Landmark information system for an aircraft

• US 8,116,975 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Stavaeus, Mikael, Peter, Jan, Suess, Wolfgang, Rowold, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US11/704,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20080021636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/18, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 340/971, 340/980, 340/995.1, 34099514-99518, 340/995.24, 340/979, 345 7- 9, 345/76, 345/633, 348/148, 348/144, 348/169, 725/76, 313/506, 244/129.3
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft

Abstract

A landmark information system in an aircraft, by which landmark information system data relating to informing, instructing and entertaining passengers may be visually presented. An aircraft equipped with a landmark information system is also provided. The landmark information system comprises an aircraft window with at least one pane and a control unit. The at least one pane is coated with a translucent display that is coupled to the control unit, which, for the purpose of presenting information, is equipped to supply electrical current in a targeted manner to the display. Furthermore, the landmark information system comprises a landmark determination device which may provide geographic data relating to landmarks, for presentation on the translucent display.

Claims

1. A landmark information system in an aircraft, comprising:

a landmark determination device;

a plurality of aircraft windows each with at least one pane; and

a control unit;

wherein the at least one pane of each of the plurality of aircraft windows is coated with a translucent display that is coupled to the control unit which, for the purpose of presenting information, is equipped to supply electrical current in a targeted manner to the display such that at least a partially unimpeded view to the outside continues to be possible through the translucent display even while the information is presented on the display;

wherein the landmark determination device is equipped to provide to the control unit the information that is to be displayed;

wherein the information that is to be displayed involves geographic data relating to landmarks; and

wherein the landmarks form part of a field of view of a viewer looking at the landscape through at least one of the plurality of aircraft windows;

wherein the landmark determination device further comprises a field of view determination device to determine landmarks that may be seen through each of the plurality of aircraft windows for an individual visual presentation of the geographic data; and

wherein a particular group of the plurality of aircraft windows is allocated to an individual display controller.

2. The landmark information system of claim 1,

wherein the landmark determination device comprises a flight data determination device;

and

wherein the flight data determination device is designed to determine a position of the aircraft.

3. The landmark information system of claim 1,

wherein the landmark determination device further comprises a data storage unit to provide geographic data.

4. The landmark information system of claim 1,

wherein the landmark determination device further comprises a location determination device to localize the flight position on a geographic map;

wherein the location determination device is coupled to the flight data determination device; and

wherein the location determination device is coupled to the data storage device.

5. The landmark information system of claim 4,

wherein the field of view determination device is coupled to the location determination device.

6. The landmark information system of claim 5,

wherein the landmark determination device further comprises a filter device that carries out a selection of the information to be displayed, relating to the visible landmarks;

wherein the information to be displayed may be specified; and

wherein the filter device is coupled to the field of view determination device.

7. The landmark information system of claim 1,

wherein the translucent display comprises a multitude of light emitting diodes.

8. The landmark information system of claim 1,

wherein the translucent display comprises a multitude of organic light emitting diodes.

9. The landmark information system of claim 8,

wherein a film is glued onto the at least one pane of each of the plurality of aircraft windows, which film in turn is coated with the organic light emitting diodes.

10. The landmark information system of claim 1, further comprising:

a server computer with a storage unit,

wherein the server computer, by accessing applications stored in the storage unit, provides image data to the control unit.

11. The landmark information system of claim 1,

wherein the control unit comprises at least one display controller with a microprocessor, which recalculates the image data that has been provided by the server computer to form a matrix model that is used as a basis for supplying electrical current to the display.

12. The landmark information system of claim 11,

wherein each one of the display controllers is coupled to the server computer by way of a data bus that is equipped to implement real-time data transmission.

13. The landmark information system of claim 1,

wherein each display controller is equipped to request and receive, for the group of aircraft windows, individual application data from the server computer.

14. An aircraft comprising a landmark information system, the landmark information system comprising:

a landmark determination device;

a plurality of aircraft windows each with at least one pane; and

a control unit;

wherein the at least one pane of each of the plurality of windows is coated with a translucent display that is coupled to the control unit which, for the purpose of presenting information, is equipped to supply electrical current in a targeted manner to the display such that at least a partially unimpeded view to the outside continues to be possible through the translucent display even while the information is presented on the display;

wherein the landmark determination device is equipped to provide to the control unit the information that is to be displayed;

wherein the information that is to be displayed involves geographic data relating to landmarks;

wherein the landmarks form part of a field of view of a viewer looking at the landscape through at least one of the plurality of aircraft windows;

wherein the landmark determination device further comprises a field of view determination device to determine landmarks that may be seen through each of the plurality of aircraft windows for an individual visual presentation of the geographic data; and

wherein a particular group of the plurality of aircraft windows is allocated to an individual display controller.