Touchscreen-enabled electronic devices, methods, and program products providing pilot handwriting interface for flight deck systems

• US 9,530,318 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Turner, Nathan Shaughn, Begaye, Kelsey, Dairman, Charles, McCullough, Sue
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US14/810,717
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0075 Adaptations for use of electronic flight bags in aircraft; Supports therefor in the cockpit
• 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: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/00 Traffic control systems for aircraft , e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/003 Flight plan management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

Embodiments of a touchscreen-enabled electronic device (referred to as a “digital pilot notepad”), methods, and program products facilitating the entry of handwritten pilot data into one or more flight deck systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, the digital pilot notepad includes an avionics interface over which alphanumeric input data is transmitted to a flight deck system, a touchscreen device, and a controller operably coupled to the avionics interface and to the touchscreen device. The controller is configured to digitally capture a handwritten pilot note written on the touchscreen device by a pilot, convert the handwritten pilot note to alphanumeric input data in a format compatible with the flight deck system, and subsequently submit the alphanumeric input data to the flight deck system over the avionics interface.

Claims

1. A digital pilot notepad utilized in conjunction with a flight deck system of an aircraft, the digital pilot notepad comprising:

an avionics interface over which alphanumeric input data is transmitted to the flight deck system;

a touchscreen device; and

a controller operably coupled to the avionics interface and to the touchscreen device, the controller configured to;

digitally capture a handwritten pilot note written on the touchscreen device by a pilot;

convert the handwritten pilot note to alphanumeric input data in a format compatible with the flight deck system; and

submit the alphanumeric input data to the flight deck system over the avionics interface.

2. The digital pilot notepad of claim 1 wherein, in converting the handwritten pilot note to alphanumeric input data, the controller is configured to generate alphanumeric command data from handwritten command data contained within the handwritten pilot note describing a navigational command implemented utilizing the flight deck system.

3. The digital pilot notepad of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to separate the alphanumeric command data into a plurality of command elements.

4. The digital pilot notepad of claim 3 wherein the flight deck system has a graphical user interface requiring entry of multiple command elements into separate data fields to implement the navigational command, and wherein the controller is further configured to automatically populate the separate data fields with corresponding ones of the plurality of command elements when submitting the alphanumeric command data to the flight deck system.

5. The digital pilot notepad of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to separate the alphanumeric command data into the plurality of command elements by parsing a freeform character string entered into the touchscreen device by a pilot.

6. The digital pilot notepad of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to separate the alphanumeric command data into the plurality of command elements by generating a command template page on the touchscreen device having multiple data fields into which the pilot writes different ones of the plurality of command elements.

7. The digital pilot notepad of claim 6 wherein the controller generates the command template page after receiving pilot selection data selecting a type of navigational command from a template selection interface generated on the touchscreen device.

8. The digital pilot notepad of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine when the plurality of command elements includes a waypoint identifier;

search a navigational database for the waypoint identifier; and

generate a visual alert on the touchscreen device if the navigational database contains more than or less than a single match for the waypoint identifier.

9. The digital pilot notepad of claim 8 wherein the controller is further configured to:

when the navigational database include duplicate waypoint entries matching the waypoint identifier, generate a graphic on the touchscreen device identifying the duplicate waypoint entries; and

receive pilot selection data selecting one of the duplicate waypoint entries prior to submitting the alphanumeric command data to the flight deck system.

10. The digital pilot notepad of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to produce supplemental graphics on the touchscreen device depicting the navigational command after generating the alphanumeric command data from handwritten command data.

11. The digital pilot notepad of claim 10 wherein the navigational command comprises a taxi route, and wherein the supplemental graphics comprise an airport map on which the taxi route is visually denoted.

12. The digital pilot notepad of claim 1 wherein the wherein the controller is further configured to:

display the alphanumeric input data on the touchscreen device after converting the handwritten pilot note to the alphanumeric input data; and

receive pilot confirmation verifying the accuracy of the alphanumeric input data prior to supplying the alphanumeric input data to the flight deck system.

13. The digital pilot notepad of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

recognize predetermined shorthand symbols within the handwritten input data; and

translate the predetermined shorthand symbols to corresponding alphanumeric text when converting the handwritten input data into alphanumeric input data.

14. A method carried-out by a digital pilot notepad including a touchscreen device, an avionics interface, and a controller coupled to the touchscreen device and to the avionics interface, the method comprising:

receiving, at the touchscreen device, handwritten command data provided by a pilot and describing a navigational command implemented utilizing a flight deck system;

converting, at the controller, the handwritten command data into alphanumeric command data in a format suitable for submission to the flight deck system; and

submitting, via the avionics interface, the alphanumeric command data to the flight deck system.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

separating, at the controller, the alphanumeric command data into a plurality of command elements; and

submitting, via the avionics interface, the alphanumeric command data such that separate data fields appearing on a graphical user interface of the flight deck system are automatically populated with corresponding ones of the plurality of command elements.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving, via the touchscreen device, the handwritten command data as a freeform character string; and

parsing, at the controller, the freeform character string to into a plurality of command elements when converting the handwritten command data into alphanumeric command data.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving, at the controller, pilot input identifying a command type prior to entry of the handwritten command data; and

generating, on the touchscreen device, a command template corresponding to the identified command type and having multiple data fields into which different portions of the handwritten command data are entered.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

searching, utilizing the controller, a navigational database for waypoint identifiers matching any waypoint identifiers contained within the alphanumeric command data; and

generating a notification message on the touchscreen device if a waypoint identifier contained within the alphanumeric command data has less than or greater than one match in the navigational database.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising generating, on the touchscreen device, a graphic depicting the navigational command after generating the alphanumeric command data from handwritten command data.

20. A non-transitory program product for use in conjunction with a digital pilot notepad including a touchscreen device, an avionics interface, and a controller coupled to the touchscreen device and to the avionics interface, the program product comprising:

a digital pilot notepad program configured to;

receive, at the touchscreen device, handwritten command data provided by a pilot and describing a navigational command implemented utilizing a flight deck system;

convert, at the controller, the handwritten command data into alphanumeric command data in a format suitable for submission to the flight deck system; and

submit, via the avionics interface, the alphanumeric command data to the flight deck system; and

non-transitory, computer-readable media bearing the digital pilot notepad program.