Simplified auto-flight system coupled with a touchscreen flight control panel

• US 9,132,913 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Shapiro, Geoffrey A., Etherington, Timothy J., Smith-Velazquez, Laura Maxine
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/038,439
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 701/4, 345/633
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/18 using automatic pilot
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/02 for indicating aircraft speed or stalling conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935

Abstract

A system includes an auto-flight system and a touchscreen flight mode control panel. The auto-flight system is configured to control a plurality of primary flight modes. The touchscreen flight mode control panel is communicatively coupled to the auto-flight system. The touchscreen flight mode control panel is configured to receive primary flight mode data from the auto-flight system. The touchscreen flight mode control panel is also configured to graphically present each primary flight mode of the plurality of primary flight modes to a user. The touchscreen flight mode control panel is further configured to detect touch gestures and direct executions of the user. The touchscreen flight mode control panel is additionally configured to output touch gesture data and direct execution data to the auto-flight system.

Claims

1. A method for resolving goal conflicts of an aircraft, comprising:

receiving a user request from a user interface system, the user request being associated with a modification to a flight path based upon at least one user goal;

determining at least one conflict between the at least one user goal and at least one constraint, the at least one constraint being associated with at least one other goal;

determining a rationale for the at least one conflict;

determining at least one solution to the at least one conflict; and

outputting at least a conflict indication, the rationale, and one or more solutions of the at least one solution to the user interface system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conflict indication includes a textual description and a graphical goal conflict indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more solutions are configured to be presented to the user by the user interface system, and wherein each of the one or more solutions includes a textual description and a graphical depiction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user-selected solution from the user interface system, wherein the user-selected solution comprises a solution selected by the user from the one or more solutions upon outputting at least the conflict indication, the rationale, and the one or more solutions of the at least one solution to the user interface system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one conflict comprises a plurality of conflicts.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user request comprises a pilot request, and wherein the one or more solutions include at least one of a solution closest to the pilot request or an optimized solution.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the user has performed a free set operation upon outputting at least the conflict indication, the rationale, and the one or more solutions of the at least one solution to the user interface system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the free set operation is associated with a user free set flight path modification having at least one cost and at least one benefit.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

performing a cost-benefit analysis; and

outputting a new solution to the user interface system upon determining that the user has performed the free set operation.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

setting the flight path.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

setting the flight path based at least upon the at least one goal, the at least one constraint, the at least one cost, and the at least one benefit.