Flat panel display using dual CPU's for an aircraft cockpit

• US 6,977,666 B1
• Filed: 09/03/1999
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innovative Solutions and Support Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innovative Solutions and Support Incorporated
• Inventors: Hedrick, Geoffrey S. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/390,051
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-176, 345/112, 345/150, 345115-117, 345502-506, 345133-134, 345/87, 345/204, 345/904, 345/60, 345/82, 345/618, 345/690, 345/589, 345/156, 340/963, 340/973, 340974-975, 340/438, 701/9, 701 14- 16, 701/120, 714 46- 47, 714/11, 714/48, 714/25, 714/30, 434/30, 434/49, 178/18.03
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/08 Fault-tolerant or redundant circuits, or circuits in which repair of defects is prepared
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/12 Test circuits or failure detection circuits included in a display system, as permanent part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A thin flat panel display for aircraft cockpits. These displays use a dual CPU/graphics generator system to produce simulated aircraft instrumentation displays which are color coded to indicate when one of the graphic generators has not correctly received data from the aircraft system bus. The displays use standard graphic generators and CPUs, and do not require additional software. The displays also allow the aircraft systems to be continuously tested while the aircraft is on the ground. Moreover, the inventive systems include input touch devices which access external memories to display necessary flight and landing information which allow the cockpit crew to expand in detail the external information for display on the flat panels.

Claims

1. A flat panel display system for displaying data relating to aircraft system parameters from corresponding aircraft instruments to a flight crew in a cockpit of an aircraft, comprising:

a flat panel display for visually displaying the aircraft system parameters on simulated instruments found on the flat panel display and for displaying indicia that said data is being received related to the aircraft system parameters from corresponding aircraft instruments;

a first central processor for receiving said data from the aircraft instruments measuring said aircraft system parameters;

a first graphics generator operatively coupled to the first central processor for generating a first set of color data as a function of the data received by the first central processor and for outputting the first set of color data to a location on the flat panel display so that the flat panel display can form the simulated instruments and the indicia;

a second central processor for receiving said data from the aircraft instruments measuring said aircraft system parameters; and

a second graphics generator operatively coupled to the second central processor for generating a second set of color data as a function of the data received by the second central processor and for outputting the second set of color data to said location on the flat panel display in a different color than said first set of color data so that the combination at said location of the first set of color data from the first graphics generator and the second set of color data from the second graphics generator forms at said location on the flat panel display the simulated instruments and the indicia such that said indicia is of another color different from the colors of said first and second sets of color data,

wherein when either of the first and second sets of color data is not output to said location on the flat panel display, the indicia on the flat panel display is in a color different from said another color.

2. The flat panel display system of claim 1, further comprising a video multiplexer circuit connected between the first and second graphics generators and the flat panel display for multiplexing and timing the output of the first and second sets of color data for output to the flat panel display.

3. The flat panel display system of claim 1, further comprising a third central processor for receiving data from aircraft instruments related to the aircraft system parameters and for interrogating the aircraft systems with simulated flight data on a statistical basis to build a database of statistical measurements of the aircraft systems for maintenance and diagnostic purposes.

4. The flat panel display system of claim 3, wherein the third central processor implements Monte Carlo statistics.

5. The flat panel display system of claim 3, further comprising an external memory device for storing external flight data that can be recalled by the flight crew and displayed on the flat panel display.

6. The flat panel display system of claim 5, further comprising an input device in communication with the external memory device for accessing the external data so that the external data can be displayed on the flat panel display.

7. The flat panel display system of claim 6, wherein the flat panel display further comprises a bezel surrounding a periphery of the flat panel display and wherein the input device is interfaced to the bezel.

