Cockpit instrument panel systems and methods of presenting cockpit instrument data

• US 6,696,980 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Langner, Dale, Straub, Philip I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, John
• Application Number:
  US10/086,951
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 340/971, 340/972, 340/973, 340/974, 701/3, 701/14, 342/26
• US Class Current: 340/971
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2207/10 Displays which are primarily used in aircraft or display aircraft-specific information

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for integrating cockpit controls and data associated with the controls into a single interface having a bezel surrounding a single display. Furthermore in one embodiment, a system includes two bezels having individual and duplicate controls affixed thereon, where each bezel surrounds a display operable to present data related to the controls. Moreover, the bezels are proximate to one another. Additionally in one embodiment, a system, having an audio control panel interposed between two bezels, is provided.

Claims

1. A cockpit instrument panel, comprising:

a display;

a bezel enclosing the display and having affixed thereon a navigational input control, a communication input control, and a transponder input control; and

wherein the display is operable to simultaneously and graphically present navigational data, communication data, and transponder data associated with the controls.

2. The instrument panel of claim 1, further comprising a GPS control affixed to the bezel.

3. The instrument panel of claim 2, further comprising an autopilot control affixed to the bezel.

4. The instrument panel of claim 3, further comprising a messaging control affixed to the bezel.

5. The instrument panel of claim 1, wherein the navigational data includes an altimeter, a horizontal situation indicator, and an attitude indicator.

6. The instrument panel of claim 1, wherein the communication data includes frequency data and channel data.

7. The instrument panel of claim 1, wherein the display further simultaneously displays aircraft equipment data.

8. The instrument panel of claim 1, further comprising an audio control affixed to the bezel and operable to control audio communications.

9. A cockpit instrument panel system, comprising:

a first display enclosed within a first bezel, wherein the first bezel includes navigational controls, communication controls, and transponder controls, and wherein the first display is operable to graphically present navigational data, communication data, and transponder data associated with the controls of the first bezel; and

a second display enclosed within a second bezel, wherein the second bezel includes duplicate navigational controls, duplicate communication controls, and equipment controls, and wherein the second display is operable to graphically present the navigational data, the communication data, and equipment data associated with the controls of the second bezel.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising audio controls affixed on at least one of the first bezel and the second bezel.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising at least one of GPS controls, autopilot controls, and messaging controls affixed on at least one of the first bezel and the second bezel.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein a first edge of the first bezel is parallel and proximate to a first edge of the second bezel.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first display is operable to present a first graphical view of the navigational data while the second display is operable to simultaneously display a second graphical view of the navigational data, and the first view is different from the second view.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the navigational controls are associated with one or more navigational devices, the communication controls are associated with one or more communication devices, the transponder controls are associated with a transponder device, and the equipment controls are associated with one or more equipment monitoring devices, and wherein the electronic circuitry responding to these controls is physically proximately located behind the bezels and the displays.

15. A cockpit instrument panel system, comprising:

a first bezel having one or more controls affixed to the first bezel, wherein the first bezel surrounds a first display, the first display operable to graphically present control data associated with the controls;

a second bezel having one or more additional controls affixed to the second bezel, wherein the second bezel surrounds a second display, the second display operable to graphically present control data associated with the additional controls; and

an audio control panel having one or more audio controls situated between the first and second bezels and operable to provide audio capabilities.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a first side of the first bezel parallel and proximate to a first side of the audio panel, and a second side of the audio panel parallel and proximate to a first side of the second bezel.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first bezel, the audio control panel, and the second bezel are arranged to permit an operator to simultaneously access one or more of the controls on the first bezel, one or more of the controls on the audio control panel, and one or more of the additional controls on the second bezel.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first display and the second display are operable to present the data in one or more colors.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein separate colors are used to distinguish different logically-related portions of the data.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the bezels include messaging controls operable to permit messaging capabilities on at least one of the displays.

21. A method to present cockpit instrument data, comprising:

receiving communication data associated with communication controls, navigational data associated with navigational controls, and transponder data associated with transponder controls, wherein the controls are located on a single bezel; and

presenting one or more graphical views of the communication, the navigational data, and the transponder data on a display encompassed by the bezel.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving GPS data associated with GPS controls located on the bezel; and

presenting one or more additional views of the GPS data on the display.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving autopilot data associated with autopilot controls located on the bezel; and

presenting one or more additional views of the autopilot data on the display encompassed by the bezel.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

controlling audible communications using one or more audio controls located on the bezel.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein presentation of the views presents each view using one or more distinctive colors on the display.

26. A method of providing an integrated cockpit panel, comprising:

providing a bezel encompassing a display operable to graphically present control data;

providing one or more controls located on a front side of the bezel, wherein one or more of the controls adjust the control data presented on the display; and

providing one or more control devices proximately located on a rear side of the bezel or on a rear side of the display, each control device coupled to one of the controls, wherein the control devices are adjusted by the controls and provide the control data.