Automatic flight controller, aircraft cockpit, method for operating and automatic flight controller and computer program

• US 20170355467A1
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum Fuer Luft- Und Raumfahrt E.V.
• Original Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum Fã¼R Luft- Und Raumfahrt E.V.
• Inventors: RUDOLPH, Michael, WIES, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 10,252,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/18 using automatic pilot
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications

Abstract

The invention concerns an automatic flight controller with operating elements, by means of which target settings of the automatic flight controller can be set by an operator, and with display elements for data display, wherein the display elements comprise at least two mutually separate displays that are disposed on the front, for example a front panel, of the automatic flight controller, wherein

• a) the at least two mutually separate displays are high resolution graphical displays and/or
• b) the automatic flight controller is designed to display all operating mode awareness-relevant parameters of the automatic flight controller on one or more of the at least two mutually separate displays of the automatic flight controller.

The invention further concerns an aircraft cockpit with such an automatic flight controller as well as a method for operating a flight controller. The invention also concerns a computer program for carrying out the method

Claims

1. Automatic flight controller, comprising:

operating elements for setting target settings;

display elements for data display, wherein the display elements comprise at least two mutually separate displays that are disposed on a front of the automatic flight controller,

wherein the automatic flight controller is designed to display one, several or all of mode awareness-relevant parameters set forth below on one or more of the at least two mutually separate displays of the automatic flight controller

a) transition conditions between operating modes of the automatic flight controller,

b) control behavior of the automatic flight controller for achieving set target values,

c) possible interactions of a selected operating mode of the automatic flight controller with other operating modes of the automatic flight controller that can be selected.

2. The automatic flight controller according to claim 1, wherein the operating elements comprise at least one display operating element, by the actuation of which at least some display contents of a display of the at least two mutually separate displays can be moved to another display of the at least two mutually separate displays.

3. The automatic flight controller according to claim 1 wherein the at least two mutually separate displays each comprise an image diagonal of at least 4 inches.

4. Aircraft cockpit with at least one automatic flight controller, wherein the at least one automatic flight controller comprises

operating elements for setting target settings;

display elements for data display, wherein the display elements comprise at least two mutually separate displays that are disposed on a front of the automatic flight controller,

wherein the automatic flight controller is designed to display one, several or all of mode awareness-relevant parameters set forth below on one or more of the at least two mutually separate displays of the automatic flight controller

transition conditions between operating modes of the automatic flight controller,

control behavior of the automatic flight controller for achieving set target values,

possible interactions of a selected operating mode of the automatic flight controller with other operating modes of the automatic flight controller that can be selected.

5. The aircraft cockpit according to claim 4, wherein the at least one automatic flight controller is integrated at least in part within a glare shield of the aircraft cockpit.

6. A method for operating an automatic flight controller, wherein information about an operating mode of the automatic flight controller is displayed on at least one image display device in an aircraft cockpit in order to bring about a mode awareness of a pilot for safe operation of an aircraft with the automatic flight controller activated, comprising the step of displaying one, several or all of mode awareness-relevant parameters set forth below on the at least one image display device:

a) transition conditions between operating modes of the automatic flight controller,

b) control behavior of the automatic flight controller for achieving set target values,

c) possible interactions of a selected operating mode of the automatic flight controller with other operating modes of the automatic flight controller that can be selected.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one display element of the automatic flight controller is used as the at least one an image display device on which the one, several or all of the mode awareness-relevant parameters are displayed.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein all mode awareness-relevant parameters are displayed on one or more display elements of the at least one image display device.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising actuating at least one display operating element of the automatic flight controller, to preview one or more of the mode awareness-relevant parameters.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein by actuating the at least one display operating element of the automatic flight controller, at least some display contents of a display element of the automatic flight controller are moved to another display element of the automatic flight controller.

11. The method according to claim 6 wherein the at least one mode awareness-relevant parameter is displayed at different fixed positions on the at least one image display device depending on whether a flying state of the aircraft changes positively, changes negatively or remains the same for the at least mode awareness-relevant parameter.

12. The method according to claim 6 wherein the at least one mode awareness-relevant parameter is displayed at different fixed positions of the at least one image display device depending on whether a target value associated with the at least one mode awareness-relevant parameter has been determined by the pilot or automatically based on a programmed flying route.

13. The method according to claim 6 wherein the at least one mode awareness-relevant parameter is displayed in different colors on the at least one image display device depending on whether current values or future predicted values of said parameter are being displayed.

14. The method according to claim 6 further comprising actuating at least one display operating element of the automatic flight controller to display, predicted values of the at least one mode awareness-relevant parameter on the at least one image display device.

16. Computer program with program code means, designed to carry out a method according to claim 6 that is executed on a computer.

15. The method according to claim 15 wherein by actuating the at least one display operating element of the automatic flight controller, the predicted values can be switched back and forth between different preview levels.