Method and system for integrating a laptop PC in a cockpit

• US 6,401,013 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: McElreath, Kenneth W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/613,970
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/24, 701/36, 244/1.R, 345/205, 345/2, 345/7, 345/8
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A system and method for processing information on an aircraft in an economically efficient manner, in which a non-FAA certified removable laptop PC is intermittently coupled to and integrated with FAA certified avionics equipment on-board the aircraft, and the laptop is used to perform tasks which are not mandated by the FAA.

Claims

1. An aviation electronics system comprising:

an avionics display device mounted in an aircraft cockpit;

said display device coupled to on-board aviation electronics equipment;

a PC coupled to said avionics display device;

an interactive cursor controller coupled to said aviation electronics equipment; and

,

a mouse adaptor coupled to said interactive cursor controller, said mouse adaptor for translating signals exchanged between said PC and said interactive cursor controller.

2. A system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of sensors/information sources coupled to said aviation electronics equipment and said PC.

3. A system of claim 2 wherein said avionics display has a menu control for enabling receipt and display of information from said PC, where a selection process ensures independence and integrity of normal avionics functions to satisfactory civil air-worthiness requirements of said normal avionics functions.

4. A system of claim 3 further comprising:

a shielding enclosure disposed in said aircraft cockpit for receiving said PC and thereby reducing EMI caused by said laptop PC.

5. A system of claim 4 wherein said PC is a commercially available PC.

6. A system of claim 5 wherein said plurality of sensors/information sources include a GPS receiver.

7. A method of-processing information on-board an aircraft comprising the steps of:

providing avionics equipment installed in said aircraft, where said avionics equipment has received an FAA review and certification;

coupling a PC which has not received an FAA review and certification, to said avionics equipment;

generating PC information on said PC;

generating avionics information on said avionics equipment; and

transferring information across a connection between said PC and said avionics equipment;

wherein said step of providing avionics equipment includes providing an avionics display and said step of transferring information includes providing said avionics display with said PC information.

8. A method of claim 7 wherein said avionics information is provided to said PC for use by said PC in performing tasks on said PC, wherein said tasks are not tasks which are part of an FAA requirement which mandates that such tasks be performed with an FAA certified avionics apparatus;

and

wherein said tasks include a task of managing fuel consumption.

9. A method of processing information on-board an aircraft comprising the steps of:

providing avionics equipment installed in said aircraft, where said avionics equipment has received an FAA review and certification;

coupling a PC which has not received an FAA review and certification, to said avionics equipment;

generating PC information on said PC;

generating avionics information on said avionics equipment; and

transferring information across a connection between said PC and said avionics equipment;

wherein said avionics information is provided to said PC for use by said PC in performing tasks on said PC, wherein said tasks are not tasks which are part of an FAA requirement which mandates that such tasks be performed with an FAA certified avionics apparatus; and

wherein said tasks include calculating weight distribution characteristics relating to loading of said aircraft.

10. A system on-board an aircraft, the system comprising:

an FAA certified avionics display device, fixed in a void in an instrument panel in said aircraft, said avionics display for displaying information to a pilot;

an FAA certified avionics display processor, coupled to said avionics display, for providing signals to said avionics display;

an FAA certified interactive cursor controller, coupled to said avionics display processor, said cursor controller for permitting a pilot to manipulate a cursor on said avionics display, during times of turbulent flight;

an FAA certified GPS receiver, disposed on said aircraft;

an FAA certified shielding barrier for reducing EMI external thereto from a source of EMI disposed therein;

a non-FAA certified PC, disposed in said shielding barrier, said non-FAA certified PC having output signals which include RS232 serial port signals, computer industry standard mouse control signals, and industry standard display signals;

an FAA certified mouse adaptor for translating signals to and from said interactive cursor controller so as to be compatible with an industry standard mouse interface on the non-FAA certified PC;

an FAA certified alphanumeric keypad that acts as a keyboard for the non-FAA certified PC using a standard PC keyboard interface; and

whereby said non-FAA certified PC is selectively permitted to drive said avionics display, said GPS receiver provides position related information to said non-FAA certified PC, and said interactive cursor controller is used to control a cursor generated by said non-FAA certified PC.