Aircraft control system

• US 8,744,650 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Cornell, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US13/050,234
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/14, 701/36, 701/48, 340/971
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• 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: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32

Abstract

A method and apparatus comprising a bus system and a plurality of control units connected to the bus system. The plurality of control units are each configured to control a same number of hardware systems in a vehicle, store a number of parameters used to control the number of hardware systems, and synchronize the number of parameter stored using the bus system in response to a change in the number of parameters at a selected control unit in the plurality of control units.

Claims

1. A control system for an aircraft comprising:

a first control display unit configured to be accessible in a first location in the aircraft and receive an input to change a current value for a parameter that controls a number of hardware systems in the aircraft, such that the number of hardware systems comprises;

a propulsion system, a hydraulic system, and an environmental system; and

a second control display unit configured to be accessible in a second location in the aircraft and control the number of hardware systems in the aircraft, wherein the second control display unit is in communication with the first control display unit, wherein a number of parameters for a hardware system in the number of hardware systems is stored in the first control display unit and in the second control display unit, and such that the first control display unit and the second control display unit are each configured to synchronize the number of parameters stored in the first control display unit and the second control display unit.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first control display unit and the second control display unit are configured to synchronize the number of parameters stored in the first control display unit and the second control display unit in response to a change in any parameter in the number of parameters in one of the first control display unit and the second control display unit.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the first control display unit is configured to receive user input for the hardware system in the number of hardware systems and send the user input to the second control display unit in response to receiving the user input.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the second control display unit is configured to change the parameter for the hardware system using the user input received from the first control display unit and clear the user input from the first control display unit in response to the change in the parameter for the hardware system in the second control display unit.

5. The control system of claim 1 further comprising:

a third control display unit configured to control the number of hardware systems, wherein the first control display unit, the second control display unit, and the third control display unit are configured to synchronize the number of parameters in response to a change in the number of parameters in one of the first control display unit and the second control display unit.

6. The control system of claim 5 further comprising:

a bus system, wherein the first control display unit, the second control display unit, and the third control display unit communicate with each other using the bus system.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the first control display unit has a first connector to a flight management system that is separate from the number of hardware systems, a second connector to the bus system, and a third connector to the number of hardware systems.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first control display unit comprises a module system, a user input device, and a display device.

9. The control system of claim 1 further comprising:

a flight management system, wherein the first control display unit and the second control display unit are in communication with the flight management system and configured to send input from an operator to the flight management system, receive output from the flight management system, and display the output received from the flight management system.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the number of hardware systems further comprises:

an entertainment system, a radio voice communication system, a satellite communications system, a weather radar system, a ground proximity warning system, and a cabin intercom system.

11. The control system of claim 1, further configured with the first control display unit and the second control display unit being simultaneously accessible to a single user in a chair in a cockpit.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system; and

a plurality of control display units connected to the bus system, wherein the plurality of control display units are each configured to be accessible at a unique location in a vehicle and receive an input to change a current value for a parameter that controls a same number of hardware systems in the vehicle, such that the number of hardware systems comprises;

a propulsion system, a hydraulic system, a radio voice communication system, a satellite communication system, a weather radar system, a ground proximity warning system, and an environmental system, store a number of parameters used to control the number of hardware systems, and synchronize the number of parameters stored using the bus system in response to a change in the number of parameters at a selected control unit in the plurality of control units.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of control display units each have a first connector to a flight management system, a second connector to the bus system, and a third connector to the number of hardware systems.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a first control display unit in the plurality of control display units is configured to receive data for use with a first hardware system in the number of hardware systems while controlling a second hardware system and send the data to a second control display unit, and wherein the second control unit is configured to receive the data from the first control display unit, control the second hardware system using the data, and cause the first control display unit to delete the data in response to the first control display unit using the data to control the first hardware system.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the vehicle is selected from one of an aircraft, a submarine, a personnel carrier, a tank, a train, an automobile, a bus, a spacecraft, and a surface ship.

16. A method for operating an aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving data at a field in a control display unit configured to be accessible at a unique location in the aircraft and receive an input to change a current value for a parameter that controls a number of hardware systems in the aircraft, wherein the control display unit is currently controlling a first hardware system in the number of hardware systems, wherein the number of hardware systems comprises a propulsion system, a hydraulic system, and an environmental system;

sending the data to a number of control display units in response to receiving the data in the field at the control display unit, wherein the number of control display units is configured to control the number of hardware systems for the aircraft;

displaying the data at the number of control display units in response to receiving the data from the control display unit; and

responsive to receiving a user input at one of the number of control display units to use the data displayed at the number of control display units with a second hardware system in the number of hardware systems, using the data with the second hardware system.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

responsive to using the data with the second hardware system, removing the data from the control display unit and the number of control display units.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the control display unit displays the data for the first hardware system and wherein a display of the data for the first hardware system remains displayed on the control display unit while the data is used with the second hardware system.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of using the data with the second hardware system comprises:

changing the parameter for the second hardware system based on the data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the parameter is stored in the control display unit and in the number of control display units and further comprising:

responsive to the change in the parameter for the second hardware system, synchronizing the parameter stored in the control display unit and in the number of control display units such that the parameter has a same value in the control display unit and in the number of control display units.