Quiet climb crew interface

• US 8,131,410 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Nikolic, Mark I., Holder, Barbara E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US11/764,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20080312781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 701/14, 701/15, 701/16, 244180-188
• US Class Current: 701/15
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/04 using a separate indicating element for each variable

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment, a method includes displaying information corresponding to automatically controlled engine thrust levels during a reduced engine thrust period of flight of an aircraft. The information corresponds to one or more parameters associated with a flight control computer of the aircraft. In an alternate aspect, the displayed information includes alphanumeric information formatted in accordance with a sequential order of the automatically controlled engine thrust levels. In a further aspect, the alphanumeric information corresponds to first, second and third engine thrust levels.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining engine thrust levels of an aircraft during a takeoff segment of a flight, the engine thrust levels to include an initial thrust level, a quiet climb thrust level, and a successive thrust level, the quiet climb thrust level being a reduced engine thrust period within the takeoff segment of the flight;

displaying alphanumeric information corresponding to the engine thrust levels during the quiet climb thrust level, the alphanumeric information corresponding to one or more parameters associated with a flight control computer of the aircraft; and

displaying, in a vertical situation display, graphical information corresponding to the takeoff segment of the flight, the graphical information including;

a planned flight path based on the engine thrust levels, and

a quiet climb graphical element superimposed on the planned flight path to indicate a beginning of the reduced engine thrust period within the takeoff segment of the flight.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical information further includes a rectangular arrangement of lines to indicate a range of reduced engine thrust period relative to the planned flight path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein engine thrust levels further include a washout period between each of the engine thrust levels, the washout period being displayed in both the alphanumeric information and the graphical information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphical representation of the engine thrust levels for each engine adjacent to the alphanumeric information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical information further includes a duration graphical element to indicate a duration of the reduced engine thrust period, the duration graphical element being graphically distinguishable from a portion of the displayed planned flight path preceding the quiet climb graphical element.

6. One or more computer-readable storage media including a program code, the program code configured to cause a flight control computer of an aircraft to:

display alphanumeric information including one or more parameters of a sequence of automatically controlled engine thrust levels stored in the flight control computer, the sequence of automatically controlled engine thrust levels to include a quiet climb thrust level of the aircraft that occurs after an initial thrust level and before a successive thrust level, the quiet climb thrust level being a reduced engine thrust period within a takeoff segment of the flight;

store a change to at least one of the one or more parameters in accordance with user input to the flight control computer, the one or more parameters to include a washout selector that enables a gradual transition between two sequential engine thrust levels; and

display graphical information corresponding to a planned flight path of the aircraft based on the sequence of automatically controlled engine thrust levels, the graphical information including indicia to indicate a beginning, an end, and a duration of the reduced engine thrust period within the takeoff segment of the flight, the planned flight path displayed in a vertical situation and including a combination of textual and symbolic information.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the program code is further configured such that at least one of the one or more parameters is provided to the flight control computer by way of communication with an entity external to the aircraft.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the program code is further configured to display the alphanumeric information in a format corresponding to a sequential order of the automatically controlled engine thrust levels.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the program code is further configured to display the alphanumeric information as two or more vertical columns.

10. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the one or more parameters further include a quiet climb selector to enable activation of the quiet climb thrust level, and wherein the quiet climb selector is activated when an origination airport requires use of the quiet climb thrust level.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the program code is further configured such that:

the indicia corresponding to the beginning of the reduced engine thrust period and the indicia corresponding to the end of the reduced engine thrust period are both displayed in a first color; and

the planned flight path is displayed in a second color distinct from the first color.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the program code is further configured such that the indicia corresponding to the duration of the reduced engine thrust level-period is displayed in the first color.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the program code is further configured such that the alphanumeric information is displayed so as to indicate a user selection of one or more of the parameters by way of at least one of a change in color and a change in boldness of a font.

14. A flight control computer having instructions stored in memory and executable by one or more processors, the instructions, when executed, configured to:

determine engine thrust levels of an aircraft between takeoff and cruising altitude, the engine thrust levels to include a quiet climb thrust level of the aircraft that occurs in sequence after an initial thrust level and before a successive thrust level, the quiet climb thrust level being a reduced engine thrust period of flight between the takeoff and the cruising altitude;

display alphanumeric information related to engine thrust levels during the quiet climb thrust level, the alphanumeric information corresponding to one or more parameters associated with the flight control computer; and

display graphical information corresponding to a planned flight path of the aircraft based on the engine thrust levels, the graphical information including indicia to indicate a beginning, an end, and a duration of the reduced engine thrust period of flight between the takeoff and the cruising altitude, the flight path displayed in a vertical situation and including a combination of textual and symbolic information.

15. The flight control computer of claim 14, wherein:

the alphanumeric information is formatted so as to indicate a sequential order of the automatically controlled engine thrust levels; and

the flight computer is further configured to receive changes to at least one of the one or more parameters by way of user input to the flight control computer.

16. The flight control computer of claim 14, wherein the graphical information includes graphical information corresponding to the automatically controlled engine thrust levels plotted with respect to the planned flight path.