Integrated display and yoke mechanism

• US 6,567,069 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1999
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc.
• Inventors: Bontrager, Rich, McBride, Tom, Barakchi, Saied, Henkel, Doug
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US09/354,746
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/156, 701/207, 701/213, 244/75.R, 244/184, 244/234, 244/237
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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

A yoke mounted instrument display capable of displaying information from a number of different sensors.

Claims

1. A display assembly mounted on the movable portion of the steering control assembly of a steerable aircraft for receiving and displaying information from one or more external information systems, the combination comprising:

a navigation computer integrated with the movable portion of an aircraft steering control assembly and being rotationally fixed therewith, said navigation computer coupled to one or more external information systems located on the steerable vehicle for receiving information from the one or more external information systems;

one or more computer applications executable by said navigation computer, each said application generating an output signal in response to information received from one or more of the external information systems;

a visual display integrated with the steering control portion and being rotationally fixed therewith, said visual display coupled to said navigation computer and receiving said output signal; and

a function control integrated with the control portion, said function control coupled to said navigation computer and causing said navigation computer to execute different ones of said computer applications.

2. The display assembly recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said one or more computer applications is a pre-programmed computer program resident on said navigation computer.

3. The display assembly recited in claim 1, wherein said visual display is coupled interactively to said navigation computer.

4. The display assembly recited in claim 1, wherein said function control comprises a plurality of function control keys.

5. The display assembly recited in claim 4, wherein said each of said function control keys exhibits a programmable function compatible with each of said computer applications.

6. The display assembly recited in claim 1, wherein said function control comprises a pointing device.

7. The display assembly recited in claim 1, further comprising a memory device coupled to said navigation computer.

8. The display assembly recited in claim 6, wherein said memory device is a read-only memory device.

9. The display assembly recited in claim 1, further comprising a database of terrain information.

10. The display assembly recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more navigation sensors.

11. A display assembly for displaying information from one or more information systems, the display assembly being integrated with the rotatable steering control portion of a steerable vehicle and being limited to approximately plus and minus ninety degrees of rotation, the display assembly comprising:

one or more information systems generating information relevant to the status of the steerable vehicle, said one or more information systems including a flight computer, a plurality of on-board warning systems, and one or more navigation sensors;

a navigation computer coupled to one or more of said information systems for receiving said relevant information from one or more of said information systems and generating an output signal in response to said relevant information, said navigation computer forming an integral portion of a rotatable steering control portion that is limited to approximately plus and minus ninety degrees of rotation;

a plurality of function control keys forming an integral portion of the rotatable steering control portion and coupled to said navigation computer; and

a display screen forming an integral portion of the rotatable steering control portion, said display screen coupled to said navigation computer for receiving said output signal and for displaying a visual representation related to said output signal.

12. The display assembly recited in claim 11 wherein said display screen is a display screen capable of dynamically displaying graphic and textual information.

13. The display assembly recited in claim 11 wherein said relevant information is processed by said navigation computer according to different computer program applications.

14. The display assembly recited in claim 12 wherein said function control keys comprise function control keys having programmable functions compatible with each of said computer program applications.

15. The display assembly recited in claim 11 further comprising one or more information databases coupled to said navigation computer.

16. The display assembly recited in claim 15 wherein one of said information databases is a terrain information database.

17. The display assembly recited in claim 11 further comprising said one or more navigation sensors forming an integral portion of the rotatable steering control portion and being coupled to said navigation computer.

18. A combination manually rotatable steering mechanism and display assembly mounted on the control system of a steerable aircraft for receiving and displaying information from one or more external information systems, the combination comprising:

a manually rotatable steering mechanism attached to a control system of the steerable aircraft for imparting control impulses to the control system of the steerable aircraft, said control impulses including tilting of said steering mechanism and rotating of said steering mechanism within a rotation limit of approximately ninety degrees;

a navigation computer coupled to one or more external information systems located on the steerable vehicle for receiving information from the one or more external information systems and integral navigation sensors, said navigation computer forming an integral portion of said manually rotatable steering mechanism;

one or more pre-programmed computer applications resident on said navigation computer, each said application generating an output signal in response to information received from one or more of the external information systems;

a display screen integral with said control portion and coupled to said navigation computer for receiving said output signal generated by ones of said computer applications, said display screen capable of dynamically displaying dynamic graphical and textual information;

one or more function controls integral with said control portion, said function controls comprising function control keys suitable for manual manipulation, said function control keys further having programmable functions compatible with each of said computer applications; and

means for causing said navigation computer to execute different ones of said computer applications.

19. The combination steering mechanism and display assembly recited in claim 18 wherein said manually rotatable steering mechanism includes one or more gripping portions formed symmetrically about a central hub portion, said central hub portion being interconnected with the control system for imparting control impulses thereto.

20. The combination steering mechanism and display assembly recited in claim 19 further comprising one or more integral information systems coupled to said navigation computer.

21. The combination steering mechanism and display assembly recited in claim 20 wherein said at least one of said integral information systems coupled to said navigation computer is a terrain database.

22. A method of displaying information on an aircraft steering control mechanism, the method comprising:

receiving navigation information from an on-board information source via an aircraft data bus;

processing said information in a navigation computer integrated into a manually rotatable steering control portion of a vehicle control system, said steering control portion being limited in rotation to approximately ninety degrees;

displaying said information on a display integrated into the manually rotatable steering control portion.