8. The flat panel display system of claim 7, wherein the input device comprises a capacitive touch pad.

9. The flat panel display system of claim 8, wherein the external memory device comprises a compact disc player.

10. The flat panel display system of claim 9, wherein the external data comprises an aircraft navigation chart.

11. A circuit for controlling a flat panel display that displays on simulated aircraft instruments data related to aircraft system parameters gathered from aircraft instruments and indicia that show that the data is being received by the flat panel display, comprising:

a first central processor for receiving said data from the aircraft instruments measuring said aircraft system parameters;

a first graphics generator operatively coupled to the first central processor for generating a first set of color data as a function of the data received by the first central processor and for outputting the first set of color data to a location on the flat panel display so that the flat panel display can form the simulated instruments and the indicia;

a second central processor for receiving said data from the aircraft instruments measuring said aircraft system parameters;

a second graphics generator operatively coupled to the second central processor for generating a second set of color data as a function of the data received by the second central processor and for outputting the second set of color data to said location on the flat panel display in a different color than said first set of color data so that the combination at said location of the first set of color data from the first graphics generator and the second set of color data from the second graphics generator forms at said location on the flat panel display the simulated instruments and the indicia such that said indicia is of another color different from the colors of said first and second sets of color data;

wherein when either of the first and second sets of color data is not output to said location on the flat panel display, the indicia on the flat panel display is in a color different from said another color; and

a third central processor for receiving data from aircraft instruments related to the aircraft systems parameters and for interrogating the aircraft systems with simulated flight data on a statistical basis to build a database of statistical measurements of the aircraft systems for maintenance and diagnostic purposes.

12. The circuit of claim 11, further comprising a video mulitplexer circuit connected between the first and second graphics generators for multiplexing and timing the output of the first and second sets of color data to the flat panel display.

13. The circuit of claim 12, wherein the third central processor implements Monte Carlo statistics.

14. The circuit of claim 13, further comprising an external memory device for storing external flight data that can be recalled by the flight crew and displayed on the flat panel display.

15. The circuit of claim 14, further comprising an input device in communication with the external memory device for accessing the external data so that the external data can be displayed on the flat panel display.

16. The circuit of claim 15, wherein the input device comprises a capacitive touch pad.

17. A color flat panel display system for displaying, to an aircraft flight crew in an aircraft cockpit, aircraft flight data for use by the flight crew in operating the aircraft based on flight data information input to the display system, said system comprising:

a color flat panel display screen for presenting to the flight crew an image representing the flight data, the flight data image being presented on the display screen in a presentation color selectively formed at each of multiple locations on the display screen by concurrently illuminating predetermined combinations of a plurality of color pixels on the display screen at said each location;

a first independent processor for receiving the flight data information supplied to the display system and operable for generating a first output to the display screen for illuminating a first subset of said plural color pixels at said each location;

a second independent processor for receiving the flight data information supplied to the display system and operable for generating a second output to the display screen, concurrent with said first output of the first processor, for illuminating a second subset of said plural color pixels at said each location to thereby present the flight data image on the display screen at said each location in said presentation color formed by concurrent illumination by the first and second processors of a combination of said first and second subsets of the plural color pixels at said each location.

18. A method of displaying, to an aircraft flight crew on a color flat panel display screen in an aircraft cockpit, an image of aircraft flight data presented to the flight crew on the display screen in a presentation color selectively formed at each location on the display screen by concurrently illuminating a predetermined combination of a plurality of color pixels at said each location, for use of the presented flight data image by the flight crew in operating the aircraft, said method comprising the steps of:

supplying flight data information to a first independent processor for generating, from the supplied flight data information, the flight data image as a first output for illuminating a first subset of the plural color pixels on the display screen at said each location;

supplying the flight data information to a second independent processor for generating, from the supplied flight data information, the flight data image as a second output for illuminating a second subset of the plural color pixels at said each location; and

concurrently supplying the first and second outputs to the display screen so as to concurrently illuminate the first and second subsets of the plural color pixels at said each location of the display screen and thereby present the flight data image on the display screen at said each location in the presentation color formed by the concurrent illumination of the first and second subsets of the plural color pixels at said each location of the color flat panel display screen.