Multiple miniature avionic displays

• US 7,414,543 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Dorneich, Michael C., Rye, Jeffrey M., Gannon, Aaron J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US11/116,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20060244636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/961, 340/963, 340/968, 340/970, 340/995.1, 340/995.13, 340/995.17, 342/65, 342/179, 342/181, 342/182, 701/14, 701/301
• US Class Current: 340/945
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/02 Indicating value of two or more variables simultaneously

Abstract

A display screen for displaying multiple sets of information is provided. In one embodiment, an aviation display screen includes a main window and a plurality of miniature windows. The main window is adapted to illustrate one set of information. Each miniature window is adapted to display a set of avionic information. The avionic display is further adapted to toggle a select set of avionic information in one of the miniature windows into the main window.

Claims

1. An aviation display screen, the display screen comprising:

a main window adapted to illustrate one set of information; and

a plurality of miniature windows, each miniature window adapted to display a set of avionic information, the avionic display further adapted to toggle a select set of avionic information in one of the miniature windows into the main window, the information in each miniature window being held proportional to the information displayed in the main window.

2. The display screen of claim 1, wherein the select set of information in each miniature window is one of traffic, weather and terrain.

3. The display screen of claim 1, wherein the main window is larger than each of the plurality of miniature windows.

4. The display screen of claim 1, wherein the information in each miniature window is adapted to zoom in/out by a first factor, and the main window is adapted to zoom in/out by the first factor.

5. The display screen of claim 1, wherein the avionic display is further adapted to automatically display information from a miniature window in the main window when a hazard is detected in the miniature window.

6. The display screen of claim 1, wherein the avionic display is adapted to selectively vary ranges with regard to the information displayed in the miniature windows and the main window.

7. An avionic display screen, the display screen comprising:

a relatively large window adapted to display a set of avionic information;

a first miniature window adjacent the relatively large window adapted to display traffic information;

a second miniature window adjacent the relatively large window adapted to display weather information; and

a third miniature window adjacent the relatively large window adapted to display terrain information, wherein the set of avionic information displayed in the relatively large window is selected among the first, second and third miniature windows, the display screen further adapted to automatically display information from one or more of the miniature windows in the main window when a hazard is detected in the one or more miniature windows.

8. The display screen of claim 7, wherein the information in each miniature window is held proportional to the information displayed in the relatively large window.

9. The display screen of claim 7, wherein the information in each miniature window is adapted to zoom in/out by the same factor as the information in the main window.

10. The display window of claim 7, wherein the display screen is adapted to selectively vary ranges with regard to the information displayed in the miniature windows and the relatively large window.

11. The display window of claim 10, wherein the traffic information has a range of 10 nm, the weather information has a range of 50 nm and the terrain information has a range of 25 nm.

12. The display window of claim 10, wherein the ranges are adapted to be adjusted manually.

13. The display window of claim 10, wherein the ranges are adapted to be adjusted automatically according to a crew task.

14. A method of displaying avionic information on a single display screen, the method comprising:

displaying a set of avionic information in each of a plurality of miniature windows on the display screen;

displaying a select one of the sets of the avionic information from the miniature windows on a main relatively large window on the display screen;

zooming in/out the information in the main window; and

zooming in/out the information in each of the plurality of miniature windows in proportion to the information in the main window.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sets of avionic information in the miniature windows includes at least one of traffic, weather and terrain.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

automatically displaying information from one of the plurality of miniature windows in the main window upon detection of a hazard in information in the miniature window.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

proportionally displaying information in the plurality of miniature windows in relation to the set of information in the main window.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

varying ranges of the information in the miniature windows and the main window.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

manually changing one or more of the ranges relating to the information.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

automatically changing the ranges relating to the information.

21. A method of displaying avionic information on a single display window, the method comprising:

displaying traffic information in a first miniature window;

displaying weather information in a second miniature window;

displaying terrain information in a third miniature window;

displaying a select one of the traffic, weather and terrain information in a relatively large window that is adjacent the first, second and third miniature windows; and

varying the ranges of the traffic, weather and terrain information with respect to the associated first, second and third miniature windows and the relatively large window.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sending a switch signal to change the information displayed in the relatively large window.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

proportionally displaying information in the plurality of miniature windows in relation to the set of information in the relatively large window.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

setting a traffic information range at 10 nm;

setting a weather range information at 50 nm; and

setting a terrain range at 25 nm.

25. A display to display multiple sets of information simultaneously, the display comprising:

means for displaying a set of avionic information in a main window;

means for displaying a set of avionic information in each of a plurality of miniature windows; and

means for toggling a select set of avionic information in one of the miniature windows into the main window;

means for zooming in/out by a first factor in the main window; and

means for zooming in/out by the first factor in the plurality of miniature windows.

26. The display screen of claim 25, further comprising:

means for holding the information in each miniature window proportional to the information displayed in the main window.