Apparatus and mehod for aircraft monitoring and control including electronic check-list management

• US 6,038,498 A
• Filed: 10/15/1997
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Degussa-Hüls AG (Rag-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Dassault Aviation (Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault)
• Inventors: Mitaux-Maurouard, Guy, Briffe, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US08/950,974
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/14, 701/29, 701/34, 701/15, 701/16, 340/945, 340/971, 340/500, 340/505, 340/6, 244/1 R
• US Class Current: 701/3
• 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 aircraft includes a system for managing check lists solely by operation of a four-position rocker switch having a center return position. The system includes check list data organized into three levels and automatically displayed upon occurrence of an abnormal condition.

Claims

1. A system for managing check lists in an aircraft, comprising:

a memory for storing check list data arranged into a plurality of check lists each containing a plurality of items;

a color flat panel display device;

a multi-position switch;

a sensor system for detecting abnormal conditions each corresponding to one check list; and

a flight computer coupled to the memory, display device, switch, and sensor system and responding to;

an abnormal condition detected by the sensor system by automatically displaying the check list corresponding to the detected abnormal condition; and

operation of the switch to respective selected positions by scrolling a screen indicator respectively up and down a displayed list on the display device, calling up a menu of check lists if no list is displayed, and displaying the previous check list on a menu;

whereby management of the check list data is provided solely by operation of the multi-position switch.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the switch comprises an automatic center-return switch.

3. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein the switch comprises two orthogonal two-position center return axes.

4. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein the switch comprises a plurality of momentary-contact positions.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the check list data comprises a three-level hierarchy of data organized into pages;

the computer displays selected ones of the levels of check list data; and

the computer responds to operation of the switch by executing functions dependent upon the level of currently displayed check list data.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the lowest level of check list data comprises an instruction level, display of which comprises an ordered list of instruction items;

the computer generates signals to cause a screen indicator to selectively associate with an instruction item of displayed data; and

operation of the switch to a specified position while instruction level data is being displayed causes an acknowledgment function to be executed for the instruction item associated with the indicator.

7. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein:

execution of the acknowledgment function stores an acknowledgment indicator in memory for the associated item;

the computer responds to operator input by causing display of information unrelated to the check list function;

the computer responds to subsequent operation of the switch to cause display of the page including the acknowledged instruction item, and generation of a screen indicator positioned at the last acknowledged instruction item.

8. A method for managing check lists in an aircraft, comprising:

storing in a memory check list data arranged into a plurality of check lists each containing a plurality of items;

detecting abnormal conditions each corresponding to one of the check lists;

responding to an abnormal condition detected by the sensor system by automatically displaying the check list corresponding to the detected abnormal condition; and

responding solely to operation of a multi position switch to manage display of the check list data on the display device.