Apparatus and method for aircraft display and control including head up display

• US 6,057,786 A
• Filed: 10/15/1997
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dassault Aviation (Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault)
• Original Assignee: Dassault Aviation (Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault)
• Inventors: Mitaux-Maurouard, Guy, Briffe, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/950,761
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 340/967, 340/971, 340/973, 340/974, 340/975, 340/976, 340/977, 340/978, 340/979, 340/980, 701/3, 701/4, 701/14, 244/1 R
• US Class Current: 340/975
• 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 display and control system includes a primary flight director and a head-up display. A flight management system computer generates a current aircraft velocity vector reticle, a desired aircraft velocity reticle, a speed reticle, an acceleration reticle, and a pitch reticle. The flight management system computer conformably generates a waypoint icon in the pilot'"'"'s view through the windshield superimposed upon the position in the view of the geographic location and altitude of the actual waypoint.

Claims

1. A primary flight display, comprising:

a flat-panel color display device;

a flight director reticle displayed on the display device indicating a desired aircraft velocity vector computed by an autopilot from an operator-entered desired flight path and indicating required pitch and roll commands; and

a flight path angle reticle displayed on the display device indicating a current aircraft velocity vector.

2. A primary flight display as recited in claim 1, comprising a speed reticle displayed on the display device indicating current speed error compared to a desired value.

3. A primary flight display as recited in claim 1, comprising a pitch reticle displayed on the display device indicating current aircraft pitch attitude.

4. A primary flight display as recited in claim 1, comprising a longitudinal acceleration reticle displayed on the display device indicating acceleration along the current flight path.

5. A primary flight display, comprising:

a flat-panel color display device;

a flight director reticle displayed on the display device indicating a desired aircraft velocity vector; and

a flight path angle reticle displayed on the display on the display device indicating a current aircraft velocity vector,

wherein the flight director reticle comprises a first reticle including a pair of quarter-circles indicating desired vertical aircraft velocity vector and a second reticle including a pair of quarter-circles indicating desired horizontal aircraft velocity vector.

6. A method for displaying information to an aircraft pilot, comprising the steps of:

receiving operator-entered inputs specifying a desired flight path;

generating first display signals representative of a desired aircraft velocity vector computed by an autopilot from the operator-entered inputs, said first display signals indicating required pitch and roll commands;

generating second display signals representative of the current aircraft velocity vector; and

simultaneously displaying on a flat-panel display device a flight director reticle and a flight path angle reticle respectively generated from the first and second display signals.