Cockpit display systems and methods of presenting data on cockpit displays

• US 6,946,976 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Langner, Dale R., Straub, Philip I.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US10/086,598
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 340/971, 340/973, 340/974, 340/975, 340/945, 701/3, 701/14
• US Class Current: 340/971
• 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

Systems and methods for cockpit display systems are provided. A cockpit display is segmented into a first and a second region, within the first region flight setting data are presented including communication settings and navigational settings. The second region of the display presents additional settings and graphical data. Moreover, the display is encompassed by a bezel having flight controls and flight sensors integrated in close proximity to the bezel.

Claims

1. A cockpit display, comprising:

a first region having communication settings and navigational settings simultaneously presented within the first region; and

a second region having additional settings and graphical data simultaneously presented within the second region, wherein the cockpit display is surrounded by a bezel having avionic communication, navigation, and transponder controls integrated within the bezel, and wherein the controls are manually adjusted to modify the settings and the graphical data.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein the first region further includes auto pilot settings and flight control settings which are simultaneously presented within the first region.

3. The display of claim 1, wherein the settings of the first region are presented horizontally across the display.

4. The display of claim 1, wherein the first region is positioned above the second region within the display.

5. The display of claim 1, wherein the communication settings are presented within the first region with one or more communication labels identifying the communication settings.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein the navigational settings are presented within the first region with one or more navigational labels identifying the navigational settings.

7. A cockpit display system, comprising:

a display having a display area where one or more settings are presented, and the display further includes an additional display area wherein one or more additional settings and graphical data are presented;

a bezel surrounding a perimeter of the display; and

one or more controls integrated within the bezel operable to dynamically modify one or more of the settings within the display area and one or more of the additional settings within the additional display area, and an avionic transponder control integrated into the bezel.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the setting display area is positioned directly above the additional display area within the display.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein an orientation of the display area with respect to the additional display area within the display is configurable.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the settings include communication settings, navigational settings, and flight control settings.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein each of one or more of the settings are presented on the display as a separate distinct color.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the additional display area is further subdivided into one or more sub-additional display areas and wherein each sub-additional area includes sub-settings and graphical data.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the setting display area and the additional display area are visibly delineated within the display with one or more visual cues.

14. A cockpit instrument system, comprising:

a first display having a first region displaying settings and one or more second regions displaying first additional settings and additional flight data;

a second display having a first region displaying the settings and having one or more second regions displaying second additional settings and the additional flight data,

and wherein the first and second displays immediately adjacent to one another; and

wherein the first additional settings and the second additional settings are the same;

a first bezel encompassing the first display and having one or more controls affixed to the first bezel; and

a second bezel encompassing the second display and having one or more controls affixed to the second bezel;

wherein the controls are manually adjusted to modify the settings and displayed flight data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the settings include communication settings, navigational settings, destination settings, engine readings, messaging data, weather readings, terrain readings, traffic readings, transponder settings, and autopilot settings.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the settings are displayed at a vertical most location within the first display and at a vertical most location within the second display.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the settings are displayed horizontally across the first region of the first display and the first region of the second display.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the first display and the second display are adjacent to one another.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein if the settings are modified the first and second displays are dynamically adapted to display the modified settings in concert with one another.

20. A method of presenting flight setting data on a flight display, comprising:

providing a flight display interfaced to flight controls and flight sensors, and wherein the flight controls include a transponder control;

receiving flight setting data from the flight sensors by manually adjusting the flight controls; and

presenting the flight setting data in a contiguous location within the flight display with one or more additional locations within the display available for additional use;

wherein in providing the flight display, a bezel encompasses the flight display having the flight controls affixed to a front side of the bezel, and a rear side of the display and the bezel include the flight sensors.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein in receiving the flight setting data, the flight setting data include navigational settings and communication settings.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein in receiving the flight setting data, the flight setting data include at least one of autopilot settings, destination settings, messaging data, weather readings, terrain readings, traffic readings, transponder settings, and equipment readings.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing a redundant flight display proximately located by the flight display, and providing redundant flight controls, and redundant flight sensors proximate thereto; and

presenting the flight setting data in a contiguous location within the redundant flight display in a same presentation format as presented in the flight display.