Enhanced graphical flight planning for a flight management system
First Claim
1. A system for performing an expedited graphical flight plan edit for an aircraft, comprising:
- a) a graphical flight management system (FMS) including graphical flight planning capabilities for an aircraft;
b) a multi-function display (MFD) directly connected to said FMS; and
,c) a cursor control device (CCD) operatively connected to said MFD;
wherein said CCD is configured to solely interact directly with said MFD as the user interface to the FMS for performing shortcut graphical flight plan edits, obviating the use of a control display unit (CDU), wherein said CCD is used to provide said shortcut graphical flight plan edits selected from the group consisting of;
Expedited Direct To, Expedited Vertical Direct To, Vectors to Final, and Sequence Vectors, wherein Expedited Direct To is a shortcut task which allows for an expedited direct to the current active waypoint which bypasses a modified flight plan state and corresponding execute/cancel operations, Expedited Vertical Direct-To is a shortcut which allows for a vertical direct to the active altitude constraint in the flight plan, Vectors to Final is a shortcut to select the vectors transition for the existing approach procedure in flight plan, and Sequence Vectors is a shortcut which sequences the vectors transition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides systems, apparatus and means to perform various FMS flight plan edits and definition of navigation reference fixes using interactive graphical representations displayed on an MFD rather than a text-based CDU. In two of the embodiments of the present invention, means are provided where minimal pilot actions, i.e., shortcuts, (which may also include entry/adjustment of a numerical value) are performed on an electronic display that accomplish particular flight plan edits as compared to several pilot actions when using a CDU to perform the same edits. In another embodiment of the present invention, a means is provided where the data entry method is graphical in nature rather than alphanumeric text for inserting an airway into a flight plan. The alphanumeric identifiers are represented as graphical objects which are selectable. In yet another embodiment, the present invention teaches a means for a flight plan modification consisting of the entry or bidirectional adjustment of a parallel offset value directly on an electronic map. In another embodiment, the present invention includes the display of a dialog box showing interactive lists of the available instrument procedures for the selected airport which is displayed on an electronic map. The display lists remain in view after selections are made with the active selection and new selection highlighted differently in the list. In another embodiment of the present invention, a means is provided to allow entry/adjustment of navigation reference fix input data directly on the electronic map. Graphical navigation reference fix symbology is dynamically positioned on the electronic map while the input data value is being adjusted.
20 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for performing an expedited graphical flight plan edit for an aircraft, comprising:
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a) a graphical flight management system (FMS) including graphical flight planning capabilities for an aircraft; b) a multi-function display (MFD) directly connected to said FMS; and
,c) a cursor control device (CCD) operatively connected to said MFD; wherein said CCD is configured to solely interact directly with said MFD as the user interface to the FMS for performing shortcut graphical flight plan edits, obviating the use of a control display unit (CDU), wherein said CCD is used to provide said shortcut graphical flight plan edits selected from the group consisting of;
Expedited Direct To, Expedited Vertical Direct To, Vectors to Final, and Sequence Vectors, wherein Expedited Direct To is a shortcut task which allows for an expedited direct to the current active waypoint which bypasses a modified flight plan state and corresponding execute/cancel operations, Expedited Vertical Direct-To is a shortcut which allows for a vertical direct to the active altitude constraint in the flight plan, Vectors to Final is a shortcut to select the vectors transition for the existing approach procedure in flight plan, and Sequence Vectors is a shortcut which sequences the vectors transition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system for performing a waypoint vertical direct to graphical flight plan edit for an aircraft, comprising:
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a) a graphical flight management system (FMS) including waypoint vertical direct to graphical flight planning capabilities for an aircraft; b) a multi-function display (MFD) directly connected to said FMS; c) a cursor control device (CCD) operatively connected to said MFD; and
,d) an analog input control (AIC) device for controlling a numerical value, said AIC device being operatively connected to said display; wherein said CCD and said AIC device are so arranged and configured to solely interact directly with said MFD as the user interface to the FMS for performing a waypoint vertical direct to graphical flight plan edit, obviating the use of a control display unit (CDU). - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for performing a parallel offset graphical flight plan edit for an aircraft, comprising:
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a) a graphical flight management system (FMS) including parallel offset graphical flight planning capabilities for an aircraft; b) a multi-function display (MFD) directly connected to said FMS; c) a cursor control device (CCD) operatively connected to said MFD; and
,d) an analog input control (AIC) device for controlling a numerical value, said AIC device being operatively connected to said MFD; wherein said CCD and said AIC device are so arranged and configured to solely interact directly with said MFD as the user interface to the FMS for performing a parallel offset graphical flight plan edit, obviating the use of a control display unit (CDU). - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A system for performing an airway insertion graphical flight plan edit for an aircraft, comprising:
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a) a graphical flight management system (FMS) including airway insertion graphical flight planning capabilities for an aircraft; b) a multi-function display (MFD) directly connected to said FMS; c) a cursor control device (CCD) operatively connected to said MFD; and
,d) an analog input control (AIC) device for graphically highlighting a desired selection, said AIC device being operatively connected to said MFD; wherein said CCD and said AIC device are so arranged and configured to solely interact directly with said MFD as the user interface to the FMS for performing an airway insertion graphical flight plan edit, obviating the use of a control display unit (CDU). - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A system for performing instrument procedure insertion/change flight plan editing for an aircraft, comprising:
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a) a graphical flight management system (FMS) including instrument procedure insertion/change graphical flight planning capabilities for an aircraft; b) a multi-function display (MFD) directly connected to said FMS; and
,c) a cursor control device (CCD) operatively connected to said MFD; wherein said CCD is configured to interact directly with said MFD as the user interface to the FMS for performing instrument procedure insertion/change graphical flight plan edits, obviating the use of a control display unit (CDU). - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A system for defining a navigation reference fix for an aircraft, comprising:
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a) a graphical flight management system (FMS) including graphical flight planning capabilities for an aircraft; b) a multi-function display (MFD) directly connected to said FMS; c) a cursor control device (CCD) operatively connected to said display; and
,d) an analog input control (AIC) device for controlling a numerical value, said control device being operatively connected to said display; wherein said CCD and said AIC device are so arranged and configured to solely interact directly with said MFD as the user interface to the FMS to provide a graphical means for defining a desired navigation fix, obviating the use of a control display unit (CDU). - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification