TACTILE INTERFACE FOR THE FLIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20160103579A1
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: COULMEAU, Franois, BONAMY, Frdric, MAZOYER, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 10,055,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0047 Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft details of equipment G08G5/0017
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00

Abstract

A graphic interaction method for piloting an aircraft, comprises receiving an indication of an object selected on a display screen of the aircraft; determining one or more flight plan revisions of the aircraft associated with the selected object and displaying one or more of said flight plan revisions; receiving an indication of selection of a displayed revision; determining a revision type associated with the revision displayed and selected; and as a function of the revision type determined, displaying a tactile interface data entry graphic symbol. Developments notably concern the symbology used, the validation or the modification of a selected revision, the taking account of the flight context, the taking account of the speed of manipulation of the tactile interface, etc. System and software aspects are described. In particular, the human-machine interface may be exclusively of tactile type.

Claims

1. A method used by a graphical interaction computer for piloting an aircraft, comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication of an object selected on a display screen of the aircraft;

determining one or more flight plan revisions of the aircraft associated with the selected object and displaying one or more of said flight plan revisions;

receiving an indication of selection of a displayed revision;

determining a revision type associated with the revision displayed and selected;

as a function of the revision type determined, displaying a tactile interface data entry graphic symbol, said data entry graphic symbol being selected in a symbology comprising a plurality of data entry graphic symbols.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of receiving data following the manipulation of the data entry graphic symbol.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of modifying the received data.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of validating the selected revision.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of modifying the selected revision.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of modifying the display of the data entry graphic symbol as a function of parameters comprising a measurement of the cognitive load of the pilot and/or the flight context of the aircraft.

7. The method according to claim 1, the step of displaying the data entry graphic symbol comprising a step of distributing said display spatially and/or temporally.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of receiving or determining a parameter associated with the indication of the object selected on the display screen of the aircraft.

9. The method according to claim 8, the step of determining one or more revisions of the flight plan of the aircraft associated with the selected object being a function of said parameter associated with the indication of the selected object.

10. The method according to claim 8, the step of determining and/or displaying a tactile interface data entry graphic symbol being a function of said parameter associated with the indication of the selected object.

11. The method according to claim 1, the step of determining and/or displaying a tactile interface data entry graphic symbol being a function of one or more parameters comprising:

a) the amount of data to enter, b) the type of revision to be made, c) the entry unit type, d) the display range, e) the representation type and/or, f) one or more predefined criteria.

12. A system comprising means for implementing one or more steps of the method according to claim 1.

13. The system according to claim 12, comprising a PFD principal flight display and/or an ND/VD navigation display and/or an MFD multifunction display.

14. The system according to claim 12, comprising Flight Management System type avionic means and/or Electronic Flight Bag type non-avionic means and/or augmented and/or virtual reality means.

15. The system according to claim 12, comprising only tactile type interface means.