Awareness enhancing display for aircraft

• US 9,672,745 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Kneuper, Jeremy Joseph, Stanfield, Isaac Wayne, Decker, Jason Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US14/643,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20150348420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 340963, 345173, 701 3, 701 14
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer-storage media are provided for enhancing awareness in an aircraft using a touch-screen instrument panel. In one aspect, a warning is displayed peripherally in the panel in a way that attracts attention without interfering with the use of the panel for other purposes. In another aspect, a crew member is directed by highlighting through menus to a screen that enables the problem causing the warning to be corrected. In another aspect, parameters (e.g., temperatures, pressures) are displayed along with oriented graphical representations of system components. In yet another aspect, aircraft parameters are displayed in a historical context so that the user has a time-line context for a value at issue.

Claims

1. A method of alerting an aircraft crew of a relevant condition, the method comprising:

receiving information from an aircraft warning system regarding a condition;

displaying an awareness-enhancing indication on a touchscreen display in an aircraft cockpit, the awareness-enhancing indication being communicated to a user, the indication suggesting a need to investigate the existence of the condition; and

locating the awareness-enhancing indication about a substantial portion of a periphery of the display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the awareness-enhancing indication is presented substantially about the entire periphery of the display.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the awareness-enhancing indication is presented at the margins of the display.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the awareness-enhancing indication is displayed in a color, the color revealing a predetermined severity level for the condition.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the awareness-enhancing indication pulses in an attention attracting manner.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the awareness-enhancing indication at least partially surrounds a real-time image that displays a view from ahead of the aircraft.

22. The method of claim 1 comprising:

installing the touchscreen display in the aircraft to span a substantial portion of a width of the cockpit and serve as a replacement for a substantial number of conventional instruments and displays.

5. A method of operating a touchscreen display in an aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding a real-time value for an aircraft-parameter, the parameter being relevant to a condition in an aircraft system;

displaying a window including graphic representative of the physical appearance of an aircraft component relevant to the parameter on the touchscreen display the graphic reflecting a symmetrical orientation and relative location of the component, the orientation and relative location enabling a user to select said component for correction of an abnormality based on the physical appearance, symmetrical orientation, and relative location; and

communicating the real-time value of the aircraft-parameter to a user proximate the graphic.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein an awareness-enhancing indication regarding the abnormality regarding the real-time value of the aircraft-parameter is communicated by causing an alert button to one of:

(i) illuminate;

(ii) be subjected to a change in color;

or (iii) blink when, and then when said button is selected, the selection directs a user to the graphic.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the graphic representative of an aircraft component includes one of (i) a wheel, (ii) an engine, (iii) a fuel tank, or (iv) a wing.

8. A method for increasing crew awareness, the method comprising:

offering a plurality of menu items on a display in an aircraft cockpit, each of the menu items relating to a particular aircraft system;

generating a first awareness-enhancing indication on a first menu item of said plurality, the first menu item being associated with a first aircraft system, and the first indication being in response to a first alert regarding a first condition, the first condition regarding a first real-time value of a first parameter relating to the first system on the aircraft; and

highlighting the first menu item; and

,

enabling, upon a first selection being made of the first menu item, an automatic bringing up of a first window displaying a first corrective option for changing the first condition in the first system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the window automatically displays at least one action button which, when selected, makes the change intended to correct the first condition in the first aircraft system.

23. The method of claim 8 comprising:

generating a second awareness-enhancing indication on a second menu item of said plurality, the second menu item relating to a second aircraft system;

the second awareness-enhancing indication occurring in response to a second alert regarding a second condition, the second condition regarding a second real-time value of a parameter relating to the second system on the aircraft; and

highlighting the second menu item, the second menu item enabling, upon making a selection of the second menu item, automatically bring up a window displaying a second option for changing the second condition in the second system.

10. A method of operating a touchscreen display in an aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding a real-time value for an aircraft-parameter, the parameter being relevant to a condition in an aircraft system; and

communicating the real-time value of the aircraft-parameter onto a display in the aircraft in a historical context continually displaying the real-time value while time stamping and saving a plurality of historical values, and displaying the historical values behind the continually displayed real-time value.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the historical context is presented as a gauge on a touch-screen instrument panel in the aircraft.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the time-line representation is made using a chart wherein a time value is on one axis, a history of values is on a second axis, and the real time value of the aircraft parameter is continually plotted as the aircraft operates.

24. The method of claim 10 wherein the real-time value exists on a right-hand side of the timeline, and a numerical value is displayed on the right-hand side.

13. A system comprising:

a touch-screen device incorporated into an aircraft having a cockpit;

the touch-screen device being arranged to interface with a computing system on the aircraft;

the computing system being configured to receive information regarding a parameter relating to a condition in one of an electrical or a mechanical system on the aircraft;

a first process operating on the computer system, the process being configured to display a system identifying graphic related to the condition on the touch-screen device;

a second process operating on the computer system, the second process being configured to present an action selection graphic that when selected institutes a corrective action with respect to an aircraft component regarding the condition by interfacing with an aircraft system relating to the component.

14. The system of claim 13 comprising:

a database on the aircraft, the database enabling the recording of a series of aircraft-system parameter values over time and saving the values on a database on the aircraft;

a third process operating on the computer system, the third process causing a time-line representation of the values on the touchscreen display to provide a historical context to a user.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the first process results in the system-identifying graphic being presented in a way such that the graphic represents a physical embodiment of the system in which the condition exists.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the first process generates the system identifying graphic in the form of a warning about the periphery of the display.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the first process generates a color-coded warning, wherein the color reveals a predetermined severity level for the condition.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the computing system is configured to receive the information regarding the parameter from one of a;

(i) Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), or (ii) a Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS).

19. The system of claim 13 comprising:

a fourth process operating on the computing system, the fourth process enabling the generation of a window on the display in response to the condition, the window displaying an option for changing the condition.