Tool for assisting in the design of an aircraft flight deck compatible with a night vision system

• US 8,337,206 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Taffet, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Kang
• Application Number:
  US11/686,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20070218428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 434/36, 434/41, 434/29, 434/30, 434/38, 362/471
• US Class Current: 434/38
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 25/02 of industrial processes; of machinery
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/16 Ambient or aircraft conditions simulated or indicated by instrument or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/32 by projected image G09B9/307, G09B9/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/36 Simulation of night or reduced visibility flight

Abstract

The invention relates to a tool (10) for assisting in the design of an aircraft flight deck compatible with a night vision system, comprising a closed chamber (12) functioning as a dark room and containing:

• • a mockup (14) that reproduces the interior of a flight deck and is representative of the visual characteristics of the station, the mockup integrating equipment items that are representative of a flight deck and that are capable of reproducing a plurality of possible illumination configurations of the flight deck on command,
  • a light source (22) capable of reproducing at least one level of darkness in the chamber.

Claims

1. A tool for assisting in design of an aircraft flight deck compatible with a night vision system, the tool comprising:

a closed chamber configured to function as a dark room and including

a mockup configured to reproduce an interior of a flight deck and configured to be representative of visual characteristics of the flight deck, the mockup configured to include equipment items that each produce an illumination and that are representative of the flight deck, and the mockup configured to reproduce a plurality of combinations of the illumination produced by the equipment items of the flight deck on command, the plurality of combinations of the illumination including a first combination having illumination of only one equipment item and a second combination having illumination of a subset of the equipment items, the first combination and the second combination being different,

a light source configured to reproduce at least one level of darkness in the chamber,

a measuring apparatus configured to measure, at a physical location in the mockup, at least one physical variable of each of the first combination and the second combination, the physical location corresponding to a location of the night vision system when mounted on a helmet of a pilot seated in the mockup, and

a determining apparatus configured to determine whether each of the first combination and the second combination is compatible with the night vision system based on the measured at least one physical variable of each of the first combination and the second combination and based on reference data of the night vision system.

2. The tool according to claim 1, wherein

the equipment items of the flight deck are in a predefined, activated state of illumination.

3. The tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one illumination control unit connected to the equipment items and configured to permit the illumination of the equipment items to be activated and adjusted.

4. The tool according to claim 3, wherein the at least one illumination control unit is mounted in the chamber.

5. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the at least one physical variable is chosen from among at least one of the following variables:

chromaticity, spectral radiance, luminance, illuminance.

6. The tool according to claim 2, wherein the measuring apparatus is a spectroradiometer.

7. The tool according to claim 2, wherein the measuring apparatus is mounted in the mockup of the inside of the flight deck.

8. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to reproduce a plurality of darkness levels.

9. The tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one attenuating filter associated with the light source for each darkness level.

10. The tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

a resolution pattern mounted opposite the mockup and illuminated by the light source.

11. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the night vision system includes night vision goggles.

12. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the mockup is further configured to be representative of tactile characteristics of the flight deck.

13. The tool according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one physical variable of each of the first combination and the second combination includes a spectral distribution;

the reference data of the night vision system includes a spectral sensitivity; and

the determining apparatus determines whether each of the first combination and the second combination is compatible with the night vision system by determining whether the spectral distribution interferes with the spectral sensitivity.

14. The tool according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one physical variable of each of the first combination and the second combination includes chromatic coordinates; and

the determining apparatus determines whether each of the first combination and the second combination is compatible with the night vision system by comparing the chromatic coordinates of each of the first combination and the second combination with chromatic coordinates of a central point of a compatibility zone of the night vision system and with a predetermined radius inside the compatibility zone.

15. The tool according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one physical variable of each of the first combination and the second combination includes first wavelengths;

the reference data of the night vision system includes second wavelengths; and

the determining apparatus determines whether each of the first combination and the second combination is compatible with the night vision system by comparing the first wavelengths with the second wavelengths.

16. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the equipment items of the flight deck include at least one of cockpit screens, head-up displays, and control panel displays.

17. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to reproduce a plurality of darkness levels that correspond to different luminous environments in the interior of the flight deck, the different luminous environments corresponding to different night time environments outside an aircraft.

18. The tool according to claim 1, wherein

the measuring apparatus is configured to measure, at a second physical location in the mockup, a second physical variable of the illumination of a third combination, and

the determining apparatus is configured to determine whether the third combination is compatible with the night vision system based on the measured second physical variable of the illumination of the third combination and based on the reference data of the night vision system.

19. A method for assisting in the design of an aircraft flight deck compatible with a night vision system, the method comprising:

reproducing an interior of a flight deck using a mockup including equipment items that each produce an illumination, and representing visual characteristics of the flight deck;

reproducing a plurality of combinations of the illumination produced by the equipment items of the flight deck on command using the mockup, the plurality of combinations of the illumination including a first combination having illumination of only one equipment item and a second combination having illumination of a subset of the equipment items, the first combination and the second combination being different;

reproducing, using a light source, at least one level of darkness in a closed chamber that functions as a dark room;

measuring, at a physical location in the mockup, at least one physical variable of each of the first combination and the second combination, the physical location corresponding to a location of the night vision system when mounted on a helmet of a pilot seated in the mockup; and

determining whether each of the first combination and the second combination is compatible with the night vision system based on the measured at least one physical variable of each of the first combination and the second combination and based on reference data of the night vision system.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

activating a predefined state of illumination of one or more equipment items.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein

the at least one physical variable includes at least one of the following variables:

chromaticity, spectral radiance, luminance, illuminance.

22. A tool for assisting in design of an aircraft flight deck compatible with a night vision system, the tool comprising:

a closed chamber configured to function as a dark room and including

a mockup configured to reproduce an interior of a flight deck and configured to be representative of visual characteristics of the flight deck, the mockup configured to include equipment items that are representative of the flight deck and that reproduce a plurality of possible illumination configurations of the flight deck on command, the plurality of possible illumination configurations including a first configuration having illumination of only one equipment item and a second configuration having illumination of a subset of the equipment items, the first configuration and the second configuration being different,

a light source configured to reproduce at least one level of darkness in the chamber,

an illumination control unit connected to the equipment items and configured to selectively activate and adjust illumination of each of the equipment items of the flight deck,

a measuring apparatus configured to measure, at a physical location in the mockup, at least one physical variable of each of the first configuration and the second configuration, the physical location corresponding to a location of the night vision system when mounted on a helmet of a pilot seated in the mockup, and

a determining apparatus configured to determine, in response to the illumination by the illumination control unit, whether each of the first configuration and the second configuration is compatible with the night vision system based on the measured at least one physical variable of each of the first configuration and the second configuration and based on reference data of the night vision system.

23. A method for assisting in the design of an aircraft flight deck compatible with a night vision system, the method comprising:

reproducing an interior of a flight deck using a mockup including equipment items that each produce an illumination, and representing visual characteristics of the flight deck;

reproducing a plurality of combinations of the illumination produced by the equipment items of the flight deck on command using the mockup;

reproducing, using a light source, at least one level of darkness in a closed chamber that functions as a dark room;

determining whether each of the equipment items of the flight deck are compatible with the night vision system based on at least one physical variable relating to illumination of each of the equipment items of the flight deck and based on reference data of the night vision system; and

spatially rearranging at least one of the equipment items in the mockup based on the determining, the spatially rearranging including changing a location of the at least one of the equipment items in the mockup.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

changing a location of one of a dial, switch, button, and rotary selector of the at least one of the equipment items in the mockup based on the determining.