Computer assisted human machine interface display

• US 9,377,324 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Krupansky, Petr, Vasek, Jiri, Ball, Larry Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US12/891,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20120078445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,101 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Methods and apparatus are provided for selectively balancing pilot workload. The apparatus comprises a display device configured to display a user interface (UI) and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a state of the pilot and/or a state of the aircraft, prepare modification to the UI based in part on the state of the pilot and/or the state of the aircraft such that the modification adds one or more command icons without obscuring, without removing, and without replacing any information item on the display, and to execute the modification.

Claims

1. An interactive apparatus for an aircraft, comprising:

a display device displaying a user interface (UI), and

a processor in operable communication with the display device, the processor configured to;

determine a state of the aircraft,

prepare a modification to the displayed UI based in part on the state of the aircraft such that the modification adds one or more command icons to a space on the displayed UI that is unoccupied by a command icon, and doing so without obscuring, without removing, and without replacing any information item on the display, and

supply commands to the display device to thereby execute the modification to the displayed UI.

2. The interactive apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a state of a pilot.

3. The interactive apparatus of claim 2, wherein the modification is prepared based in part on the state of the pilot.

4. The interactive apparatus of claim 3, an indication of the state of the pilot is received as a signal from a physiological sensor.

5. The interactive apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the signal received from the physiological sensor with one or more physiological signal patterns stored in a database.

6. The interactive apparatus of claim 1, wherein an indication of a state of the aircraft is received as a signal from an avionics sensor.

7. The interactive apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the state of the aircraft by comparing the signal received from the avionics sensor with one or more stored avionics signal patterns.

8. The interactive apparatus of claim 7, wherein compiling preparation of the modification comprises:

choosing a pre-defined command icon based at least in part on the state of a pilot and the state of the aircraft;

computing one or more values associated with the chosen pre-defined command icon;

modifying the UI to display the chosen pre-defined command icon and

selecting and sequencing one or more executable computer instructions that when executed by manipulating the chosen pre-defined command icon cause the UI to automate a series of manual pilot actions associated with the chosen pre-defined command icon.

9. A method for selectively balancing the workload of a pilot, comprising:

acquiring data in a processor;

determining, in the processor, a state of an aircraft from the data;

preparing a set of computer executable instructions, in the processor, by selecting a pre-determined modification to a user interface (UI) that is based at least in part on the state of the aircraft; and

providing the pilot with an option to execute the set of computer executable instructions by rendering a command icon on the UI, wherein the rendering adds one or more command icons to a space on the displayed UI that is unoccupied by a command icon, and doing so without hiding, without removing, and without replacing any information item within the UI.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a physiological state of the pilot from the data.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the data comprises physiological data and avionics data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein preparing the set of computer executable instructions is based on the avionics data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the set of computer executable instructions highlights a specific plurality of data input dialog boxes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of computer executable instructions displays suggested data appropriate to each data input dialog box of the plurality proximate to each data input dialog box of the plurality.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of computer executable instructions inputs the suggested data into its proximate data input dialog box upon the pilot manipulating the command icon.

16. A tangible computer readable storage medium containing computer executable instructions that when executed perform tasks including:

acquiring data;

determining a state of the aircraft from the data;

preparing a set of computer executable instructions by selecting a pre-determined modification to a user interface (UI) that is based at least in part on the state of the aircraft; and

providing a pilot with an option to execute the computer executable instructions by rendering a command icon to the UI, wherein the rendering adds one or more command icons to a space on the displayed UI that is unoccupied by a command icon, and doing so without hiding, without removing, and without replacing any information item within the UI.

17. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising determining a physiological state of the pilot from the data.

18. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the data comprises physiological data and avionics data.

19. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein compiling the set of computer executable instructions is based on the avionics data.

20. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the set of computer executable instructions highlights specific plurality of data input dialog boxes.