Avionics display system for memorization of display configuration to phase of flight pushbuttons

• US 7,191,406 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2002
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Barber, Sarah, Johnson, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Muynh; Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chuong; Truc T.
• Application Number:
  US10/055,258
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771, 715/789, 715/841, 715/854, 715/856, 715/862, 701 3- 18
• US Class Current: 715/771
• 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 avionics system having displays with display configurations pilot selected for a phase of flight of an aircraft and reconfigurable for each phase of flight. A multifunction flight display stores and displays the stored phase of flight display configurations for each phase of flight of the aircraft. A cursor control panel connected to the multifunction display for changes from one stored phase of flight display configuration to another stored phase of flight display configuration when the aircraft changes phase of flight. The cursor control panel also is used for reconfiguring the display configuration for each phase of flight. The cursor control panel has phase of flight quick access pushbuttons for selecting a stored phase of flight configuration and for reconfiguring a stored phase of flight configuration into a new phase of flight configuration by selecting the new configuration and pressing a phase of flight quick access pushbutton for a predetermined time to store the new configuration.

Claims

1. A method of selecting, displaying, and reconfiguring display configurations on an avionics display in an avionics system on an aircraft for different phases of flight of the aircraft comprising the steps of:

selecting a prestored climb display configuration for display on the avionics display with a climb quick access pushbutton on a cursor control panel when the aircraft is in a climb phase of flight;

reconfiguring the prestored climb display configuration into a new climb display configuration with controls on the cursor control panel and on the avionics display;

pressing and holding the climb quick access pushbutton for a period of time to store the new climb display configuration;

selecting a prestored cruise display configuration for display on the avionics display with a cruise quick access pushbutton on the cursor control panel when the aircraft changes to a cruise phase of flight; and

selecting a prestored descend display configuration for display on the avionics display with a descend quick access pushbutton on the cursor control panel when the aircraft changes to a descend phase of flight.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

reconfiguring the prestored cruise display configuration into a new cruise display configuration with controls on the cursor control panel and the avionics display; and

pressing the cruise quick access pushbutton for a period of time to store the new cruise display configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

reconfiguring the prestored descend display configuration into a new descend display configuration with controls on the cursor control panel and the avionics display; and

pressing the descend quick access pushbutton for a period of time to store the new descend display configuration.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of selecting the new climb display configuration on the avionics display with the climb quick access pushbutton on the cursor control panel.

5. A method of selecting, displaying, and reconfiguring display configurations on an avionics display in an avionics system on an aircraft for different phases of flight of the aircraft comprising the steps of:

selecting prestored display configurations for display on the avionics display with quick access pushbuttons on a cursor control panel in accordance with the aircraft phase of flight;

reconfiguring the prestored display configurations into new display configurations with controls on the cursor control panel and the avionics display;

pressing and holding quick access pushbuttons for a period of time to store the new display configurations, wherein the quick access pushbuttons include a climb quick access pushbutton, a cruise quick access pushbutton, and a descend quick access pushbutton to store a respective new prestored climb display configuration, cruise display configuration and descend display configuration by pressing and holding the respective quick access button for the period of time;

selecting the prestored cruise display configuration for display on the avionics display with the cruise quick access pushbutton on the cursor control panel when the aircraft changes to a cruise phase of flight; and

selecting the prestored descend display configuration for display on the avionics display with the descend quick access pushbutton on the cursor control panel when the aircraft changes to a descend phase of flight.

6. The method of claim 5 for selecting, displaying, and reconfiguring avionics display configurations in an avionics system wherein the step of selecting prestored display configurations on the avionics display with the quick access pushbuttons further comprising the steps of:

selecting the prestored climb display configuration for display on the avionics display with the climb quick access pushbutton on the cursor control panel when the aircraft is in a climb phase of flight.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each of the steps of selecting the climb phase of flight configuration, the cruise phase of flight configuration, and descend phase of flight configuration comprises selecting a middle window display configuration from the group consisting of a checklist index, a flight management system text, and a vertical terrain profile and selecting a lower window display configuration from the group consisting of a present position, plan, datalink, charts, traffic, and maintenance formats.

8. An avionics system having displays with display configurations pilot-selected for a phase of flight of an aircraft and reconfigurable for each phase of flight comprising:

a flight display for storing and displaying stored phase of flight display configurations for each phase of flight of the aircraft; and

a cursor control panel connected to the flight display for changing from one stored phase of flight display configuration to another stored phase of flight display configuration when selected by the pilot for a phase of flight and for reconfiguring the display configuration for each phase of flight, wherein the panel includes quick access pushbuttons including a climb quick access pushbutton to store a new prestored climb display configuration by pressing and holding the climb quick access pushbutton for a period of time, wherein the quick access pushbuttons include a cruise quick access pushbutton, and a descend quick access pushbutton, wherein a prestored cruise display configuration can be selected for display with the cruise quick access pushbutton when the aircraft changes to a cruise phase of flight, and a prestored descend display configuration can be selected for display with the descend quick access pushbutton when the aircraft changes to a descend phase of flight.

9. The avionics system of claim 8 wherein the flight display further comprises:

a middle window for displaying a pilot-selectable display configuration;

a lower window for displaying a pilot-selectable display configuration; and

line select keys for selecting the middle window and lower window display configuration.

10. The avionics system of claim 9 wherein the quick access pushbuttons are flight phase pushbuttons for selecting a stored phase of flight configuration and for reconfiguring a stored phase of flight configuration into a new phase of flight configuration by selecting the new configuration with controls on the cursor control panel and pressing and holding one of the quick access pushbuttons for a predetermined time to store the new configuration.

11. The avionics system of claim 10 wherein the cursor control panel further comprises:

the climb quick access pushbutton for selecting a climb phase of flight display configuration and for reconfiguring the climb phase of flight display configuration;

the cruise quick access pushbutton for selecting a cruise phase of flight display configuration and for reconfiguring the cruise phase of flight display configuration; and

the descend quick access pushbutton for selecting a descend phase of flight display configuration and for reconfiguring the descend phase of flight display configuration.

12. The avionics system of claim 11 wherein the climb phase of flight configuration displays a pilot-selected display configuration for the middle window from the group consisting of a vertical terrain profile, a checklist index, and a flight management system text and for the lower window from the group consisting of a present position, a plan, a datalink, a chart, a traffic, and a maintenance format.

13. The avionics system of claim 11 wherein the cruise phase of flight configuration displays a pilot-selected display configuration for the middle window from the group consisting of a vertical terrain profile, a checklist index, and a flight management system text and for the lower window from the group consisting of a present position, a plan, a datalink, a chart, a traffic, and a maintenance format.

14. The avionics system of claim 11 wherein the descend phase of flight configuration displays a pilot-selected display configuration for the middle window from the group consisting of a vertical terrain profile, a checklist index, and a flight management system text and for the lower window from the group consisting of a present position, a plan, a datalink, a chart, a traffic, and a maintenance format.