Integrated primary flight display

• US 4,860,007 A
• Filed: 01/15/1988
• Issued: 08/22/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Konicke, Michael L., Loesch, James G., Veitengruber, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US07/144,512
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 340/971, 340/973-979, 364/433-435, 73/178 R, 73/178 T, 73/179, 73/182, 73/183, 244/1 R
• US Class Current: 340/973
• 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

Abstract

An integrated primary flight display apparatus for an aircraft provides coordinated information with minimum eye scan distances. Various cathode ray tube generated presentations are centered toward a common electronic attitude director indicator having indicia thereadjacent and pointers centrally directed. A moving altitude scale is utilized with a fixed vertical speed scale employed to select the correct vertical speed for leveling off at a given altitude. An arcuate shaped heading indication is expanded in angular extent to achieve enhanced sensitivity.

Claims

1. A primary flight display for an aircraft, comprising:

means defining a display field including a central attitude director indicator,

a vertically disposed, movable altitude scale on a first side of said central attitude director indicator, including a relatively fixed pointer provided with a window for digital display, and means responsive to the altitude of said aircraft for moving said scale relative to said pointer and generating said digital display indicating the altitude of said aircraft, wherein said scale is adjacent said central attitude director indicator and said pointer points toward said scale and said attitude director indicator,

a vertically disposed, movable air speed scale on a second side of said central attitude display indicator opposite said first side, including a second relatively fixed pointer provided with a second window for digital display, and means responsive to the air speed of said aircraft for moving said air speed scale relative to said second pointer and generating said digital display for said second window indicating the air speed of said aircraft, wherein said air speed scale is adjacent said central attitude director indicator and said second pointer points toward said air speed scale and said attitude director indicator,

a movable, arcuate heading scale adjacent and below said attitude director indicator, including a third relatively fixed pointer provided with a third window for digital display, and means responsive to the heading of said aircraft for moving said heading scale relative to said third pointer and generating said digital display for said third window indicating the heading of said aircraft, wherein said heading scale is adjacent said central attitude director indicator and said third pointer points toward said heading scale and said attitude director indicator, and

a relatively fixed vertical speed scale on said first side of said central attitude display indicator adjacent said altitude scale and on the remote side of said altitude scale from said central attitude director indicator, including a fourth relatively movable pointer directed radially toward both said vertical speed scale and said altitude scale from an apparent origin on the remote side of said vertical speed scale from said altitude scale such that said fourth pointer changes radial direction as it moves along said vertical speed scale, and means responsive to the vertical speed of said aircraft for moving said fourth pointer along said vertical speed scale, wherein graduations along said vertical speed scale and said altitude scale are such that said fourth pointer simultaneously points toward a selected altitude and the vertical speed appropriate for attaining the selected altitude.

2. The primary flight display according to claim 1 wherein said arcuate heading scale has a given radius from an apparent center of curvature below said heading scale, and graduations along said heading scale indicating degrees of heading wherein the spacing of said graduations is different from the angle subtended at said apparent center of curvature by the arcuate spacing on said scale between graduations.

3. The primary flight display according to claim 2 wherein said means responsive to said heading generates said heading scale by sectors placed adjacent one another and providing a larger total angular difference along said heading scale than the angle subtended at said apparent center of curvature by said adjacent sectors.

5. The primary flight display according to claim 1 wherein said means defining a display field includes means providing separate non-overlapping shading of areas of said display surrounding respective scales as a background for said scales to separate the same on said display as the sole demarcation of said areas.

4. The primary flight display according to claim I further including means providing markers along at least one of said scales, said markers being adjustable for providing pilot selected values, wherein said markers become substantially coincident with a corresponding pointer and digital display when a selected value is achieved, and wherein said markers are partially visible and are maintained in a stationary position when a pilot selected value exceeds the visible extent of the corresponding scale.

6. A primary flight display for an aircraft, comprising:

means defining a display field, and

a movable, arcuate heading scale on said display field and a background therefor comprising a segment of a compass rose, including a relatively fixed pointer, and means responsive to heading information from said aircraft for moving said heading scale relative to said pointer.

wherein said arcuate heading scale has a given radius from an apparent center of curvature, and graduations along said heading scale, the spacing of said graduations being different from the angle subtended at said apparent center of curvature by the arcuate spacing on said scale between the same graduations, wherein the ratio of the subtended angle between graduations and the actual spacing between said graduations in degrees along the arcuate scale is greater than one, such that the total spacing in degrees between all the graduations along the acuate scale would be greater than 360 degrees, said means responsive to heading information for moving said heading scale being effective in response to a change in heading information for moving said heading scale by the number of degrees as indicated thereon equal to the change in heading, wherein said means responsive to heading information produces said heading scale by displaying limited sectors.

7. The primary flight display according to claim 6 wherein said relatively fixed pointer is provided with a digital display registering the aircraft heading in response to said housing information.

8. A primary flight display for an aircraft, comprising:

means defining a display field,

a movable altitude scale on said display field, including a fixed pointer, and means responsive to altitude information from said aircraft for moving said scale relative to said pointer to indicate the correct altitude,

a fixed vertical speed scale adjacent said altitude scale on said display field, including a relatively movable pointer directed toward both said vertical speed scale and said altitude scale, and

means responsive to the vertical speed information from said aircraft for moving said movable pointer so as to point at the aircraft'"'"'s vertical speed while simultaneously pointing at a selected altitude on said altitude scale to be reached at said vertical speed.

9. The primary flight display according to claim 8 wherein said movable pointer is angularly movable from an apparent origin on the remote side of said vertical speed scale from said altitude scale.

10. The primary flight display according to claim 9 wherein said vertical speed scale is expanded between graduations toward zero vertical speed indication adjacent said fixed pointer.

11. The primary flight display according to claim 8 further including a pilot positionable, selected altitude marker along said altitude scale, said marker being movable with said altitude scale, whereby the pilot can substantially continuously direct said movable pointer toward said marker for smoothly decelerating said aircraft to a selected altitude in an optimized manner, as said selected altitude coincides with said fixed pointer.

12. A primary flight display for an aircraft, comprising:

means defining a display field,

an altitude scale on said display field including means responsive to altitude information from said aircraft for indicating the correct altitude on said altitude scale, and

a vertical speed indicator on said display field provided with means responsive to the vertical speed of said aircraft for indicating the vertical speed while simultaneously indicating the altitude on said altitude scale selected to be reached at said vertical speed.