Auto-flight system pilot interface

• US 8,761,971 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Gershzohn, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): RINK, RYAN J
• Application Number:
  US13/348,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 701/11
• US Class Current: 701/11
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft

Abstract

An aircraft system comprising a display system, a graphical user interface, a first grouping of the controls in the graphical user interface, and a second grouping of the controls in the graphical user interface. The graphical user interface is configured to display controls on the display system. The controls are for commands sent to an auto-flight system in an aircraft that control flight of the aircraft. The first grouping of the controls is configured to control sending of the commands to the auto-flight system from a flight management system in the aircraft. The second grouping of the controls is configured to control sending of the commands to the auto-flight system from a user input to the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. An aircraft system comprising:

a display system;

a graphical user interface configured to display controls on the display system, wherein the controls are for commands sent to an auto-flight system in an aircraft that control flight of the aircraft;

a first grouping of the controls in the graphical user interface, wherein the first grouping of the controls is configured to control sending of the commands to the auto-flight system from a flight management system in the aircraft; and

a second grouping of the controls in the graphical user interface, wherein the second grouping of the controls is configured to control sending of the commands to the auto-flight system from a user input to the graphical user interface.

2. The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is a first graphical user interface and further comprising:

a second graphical user interface displayed in the display system, wherein the second graphical user interface is configured to display information about movement of the aircraft; and

a number of graphical indicators configured to display the commands sent to the auto-flight system and indicate a source of the commands.

3. The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the first grouping of the controls is arranged in a first row in the graphical user interface and wherein the second grouping of the controls is arranged in a second row in the graphical user interface.

4. The aircraft system of claim 3, wherein a first control in the first row and a second control in the second row are associated with a parameter and are displayed in a same column in the graphical user interface, wherein the first control and the second control are configured to control commands for the parameter.

5. The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein a control in the controls is associated with a command and the control is configured to display a value for a parameter controlled by the command.

6. The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein a selection of a control from the first grouping of the controls is configured to cause the auto-flight system to use a command associated with the control from the flight management system.

7. The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein a selection of a control from the second grouping of the controls is configured to cause the auto-flight system to use a command associated with the control received from the user input.

8. The aircraft system of claim 7, wherein the user input comprises a selection of the control and a value of a parameter associated with the control.

9. The aircraft system of claim 8, wherein the value of the parameter is received by another control for setting values.

10. The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the first grouping of the controls includes a first master control and selection of the first master control is configured to cause the auto-flight system to use only the commands from the flight management system.

11. The aircraft system of claim 10, wherein the second grouping of the controls includes a second master control and selection of the second master control is configured to cause the auto-flight system to use only the commands from the user input.

12. The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein a command in the commands is selected from one of an altitude, an indicated speed, a Mach number, a heading, a track, a vertical speed, and a flight path angle.

13. The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the commands control a path that the aircraft travels through space as a function of time to reach a destination.

14. An aircraft system comprising:

a display system;

a graphical user interface configured to display controls on the display system, wherein the controls are for commands sent to an auto-flight system for an aircraft and control a flight of the aircraft; and

a plurality of groupings of the controls in the graphical user interface, wherein a grouping in the plurality of groupings of the controls is configured to control sending the commands to the auto-flight system from sources of the commands, wherein the grouping of the controls corresponds to a source in the sources of the commands, and wherein a remote source remote from the aircraft sends the commands to the source in the sources of the commands.

15. The aircraft system of claim 14, wherein the source in the sources of the commands comprises a flight management system in the aircraft and wherein a selection of a control from the grouping of the controls is configured to cause the auto-flight system to use the commands associated with the control from the flight management system in the aircraft.

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

displaying a first grouping of controls for commands in a graphical user interface, wherein the controls are for the commands sent to an auto-flight system in an aircraft that control a flight of the aircraft and wherein the first grouping of the controls is configured to control sending of the commands to the auto-flight system from a flight management system;

displaying a second grouping of the controls in the graphical user interface, wherein the second grouping of the controls is configured to control sending of the commands to the auto-flight system from a user input to the graphical user interface; and

sending the commands to the auto-flight system from at least one of the flight management system and from the user input based on a selection of a number of controls from at least one of the first grouping of the controls and the second grouping of the controls.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

displaying the first grouping of the controls in a first row in the graphical user interface; and

displaying the second grouping of the controls in a second row in the graphical user interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a first control in the first row and a second control in the second row are associated with a parameter and are configured to control commands for the parameter further comprising:

displaying the first control and the second control in a same column in the graphical user interface.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a control in the controls is associated with a command and further comprising:

displaying a value for a parameter controlled by the command on the control.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein a selection of a control from the first grouping of the controls is configured to cause the auto-flight system to use a command associated with the control from the flight management system.