Apparatus for touch screen avionic device

• US 8,380,366 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Schulte, Christopher E. P., Christiansen, Bradley James
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US12/403,261
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/14, 701/25, 701/120, 701/467, 345/173, 345/980, 345/958, 345/158
• US Class Current: 701/3
• 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 apparatus having a graphical touch screen for flight planning and navigation of an aircraft by a pilot. The touch screen may be a graphical interface operable to detect the presence and location of a physical object on or in proximity to the touch screen. The touch screen may be used to perform functions previously only accessible by knobs and buttons on avionic navigational and/or flight planning units. The apparatus may comprise the touch screen and a control device configured to receive and interpret signals from the touch screen. The control device may command the touch screen to display a map and to modify a stored route, such as a flight plan, based on pilot selections input via various gestures of the object on or proximate to the touch screen.

Claims

1. An apparatus for flight planning and navigation of an aircraft, the apparatus comprising:

a graphical and capacitive touch screen operable to display graphics and detect the presence and location of a physical object on or in proximity to the screen; and

a control device configured to output flight planning data and flight navigation data to the screen in response to input received from the screen, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display a flight route line from a first waypoint illustrated on a map displayed on the screen to a second waypoint illustrated on the map in response to the object selecting a first point and then a second point on the screen corresponding with the first waypoint and the second waypoint, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to move or reconfigure a flight route line to intersect a third waypoint illustrated on the map, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display an indication that the flight should hold upon reaching a particular waypoint in response to the object selecting and then circling around a point on the screen corresponding to the particular waypoint, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display information relevant to a landing approach of the aircraft in response to the object selecting a point on the screen twice in rapid succession, wherein the point on the screen corresponds with a location or waypoint on a map displayed on the screen.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display the flight planning data, wherein the flight planning data includes a waypoint illustrated on a map relative to a location on the screen selected by the object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to move or reconfigure the flight route line to intersect the third waypoint illustrated on the map in response to the object selecting a portion of the screen corresponding to any point along the flight route line and then the object sliding along the screen to a point on the screen corresponding to the location of the third waypoint illustrated on the map.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display a first airway, a second airway, and flight route lines extending between a plurality of waypoints along the first airway in response to the object selecting a first point on the screen corresponding with a first waypoint located on a first airway, selecting a second point on the screen corresponding with any location along the first airway, and selecting a third point on the screen corresponding with any location along the second airway, wherein the plurality of flight route lines extend along the first airway from the first waypoint to a waypoint at an intersection of the first airway and the second airway.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a housing for at least partially encasing the screen and the control device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flight control system within an aircraft, wherein the control device is communicably coupled to and physically integrated with the flight control system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control device is operable to alter at least one of data or graphics displayed on the screen in response to at least one of touching the screen, sliding an object along the screen, and tapping the screen one or more times.

8. An apparatus for flight planning and navigation of an aircraft, the apparatus comprising:

a graphical and capacitive touch screen operable to display graphics and detect the presence and location of a physical object on or in proximity to the screen; and

a control device configured to output flight planning data and flight navigation data to the screen in response to input received by the screen, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display a flight route line from a first waypoint illustrated on a map displayed on the screen to a second waypoint illustrated on the map in response to the object selecting a first point and then a second point on the screen corresponding with the first waypoint and the second waypoint, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to reconfigure a flight route line to intersect a new waypoint illustrated on the map in response to the object selecting a portion of the screen corresponding to any point along the flight route line and then the object sliding along the screen to a point along the flight route line and then the object sliding along the screen to a point on the screen corresponding to the location of the new waypoint illustrated on the map, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display an indication that the flight should hold upon reaching a particular waypoint in response to the object selecting and then circling around a point on the screen corresponding to the particular waypoint.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display information relevant to a landing approach of the aircraft in response to the object selecting a point on the screen twice in rapid succession, wherein the point on the screen corresponds with a location or waypoint on a map displayed on the screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display a first airway, a second airway, and flight route lines extending between a plurality of waypoints along the first airway in response to the object selecting a first point on the screen corresponding with a first waypoint located on a first airway, selecting a second point on the screen corresponding with any location along the first airway, and selecting a third point on the screen corresponding with any location along the second airway, wherein the plurality of flight route lines extend along the first airway from the first waypoint to a waypoint at an intersection of the first airway and the second airway.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a housing for at least partially encasing the screen and the control device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a flight control system within an aircraft, wherein the control device is communicably coupled to and physically integrated with the flight control system.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control device is operable to alter at least one of data or graphics displayed on the screen in response to at least one of touching the screen, sliding an object along the screen, and tapping the screen one or more times.

14. An apparatus for flight planning and navigation of an aircraft, the apparatus comprising:

a graphical touch screen operable to display graphics and detect the presence and location of a physical object on or in proximity to the screen; and

a control device configured to output flight planning data and flight navigation data to the screen in response to input received by the screen, wherein the screen includes a capacitive touch screen, wherein at least one of data or graphics displayed on the screen may be altered by at least one of touching the screen, sliding an object along the screen, and tapping the screen one or more times, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display a flight route line from a first waypoint illustrated on a map displayed on the screen to a second waypoint illustrated on the map in response to the object selecting a first point and then a second point on the screen corresponding with the first waypoint and the second waypoint, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display a first airway, a second airway, and flight route lines extending between a plurality of waypoints along the first airway in response to the object selecting a first point on the screen corresponding with a first waypoint located on a first airway, selecting a second point on the screen corresponding with any location along the first airway, and selecting a third point on the screen corresponding with any location along the second airway, wherein the plurality of flight route lines extend along the first airway from the first waypoint to a waypoint at an intersection of the first airway and the second airway, wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display an indication that the flight should hold upon reaching a particular waypoint in response to the object selecting and then circling around a point on the screen corresponding to the particular waypoint.