Aircraft dialog device, through which a dialog with a system of said aircraft is possible

• US 6,668,215 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2002
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Roux, Nicolas, Luneau, Christine, Lafon, Jean-François
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/061,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/14, 701/200, 345/856, 345/173, 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/167, 345/168, 345/764, 345/778, 345/786, 345/813
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

Said dialog device (1) includes at least two interactive windows (F1 to F8), each of which includes at least one responsive object which is associated with a function of the system, at least one cursor control device (5), which is capable of being actuated by an operator, and which includes means for displacing a cursor continuously on the interactive windows (F1 to F8) in order to designate a responsive object, and for confirming a designated responsive object in order to initiate execution of the associated function, and at least one keyboard (8), including at least one key for discrete displacement of the cursor, and at least one confirmation key, making it possible to confirm a responsive object which is designated by the cursor, in order to initiate execution of the associated function.

Claims

1. A device for dialog between at least one operator of an aircraft and at least one system of said aircraft, said device including:

(a) at least two interactive windows for being displayed on at least one screen, and each of which includes at least one responsive object which is associated with one of multiple functions, said functions for being initiated by said dialog device under the action of the operator so that they are executed;

(b) at least one cursor control device for being controlled by said operator, and which includes;

at least one actuatable displacement means for displacing a cursor on said interactive windows, in order to designate a responsive object; and

at least one actuatable confirmation means for confirming a responsive object which is designated using said cursor, in order to initiate execution of the function which is associated with said responsive object; and

(c) at least one keyboard including keys which enable said operator to enter alphanumeric data into said system, wherein;

said means for displacing the cursor control device causes a continuous displacement of the cursor on the windows, under the action of said operator, and said keyboard includes additionally;

at least one cursor displacement key, making it possible to cause a discrete displacement of the cursor, responsive object by responsive object, on a specified window;

at least one auxiliary displacement key, making it possible to displace the cursor from window to window; and

at least one confirmation key, making it possible to confirm a responsive object which is designated by said cursor, in order to initiate execution of the function which is associated with said responsive object.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, which includes multiple screens, of which at least some include at least one interactive window, and wherein said keyboard includes function keys which are associated with certain of said system functions and make it possible, when thay are operated, to displace the cursor directly onto the responsive object which is associated with the function key which is operated, irrespective of the screen on which said responsive object is displayed.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, which includes multiple screens, of which at least some include at least one interactive window, and wherein said cursor control device and said keyboard each include one actuatable means for displacing, screen by screen, the cursor from one screen to another.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each interactive window is divided into multiple fields, each of which includes at least one responsive element.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein each screen includes one default field, which is situated on one of the interactive windows of the screen, and on which the cursor arrives after a change of screen under the control of the keyboard.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein each interactive window includes one default field, on which the cursor arrives after a change of window under the control of the keyboard.

7. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein each default field includes one default-responsive object, on which the cursor arrives after a change of field.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cursor control device includes a means for incrementing the alphanumeric values in at least one value input field of at least one of said interactive windows.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, which includes two cursor control devices and two keyboards, one cursor control device and one keyboard being intended for the pilot of the aircraft, and the other cursor control device and the other keyboard being intended for the copilot of the aircraft.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, which includes eight screens, of which three are intended for the pilot of the aircraft, three others are intended for the copilot of the aircraft, and two are common to said pilot and copilot.

11. An aircraft system, which includes a dialog device as specified in claim 1, to allow a dialog between said system and an operator of said aircraft.

12. A device for dialog between at least one operator of an aircraft and at least one system of said aircraft, said dialog device including:

multiple screens and at least two interactive windows for being displayed on at least one screen, and at least some of said multiple screens have at least one interactive window, and each of which includes at least one responsive object which is associated with one of multiple functions, said functions for being initiated by said dialog device under the action of the operator so that they are executed;

at least one cursor control device for being controlled by said operator and which includes;

at least one actuatable displacement means for displacing a cursor on said interactive windows, in order to designate a responsive object; and

at least one actuatable confirmation means for confirming a responsive abject which is designated using said cursor in order to initiate execution of the function which is associated with said responsive object; and

at least one keyboard including keys which enable said operator to enter alphanumeric data into said system and are associated with certain of said system functions and make it possible, when they are operated, to displace the cursor directly onto the responsive object which is associated with the function key which is operated, irrespective of the screen on which said responsive object is displayed, wherein;

said means for displacing the cursor control device causes a continuous displacement of the cursor on the windows, under the action of said operator, and said keyboard includes additionally;

at least one cursor displacement key, making it possible to cause a discrete displacement of the cursor, responsive object by responsive object, on a specified window;

at least one auxiliary displacement key, making it possible to displace the cursor from window to window; and

at least one confirmation key, making it possible to confirm a responsive object which is designated by said cursor, in order to initiate execution of the function which is associated with said responsive object.

13. A device for dialog between at least one operator of an aircraft and at least one system of said aircraft, said dialog device including:

at least two interactive windows which can be displayed on at last one screen, each of maid interactive windows is divided into multiple fields, and each of said interactive windows and each of said fields include at least one responsive object which is associated with one of multiple functions, said functions for being initiated by said dialog device under the action of the operator so that they are executed;

at least one cursor control device for being controlled by said operator and which includes;

at least one actuatable displacement means for displacing a cursor on said interactive windows, in order to designate a responsive object; and

at least one actuatable confirmation means for confirming a responsive object which is designated using said cursor, in order to initiate execution of the function which is associated with said responsive object; and

at least one keyboard including keys which enable said operator to enter alphanumeric data into said system, wherein;

said means for displacing the cursor control device causes a continuous displacement of the cursor on the windows, under the action of said operator, and said keyboard includes additionally;

at least one cursor displacement key, making it possible to cause a discrete displacement of the cursor, responsive object by responsive object, on a specified window;

at least one auxiliary displacement key, making it possible to displace the cursor from window to window; and

at least one confirmation key, making it possible to confirm a responsive object which is designated by said cursor, in order to initiate execution of the function which is associated with said responsive object, and wherein;

each screen includes one default field, which is situated on one of the interactive windows of the screen, and on which the cursor arrives after a change of screen under the control of the keyboard, each interactive window includes one default field, on which the cursor arrives after a change of window under the control of the keyboard and each default field includes one default-responsive object, on which the cursor arrives after a change of the field.