PHASE-ORIENTED DISPLAY

• US 3,815,261 A
• Filed: 10/30/1970
• Issued: 06/11/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cae-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: Victor Jr. Faconti
• Inventors: Faconti, Victor Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oremland, L. R.
• Application Number:
  US05/085,670
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 35/10.2,11,12F,12N 340/172.5 235/198
• US Class Current: 434/49
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/08 for teaching control of aircraft, e.g. Link trainer

Abstract

A method providing to an instructor in a flight simulator, or the like, a phase oriented display containing only the most important aircraft information relating to the phase of the mission being flown, as opposed to the usual display of all information at all times. The total training mission is divided into phases and logic employed to detect the mission phase in progress and automatically select for display the information deemed most important to that phase.

Claims

1. A method of displaying to an instructor current values and conditions of parameters associated with operation of a training simulator during various phases of a simulated training mission, comprising the steps of:

a. establishing two or more distinct mission phases;

b. identifying those parameters most pertinent to operation during each of said phases;

c. generating individual electrical signals commensurate with each of the values and conditions of all parameters;

d. providing display output means at the instructor'"'"''"'"'s station for actuation by said electrical signals to visibly indicate said values and conditions;

e. selectively connecting only those electrical signals for actuation of said display means which are associated with those parameters most pertinent to simulator operation during the mission phase currently in progress; and

f. wherein the step of selectively connecting said electrical signals is performed by electronic logic adapted to determine the mission phase currentlY in progress from input values commensurate with operating conditions indicative thereof.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said input values are compared electrically with pre-selected reference values above and below which the mission phase is different.

3. Apparatus for displaying to an instructor certain of the indications available to a trainee in a training simulator of instrument readings and control settings in accordance with the current phase of a simulated training mission, said apparatus comprising, in combination:

a. storage means wherein values indicative of all current instrument readings and control settings are stored;

b. selector means having an output indicative of mission phase;

c. gating means connected to said storage means and responsive to said selector means output to pass only those values from said storage means which are most pertinent to operation during the mission phase indicated by said storage means output;

d. display means connected to the output of said gating means and responsive to the values passed thereby to provide a visible display of the instrument readings and control settings of which said values are indicative; and

e. wherein said selector means includes electronic comparator means constructed and arranged to compare the instantaneous values of preselected parameters to stored values of said parameters above and below which said mission phase is different.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein said display means comprises an alpha-numeric CRT display.

5. The invention according to claim 3 wherein said gating means and said comparator means comprise a programmed digital computer.

6. The invention according to claim 5 wherein said instrument readings and control settings comprise the cockpit indications of a flight simulator.