of the knob corresponding to the user inputs received.

7. The method in accordance with claim 5 wherein the step of displaying the one or more user input devices comprises the step of displaying a knob including one or more detents, and wherein the step of receiving the user inputs on the face of the touchscreen panel comprises the step of receiving user inputs corresponding to rotating the knob, and wherein the step of providing haptic feedback tactile outputs in response to the operational signals comprises the step of providing a large amplitude bump to indicate the knob being rotated to one of the one or more detents in accordance with the user inputs corresponding to rotating the knob to the one of the one or more detents.

8. A method for touchscreen operation, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying one or more user input devices on a touchscreen panel;

receiving user inputs on a face of the touchscreen panel;

determining that the user inputs comprise an authenticated user input in response to determining that the user inputs are multitouch user inputs;

generating input signals in response to the authenticated user input;

generating operational signals in response to comparing the input signals to predetermined user input signals; and

adjusting one or more operation parameters in response to the operational signals.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the method for touch screen operation comprises a method for avionic touchscreen operation, and wherein the step of displaying the one or more user input devices on the touchscreen panel comprises the step of displaying the one or more user input devices on the touchscreen panel in response to one of a crew input or a flight parameter, and wherein the step of adjusting one or more operation parameters comprises the step of adjusting one or more operation parameters in response to the operational signals and an engagement user input received separate from the user inputs and subsequent to the step of generating the operational signals.

10. The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising the step of providing user sensible output in response to the operational signals and in accordance with the user inputs.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the step of generating operational signals comprises the step of generating operational signals selecting one of coarse parameter adjustment or fine parameter adjustment, and wherein the step of providing user sensible output comprises the step of providing visual output on the touchscreen panel in response to the operational signals, wherein the visual output comprises altering a visual appearance of the one or more user input devices displayed on the touchscreen panel by changing a size and or a color of at least one of the one or more user input devices.

12. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the step of receiving user inputs comprises the step of receiving user input device arming inputs on the face of the touchscreen panel, and wherein the step of providing user sensible output comprises the step of providing visual output on the touchscreen panel in response to the operational signals, wherein the visual output comprises altering a legend on at least one of the one or more user input devices displayed on the touchscreen panel corresponding to the user input device arming inputs.

13. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the step of receiving user inputs on the face of the touchscreen panel comprises the step of receiving user inputs corresponding to rotating the knob, and wherein the step of providing user sensible output in response to the operational signals comprises the step of providing haptic feedback tactile outputs by selecting a predetermined value and a predetermined amplitude at which the touchscreen panel is vibrated in response to the operational signals and an assigned function of the knob.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the step of generating operational signals comprises the step of generating operational signals selecting one of coarse parameter adjustment or fine parameter adjustment, and wherein the step of providing haptic feedback tactile outputs comprises the step of selecting a first predetermined frequency and a first predetermined amplitude at which the touchscreen panel is vibrated in response to the coarse parameter adjustment or selecting a second predetermined frequency and a second predetermined amplitude at which the touchscreen panel is vibrated in response to the fine parameter adjustment.

15. The method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the step of displaying the one or more user input devices comprises the step of displaying the knob including one or more detents, and wherein the step of providing haptic feedback tactile outputs in response to the operational signals includes the step of providing a large amplitude bump to indicate the knob being rotated to one of the one or more detents in accordance with the user inputs corresponding to rotating the knob to the one of the one or more detents.

16. The method in accordance with claim 15 wherein the step of providing user sensible output in response to the operational signals further comprises the step of providing an audible click having a predetermined amplitude to indicate the knob being rotated to one of the one or more detents in accordance with the user inputs corresponding to rotating the knob to the one of the one or more detents.

17. An avionics input device comprising:

a touchscreen panel for visually displaying one or more user input devices in response to display signals received thereby, wherein the touchscreen panel includes a face for receiving user inputs thereon and generates input signals in response to the user inputs;

a haptic feedback device mechanically coupled to the touchscreen panel for vibrating the touchscreen panel at a frequency and an amplitude determined in response to haptic feedback signals received thereby;

an input decoder coupled to the touchscreen panel for generating operational signals in response to comparing the input signals to predetermined user input signals;

a storage device coupled to the input decoder for storing the predetermined user input signals; and

a processor coupled to the input decoder for adjusting one or more avionic operation parameters in response to the operational signals, wherein the processor provides the display signals to the touchscreen panel and the haptic feedback signals to the haptic feedback device, the processor further generating user sensible output signals comprising two or more of audio feedback signals, visual feedback signals or tactile feedback signals in response to the operational signals and in accordance with the user inputs, wherein the processor is coupled to one or more audio devices for providing the audio feedback signals thereto, and wherein the processor alters the display signals provided to the touchscreen panel in response to the visual feedback signals, and wherein the processor alters the haptic feedback signals provided to the haptic feedback device in response to the tactile feedback signals.

18. The avionics input device in accordance with claim 17 wherein the haptic feedback device comprises one of a piezoelectric device or an electromechanical actuator device.

19. The avionics input device in accordance with claim 17 wherein the processor provides display signals to the touchscreen panel for displaying the one or more user input devices on the touchscreen panel, at least one of the one or more user input devices displaying a legend thereon indicating an armed state thereof, wherein the processor alters the legend on the at least one of the one or more user input devices in response to operational signals indicating user inputs received on the face of the touchscreen panel corresponding to user input device arming inputs.

20. The avionics input device in accordance with claim 17 wherein the processor is coupled to one or more flight crew headsets and flight deck speakers for providing the audio feedback signals thereto.