SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONFIGURABLE USER INTERFACES

• US 20160159462A1
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Hayes, Andrew Royds, Davidson, JR., Darcy Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 9,676,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A user interface presented to an operator of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may be presented to facilitate the ease of operation of the UAV. The information displayed in the user interface may be customized by the operator to display selected data. The display configuration data may be saved and imported into other systems for future use. Various entities related to one or more UAVs may be presented in a hierarchical tree structure illustrating the relationship between the entities. Electronic checklists may be presented to a user to facilitate addressing common and emergency situations.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

rendering, on a user interface configured to represent controls for the unmanned aerial vehicle, an electronic checklist comprising a plurality of steps for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle;

detecting, by the user interface, one or more of a user selection of a step from among the plurality of steps, display preferences, or rearrangement of the plurality of steps;

presenting, on the user interface, information associated with the user selection; and

saving the user selection as a display configuration data file for subsequent retrieval to recreate an associated display configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering comprises generating the electronic checklist in response to a user selection of a menu item.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of electronic checklists based on unmanned aerial vehicle data; and

generating a menu comprising menu items associated with each of the plurality of electronic checklists,

wherein rendering comprises generating the electronic checklist in response to a user selection of a menu item associated with the electronic checklist from among the menu items associated with each of the plurality of electronic checklists.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the step comprises at least one control that, when activated, manipulates a component configured on the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the step comprises a user input that accepts user provided data and provides the user provided data to a flight planning and control system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the step comprises at least one control that, when activated, indicates to a flight planning and control system that the step is complete.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, in response to detecting that the step is complete, presenting information associated with a subsequent step.

8. A flight planning and control system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

a memory comprising instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory that, when executing the instructions, effectuates operations comprising;

rendering, on a user interface configured to represent controls for the unmanned aerial vehicle, an electronic checklist comprising a plurality of steps for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle;

detecting one or more of a user selection of a step from among the plurality of steps, display preferences, or rearrangement of the plurality of steps;

presenting, on the user interface, information associated with the user selection; and

saving the user selection as a display configuration data file for subsequent retrieval to recreate an associated display configuration.

9. The flight planning and control system of claim 8, wherein the operation of rendering comprises generating the electronic checklist in response to a user selection of a menu item.

10. The flight planning and control system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a plurality of electronic checklists based on unmanned aerial vehicle data; and

generating a menu comprising menu items associated with each of the plurality of electronic checklists,

wherein the operation of rendering comprises generating the electronic checklist in response to a user selection of a menu item associated with the electronic checklist from among the menu items associated with each of the plurality of electronic checklists.

11. The flight planning and control system of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the step comprises at least one control that, when activated, manipulates a component configured on the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The flight planning and control system of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the step comprises a user input that accepts user provided data and provides the user provided data to the flight planning and control system.

13. The flight planning and control system of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the step comprises at least one control that, when activated, indicates that the step is complete.

14. The flight planning and control system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to detecting that the step is complete, presenting information associated with a subsequent step.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, effectuate operations comprising:

rendering, on a user interface configured to represent controls for an unmanned aerial vehicle, an electronic checklist comprising a plurality of steps for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle;

detecting one or more of a user selection of a step from among the plurality of steps, display preferences, or rearrangement of the plurality of steps;

presenting, on the user interface, information associated with the user selection; and

saving the user selection as a display configuration data file for subsequent retrieval to recreate an associated display configuration.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operation of rendering comprises generating the electronic checklist in response to a user selection of a menu item.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a plurality of electronic checklists based on unmanned aerial vehicle data; and

generating a menu comprising menu items associated with each of the plurality of electronic checklists,

wherein the operation of rendering comprises generating the electronic checklist in response to a user selection of a menu item associated with the electronic checklist from among the menu items associated with each of the plurality of electronic checklists.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the information associated with the step comprises at least one control that, when activated, manipulates a component configured on an unmanned aerial vehicle.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the information associated with the step comprises a user input that accepts user provided data and provides the user provided data to a flight planning and control system.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the information associated with the step comprises at least one control that, when activated, indicates that the step is complete.