AIRCRAFT WITH CENTRALIZED GENERATED AND UNIFIED CABIN CONTROL PANEL DISPLAYS

• US 20150058777A1
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Graumann, Jean-Marc, Prasse, Marko, Riedel, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,669,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/00 Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space , or structural parts of the aircraft treatment rooms with artificial climate for medical purposes A61G10/02; respiratory apparatus in general A62B; for vehicles in general B60H
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method for operating a control panel of an aircraft includes: sending display data from a control panel to a central controller of the aircraft, the display data including values to be displayed on a display screen of the control panel; loading, in the central controller, a display template from a central data storage, the display template including information for layouting the display data; generating a display page for the control panel in the central controller by merging the display data and the display template; sending the display page to the control panel; and displaying the display page on a display screen of the control panel.

Claims

1. A method for operating a control panel of an aircraft, the method comprising:

sending display data from a control panel to a central controller of the aircraft, the display data comprising information to be displayed on a display screen of the control panel;

loading, in the central controller, a display template from a central data storage, the display template comprising information for layouting the display data;

generating a display page for the control panel in the central controller by merging the display data and the display template;

sending the display page to the control panel; and

displaying the display page on a display screen of the control panel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving further display data from a further controller of the aircraft; and

generating the display page in the central controller by merging the display data, the further display data and the display template.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving display related attributes of the control panel in the central controller; and

loading the display template based on the display related attributes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the display related attributes are at least one of:

screen resolution, screen size, screen orientation, control panel usage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the display data in a device specific format to the central controller;

transforming the device specific display data to device independent display data in the central controller; and

generating the display page based on the device independent display data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending user inputs from the control panel to the central controller;

transforming the user inputs into control commands in the central controller; and

controlling a cabin device based on the control commands with the central controller.

7. A method for operating a control panel of an aircraft, the method comprising:

setting a flight phase of the aircraft in a control panel of the aircraft; and

displaying a display page on a display screen of the control panel, the display page being selected for the set flight phase.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the flight phase is automatically set by a central controller of the aircraft, which is receiving flight data indicative of the flight phase.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the flight phase is manually set by activating a control element on the display screen.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

automatically controlling a cabin device in the aircraft after the flight phase has changed.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

wherein the cabin device is at least one of;

a light, an air conditioning, a media player.

12. A computer-readable medium, in which a computer program is stored, which, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to carry out the method for operating a control panel of an aircraft, the method comprising:

sending display data from a control panel to a central controller of the aircraft, the display data comprising information to be displayed on a display screen of the control panel;

loading, in the central controller, a display template from a central data storage, the display template comprising information for layouting the display data;

generating a display page for the control panel in the central controller by merging the display data and the display template;

sending the display page to the control panel; and

displaying the display page on a display screen of the control panel.

13. A system for an aircraft, the system comprising:

a central controller, and

at least one control panel communicatively interconnected with the central controller, the at least one control panel comprising a display screen,

wherein the central controller and the at least one control panel are adapted for performing a method comprising;

sending display data from a control panel to a central controller of the aircraft, the display data comprising information to be displayed on a display screen of the control panel;

loading, in the central controller, a display template from a central data storage, the display template comprising information for layouting the display data;

generating a display page for the control panel in the central controller by merging the display data and the display template;

sending the display page to the control panel; and

displaying the display page on a display screen of the control panel.

14. An aircraft comprising a system for an aircraft, the system comprising:

a central controller, and

at least one control panel communicatively interconnected with the central controller, the at least one control panel comprising a display screen,

wherein the central controller and the at least one control panel are adapted for performing a method comprising;

sending display data from a control panel to a central controller of the aircraft, the display data comprising information to be displayed on a display screen of the control panel;

loading, in the central controller, a display template from a central data storage, the display template comprising information for layouting the display data;

generating a display page for the control panel in the central controller by merging the display data and the display template;

sending the display page to the control panel; and

displaying the display page on a display screen of the control panel.