Avionics control and display unit

• US 8,570,192 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: McLoughlin, Frank A., Willhoite, Steven B., Rolston, Walter J., Gepner, Joseph E., Parmenter, Kevin C., Douthat, Cory N., Stark, Ryan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US13/608,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20130076540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/971, 340/973, 340/974, 701/14, 701/3
• US Class Current: 340/973
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• 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: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft

Abstract

A multi-product avionics control and display unit (CDU). In implementations, the CDU may include a display and a processor coupled with the display. The processor is configurable to operate in a first mode to cause the display to present standby primary flight information associated with the aircraft and a second mode to control and display operation of one or more aircraft systems associated with the aircraft.

Claims

1. An avionics control and display unit (CDU) for use in an aircraft, the CDU comprising:

a switch;

a single display;

one or more memories operable to store an avionic controller module and a primary flight mode module, wherein the primary flight mode module is provided by a first software image and the avionic controller module is provided by a second software image, wherein the software images do not depend on an underlying operating system external to the images for execution; and

one or more processors coupled with the switch, the display, and the one or more memories, one or more of the processors being configurable to;

operate in a first mode to execute the primary flight mode module to cause the display to present a graphical user interface that includes standby primary flight information associated with the aircraft, and

operate in a second mode to execute the avionic controller module to control and display operation of one or more aircraft systems associated with the aircraft,

wherein the one or more processors default to operation in the first mode after activation of the switch to enable the presentation of the standby primary flight information on the single display in the event of failure of one or more components of the aircraft,

wherein the processor operating in the first mode does not share common electronic components or software elements with a primary avionics display system of the aircraft.

2. The CDU of claim 1, wherein the display includes a touch interface operable to allow selection of one or more indicia displayed by the display to control and display information about the one or more systems of the aircraft when the processor is operating in the second mode.

3. The CDU of claim 1, wherein the CDU comprises a first processor operable to execute the primary flight mode module and a second processor operable to execute the avionic controller module, wherein the first processor and the second processor are independent and operable to simultaneously execute the respective modules.

4. The CDU of claim 3, further comprising a video mux coupled with the switch and the display, wherein the video mux is operable to receive a first video input from the first processor and a second video input from the second processor, wherein activation of the switch causes the video mux to select one of the video inputs for output to the display.

5. The CDU of claim 3, wherein the first processor and second processor are separate processor cores residing within a common processor.

6. The CDU of claim 3, wherein the first processor and second processor are separate virtual machines provided by a common processor.

7. An avionics control and display unit (CDU) for use in an aircraft, the CDU comprising:

a single display;

a first memory operable to store a primary flight mode module;

a second memory operable to store an avionic controller module;

a first processor coupled with the first memory, the first processor operable to execute the primary flight mode module to generate a first video signal comprising standby primary flight information associated with the aircraft;

a second processor coupled with the second memory, the second processor operable to execute the avionic controller module to generate a second video signal comprising aircraft systems information associated with the aircraft,

wherein the first and second processors are independent and operable to simultaneously execute the respective modules to generate the first and second video signals, and

a switch operable to select one of the first and second video signals for presentation by the display such that operation of the switch enables the presentation of the standby primary flight information on the single display, instead of the aircraft systems information represented by the second video signal, in the event of failure of one or more components of the aircraft,

wherein the first processor and the first memory do not share common electronic components or software elements with a primary avionics display system of the aircraft.

8. The CDU of claim 7, wherein activation of the switch causes default selection of the first video signal for presentation by the display.

9. The CDU of claim 7, further comprising a video mux,

wherein the video mux is coupled with the switch and the display and is operable to provide a selected video signal to the display,

wherein the activation of the switch causes the video mux to select the first video signal as the selected video signal for presentation by the display.

10. The CDU of claim 7, wherein the first processor and second processor are separate processor cores residing within a common processor.

11. The CDU of claim 7, wherein the first processor and second processor are separate virtual machines provided by a common processor.

12. The CDU of claim 7, wherein the display includes a touch interface operable to allow selection of one or more indicia displayed by the display to control and display information about the one or more systems of the aircraft when the second video signal is presented by the display.

13. An avionics control and display unit (CDU) for use in an aircraft, the CDU comprising:

a video mux;

a switch coupled with the video mux;

a single display coupled with the video mux and operable to display a selected video signal received from the video mux;

a first memory operable to store a primary flight mode module;

a second memory operable to store an avionic controller module;

a first processor coupled with the first memory and the video mux, the first processor operable to execute the primary flight mode module to generate and provide a first video signal to the video mux, the first video signal comprising standby primary flight information associated with the aircraft; and

a second processor coupled with the second memory and the video mux, the second processor operable to execute the avionic controller module to generate and provide a second video signal to the video mux, the second video signal comprising aircraft systems information associated with the aircraft, wherein the first and second processors are independent and operable to simultaneously execute the respective modules,

wherein the activation of the switch causes the video mux to select the first video signal as the selected video signal for presentation by the display to enable the presentation of the standby primary flight information on the single display, instead of the aircraft systems information represented by the second video signal, in the event of failure of one or more components of the aircraft,

wherein the first processor and the first memory do not share common electronic components or software elements with a primary avionics display system of the aircraft.

14. The CDU of claim 13, wherein the first processor and second processor are separate processor cores residing within a common processor.

15. The CDU of claim 13, wherein the first processor and second processor are separate virtual machines provided by a common processor.

16. The CDU of claim 13, wherein the display includes a touch interface operable to allow selection of one or more indicia displayed by the display to control and display information about the one or more systems of the aircraft when the second video signal is selected by the video mux for display.

17. The CDU of claim 13, wherein the first and second memories are separate and independent memory devices.