Touch sensitive input and display arrangement for controlling and monitoring aircraft cabin systems
First Claim
1. An arrangement for monitoring the status of and controlling the functions of aircraft cabin systems selected from a cabin information system, a cabin audio system, a cabin video system, a cabin lighting system, a cabin air conditioning system, a cabin smoke detector system, an aircraft door monitoring system, and a water supply and wastewater system, wherein:
- said arrangement comprises a user interface panel comprising a liquid crystal display screen and a touch sensitive surface input arrangement superimposed at least partly over said display screen, said user interface panel includes a basic layout including a general display area of said display screen and a plurality of touch input keys respectively labeled with system or function identifying symbols, said arrangement further comprises a first system menu associated with a first one of said cabin systems and a second system menu associated with a second one of said cabin systems, said first system menu can be selectively displayed on said general display area whereby said first system menu shows status information and operating functions of said first cabin system and allows a user to select and control said operating functions of said first cabin system via said touch sensitive surface input arrangement, said second system menu can be selectively displayed on said general display area whereby said second system menu shows status information and operating functions of said second cabin system and allows a user to select and control said operating functions of said second cabin system via said touch sensitive surface input arrangement, and said arrangement further comprises a main menu that can be selectively displayed on said general display area and that simultaneously depicts first and second essential informations respectively representing a first system status about said first cabin system and a second system status about said second cabin system, and that allows the user to select a desired one of said first and second system menus from said main menu.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A monitoring and control device includes a touch sensitive LCD screen, with a basic layout including a display area and touch sensitive keys depicted with associated system and function symbols. A main menu or any one of plural system menus can be selectively displayed in the display area. The system menus relate to cabin systems such as audio, lighting, and water systems. The selected system menu displays status information and touch input keys for the user to monitor the status and to select and control the operation of the system. The main menu is a top level window providing essential information regarding all of the cabin systems and allows a user to select any one of the system menus. The device is compact, user-friendly, and adaptable to various system requirements by mere software reprogramming. The displays and input keys are all virtual elements generated by software.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An arrangement for monitoring the status of and controlling the functions of aircraft cabin systems selected from a cabin information system, a cabin audio system, a cabin video system, a cabin lighting system, a cabin air conditioning system, a cabin smoke detector system, an aircraft door monitoring system, and a water supply and wastewater system, wherein:
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said arrangement comprises a user interface panel comprising a liquid crystal display screen and a touch sensitive surface input arrangement superimposed at least partly over said display screen, said user interface panel includes a basic layout including a general display area of said display screen and a plurality of touch input keys respectively labeled with system or function identifying symbols, said arrangement further comprises a first system menu associated with a first one of said cabin systems and a second system menu associated with a second one of said cabin systems, said first system menu can be selectively displayed on said general display area whereby said first system menu shows status information and operating functions of said first cabin system and allows a user to select and control said operating functions of said first cabin system via said touch sensitive surface input arrangement, said second system menu can be selectively displayed on said general display area whereby said second system menu shows status information and operating functions of said second cabin system and allows a user to select and control said operating functions of said second cabin system via said touch sensitive surface input arrangement, and said arrangement further comprises a main menu that can be selectively displayed on said general display area and that simultaneously depicts first and second essential informations respectively representing a first system status about said first cabin system and a second system status about said second cabin system, and that allows the user to select a desired one of said first and second system menus from said main menu. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An aircraft cabin systems controller that enables a user to monitor status information and to control functions of plural cabin systems in an aircraft cabin, said cabin systems being selected from a group consisting of a cabin information system, a cabin audio system, a cabin video system, a cabin lighting system, a cabin air conditioning system, a cabin smoke detector system, an aircraft door monitoring system, and an aircraft water system, wherein said aircraft cabin systems controller comprises:
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a user interface panel that includes a display screen and a touch sensitive surface input arrangement superimposed over at least a portion of said display screen;
a computer-generated first system display that is selectively displayed on said display screen, and that shows first status information and first operating functions of a first one of said cabin systems and allows the user to select and control said first operating functions by touching said touch sensitive surface input arrangement superimposed on said first system display on said display screen;
a computer-generated second system display that is selectively displayed on said display screen, and that shows second status information and second operating functions of a second one of said cabin systems and allows the user to select and control said second operating functions by touching said touch sensitive surface input arrangement superimposed on said second system display on said display screen; and
a computer-generated main cabin status display that is selectively displayed on said display screen, and that simultaneously shows first overview status information regarding said first cabin system and second overview status information regarding said second cabin system, and that allows the user, by touching said touch sensitive surface input arrangement superimposed on said main cabin status display on said display screen, to select a desired one of said first and second system displays to be selectively displayed on said display screen. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An aircraft cabin systems controller that enables a user to monitor status information and to control functions of plural cabin systems in an aircraft cabin, said cabin systems being selected from a cabin information system, a cabin audio system, a cabin video system, a cabin lighting system, a cabin air conditioning system, a cabin smoke detector system, an aircraft door monitoring system, and an aircraft water system, wherein said aircraft cabin systems controller comprises:
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a user interface panel that includes a display screen and a touch sensitive surface input arrangement superimposed over at least a portion of said display screen;
a computer-generated first system display that is selectively displayed on said display screen, and that shows first status information and first operating functions of a first one of said cabin systems and allows the user to select and control said first operating functions by touching said touch sensitive surface input arrangement superimposed on said first system display on said display screen;
a computer-generated second system display that is selectively displayed on said display screen, and that shows second status information and second operating functions of a second one of said cabin systems and allows the user to select and control said second operating functions by touching said touch sensitive surface input arrangement superimposed on said second system display on said display screen; and
a computer-generated main cabin display that is selectively displayed on said display screen and that simultaneously includes first and second graphical aircraft symbols each respectively schematically representing a plan view of the aircraft cabin and respectively simultaneously shoving first overview status information regarding said first cabin system on said first graphical aircraft symbol and showing second overview status information regarding said second cabin system on said second graphical aircraft symbol, and that allows the user, by touching said touch sensitive surface input arrangement superimposed on said main cabin display on said display screen, to select a desired one of said first and second system displays to be selectively displayed on said display screen;
wherein;
said touch sensitive surface input arrangement includes a first touch sensitive area that is superimposed on said first graphical aircraft symbol and is linked to said first system display to allow the user to select said first system display as said desired one of said system displays by touching said first touch sensitive area;
said touch sensitive surface input arrangement further includes a second touch sensitive area that is superimposed on said second graphical aircraft symbol and is linked to said second system display to allow the user to select said second system display as said desired one of said system displays by touching said second touch sensitive area; and
said user interface panel further has incorporated therein plural touch buttons that are respectively individually linked to respective ones of said system displays to allow the user additionally to select said desired one of said system displays by touching a respective one of said touch buttons that is linked to said desired one of said system displays. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification