Method and apparatus for interactively displaying a route window for a flight management system

• US 6,799,095 B1
• Filed: 09/08/1999
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Owen, Gary L., Palmer, George W., Barber, Sarah
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/391,782
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 701/4, 701/3, 701/13, 701/117, 701/120, 701/204, 701/300, 340/995.15, 340/995.19, 345/1.2, 345/349, 342/32, 342/36, 342/37
• US Class Current: 701/4
• 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 apparatus and method for displaying FMS information to a pilot with a map segment and a configurable window of textual information which is configurable both in size and content.

Claims

1. An avionics FMS comprising:

a source of FMS route data;

a display coupled to said source of FMS route date for visually presenting said FMS route data;

a configurable route window, presented on said display;

said configurable route window has a configurable window size;

said display presents an adaptive graphical map segment;

wherein said adaptive graphical map segment adapts to a sized characteristic of said configurable route window;

wherein said configurable route window includes a vertical route window expansion/contraction button; and

wherein said vertical route window expansion/contraction button is a vertical route window expansion/contraction variable direction indicating button.

2. An avionics FMS of claim 1 wherein said vertical route window expansion/contraction variable direction indicating button is a vertical route window expansion/contraction variable direction double chevron button.

3. An apparatus of claim 2 wherein said configurable route window includes a plurality of display format parameter control buttons;

and

wherein each of said plurality of display format parameter control buttons includes a plurality of selectable regions thereon which are independently capable of being highlighted to indicate a selection status.

4. An avionics FMS comprising:

a source of FMS route data;

a display coupled to said source of FMS route data for visually presenting said FMS route date;

a configurable route window, presented on said display;

said configurable route window has a configurable window sizes;

said display presents an adaptive graphical map segment;

wherein said adaptive graphical map segment adapts to a sized characteristic of said configurable route window;

wherein said configurable route window includes a vertical route window expansion/contraction button; and

wherein said configurable route window includes a horizontal route window expansion/contraction button.