Apparatus for touch screen avionic device

• US 8,712,605 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Schulte, Christopher E. P., Christiansen, Bradley James
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US13/746,822
• Time in Patent Office: 462 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 touch screen operable to display graphics and detect the presence and location of a physical object on or in proximity to the screen, wherein the screen is operable to display a plurality of airways and detect selection of a first one of the airways and a second one of the airways, wherein each of the airways includes a plurality of points and the first airway is selected in response to detecting touching of any point associated with the first airway; and

a control device configured to output flight planning data and flight navigation data to the screen,

wherein the control device is configured to—

determine an intersection of the first airway and the second airway, and

add the intersection to a flight plan associated with the first airway and the second airway.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second airway is selected in response to detecting touching of any point associated with the second airway.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first airway is highlighted in response to the detected touching.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is operable to detect selection of two points associated with the first airway and the control device is configured to—

identify a plurality of flight route lines extending along the first airway between the two selected points, and

add the identified flight route lines to the flight plan.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to control the screen to present a graphical indication of the flight plan.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is an infrared touch screen.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is further operable to detect selection of a third one of the airways and the control device is further configured to determine an intersection of the third airway with at least one of the first and second airways and add the determined intersection of the third airway to the flight plan.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flight plan includes a plurality of waypoints and the control device is operable to delete one of the waypoints from the flight plan in response to selection on the touch screen of the waypoint.

9. 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.

10. 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 from the screen,

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 10, wherein the control device is further configured to generate a flight plan including:

the plurality of flight route lines associated with the first airway;

the intersection of the first airway and the second airway; and

at least a portion of the second airway.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the touch screen is an infrared touch screen.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, 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. A method for creating a flight plan utilizing a touch screen avionic device, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of airways on the avionic device;

selecting a first one of the airways in response to detection of a touch associated with at least one point of the first airway;

selecting a second one of the airways in response to detection of a touch associated with at least one point of the second airway;

determining an intersection of the first airway and the second airway;

adding the intersection to a flight plan associated with the first airway and the second airway; and

displaying, on the avionic device, at least a portion of the flight plan,

wherein each of the airways includes a plurality of points, the first airway is selected in response to detecting touching of any point associated with the first airway, and the second airway is selected in response to detecting touching of any point associated with the second airway.

15. The method of claim 14, further including detecting selection of two points associated with the first airway, identifying a plurality of flight route lines extending along the first airway between the two selected points, and adding the identified flight route lines to the flight plan.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting selection of a third one of the airways;

determining an intersection of the third airway with at least one of the first and second airways; and

adding the determined intersection of the third airway to the flight plan.

17. The method of claim 14, further including adding at least portions of the first airway and the second airway to the flight plan.