Method and apparatus for facilitating ease of viewing and interpretation of data concurrently presented to the flight crew on a multifunction flat panel display in an aircraft

• US 6,952,630 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2003
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Solutions and Support Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innovative Solutions and Support Incorporated
• Inventors: Hedrick, Geoffrey S. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US10/616,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 359/601, 359/609, 349/11, 349/61, 349 68- 69, 349/77, 362/459, 362464-466, 362/529, 362470-471, 362487-489, 362 23- 29, 340/461, 340/961, 340/500, 340/521, 340/523, 340/945, 340952-956, 340963-965, 340971-973, 340/980, 348/673, 348/689, 345/619, 345/629, 345/672, 345/681, 345/678, 345/690, 345/581, 345589-593, 345764-765, 701 3- 4, 701 8- 10, 701 14- 16
• US Class Current: 701/3
• 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 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32

Abstract

A flat panel display for presenting graphical renderings of aircraft flight, operation and system status data to an aircraft pilot renders the data at various predetermined brightness levels depending on the category of data assigned to that data. Primary data appears on the screen at a full brightness level and secondary data appears on the screen at a brightness level less than the full brightness level. In this manner, a wide variety and range of aircraft flight, operation and system status data can be simultaneously conveyed to the pilot on a single display screen through selective illumination of particular classes or categories of the data on the display at predetermined brightness levels, thereby advantageously directing the pilot'"'"'s attention specifically to the primary data which is presented at full brightness. In various implementations and embodiments, the brightness of the secondary data can be selectively increased manually by a pilot, as by activation of a switch or touching of a touch-sensitive display screen in the region of the secondary data of interest, or can increase when pilot-initiated changes to manually-entered data are initiated or being made, or can be increased automatically in the event detection of an abnormal or emergency condition involving the secondary data.

Claims

1. A method of presenting a combination of multiple types of data relating to at least one of environmental, aircraft flight, situational awareness, aircraft operation and aircraft systems status on a single display for ease of viewing of the presented data by a user of the aircraft, the method comprising:

identifying, among the multiple types of data, high importance primary data for presentation on the display;

identifying, among the multiple types of data, secondary data of lesser importance than the primary data for presentation of the secondary data on the display;

presenting the primary data on the display at a first brightness level appropriate for facilitating attention to and ease of viewing of the primary data on the display by the user;

presenting the secondary data on the display at a second brightness level predeterminately less than the first brightness level and suitable for viewing of the secondary data on the display by the user,

detecting that the user is manually entering a new value of the secondary data requiring user attention to the secondary data on the display; and

changing the brightness level of the secondary data on the display from the second brightness level to the first brightness level in response to said detecting that the user is manually entering the new value of the secondary data, and returning the changed brightness level of the secondary data from the first brightness level to the second brightness level a predetermined time interval after said detecting that the user is manually entering the new value of the secondary data.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said secondary brightness level is approximately one-half said first brightness level.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said presenting of the primary data comprises presenting the primary data in a central portion of the display, and said presenting of the secondary data comprises presenting the secondary data in a peripheral portion of the display peripherally about said central portion.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the primary data comprises primary flight information for use in flying the aircraft.

5. A method of presenting a combination of multiple types of data relating to at least one of environmental, aircraft flight, situational awareness, aircraft operation and aircraft systems status on a single display for ease of viewing of the presented data by a user of the aircraft, the method comprising:

identifying, among the multiple types of data, high importance primary data for presentation on the display;

identifying, among the multiple types of data, secondary data of lesser importance than the primary data for presentation of the secondary data on the display;

presenting the primary data on the display at a first brightness level appropriate for facilitating attention to and ease of viewing of the primary data on the display by the user;

presenting the secondary data on the display at a second brightness level predeterminately less than the first brightness level and suitable for viewing of the secondary data on the display by the user,

detecting user operation of a control operable for initiating a change in the secondary data brightness level on the display from the second brightness level to the first brightness level requiring user attention to the secondary data on the display; and

changing the brightness level of the secondary data on the display from the second brightness level to the first brightness level in response to said detecting of the user operation of the control, and returning the changed brightness level of the secondary data from the first brightness level to the second brightness level a predetermined time interval after said detecting of the user operation of the control.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein said secondary brightness level is approximately one-half said first brightness level.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein said presenting of the primary data comprises presenting the primary data in a central portion of the display, and said presenting of the secondary data comprises presenting the secondary data in a peripheral portion of the display peripherally about said central portion.

8. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the primary data comprises primary flight information for use in flying the aircraft.

9. A method of presenting a combination of multiple types of data relating to at least one of environmental, aircraft flight, situational awareness, aircraft operation and aircraft systems status on a single touch sensitive display screen for ease of viewing of the presented data by a user of the aircraft, the method comprising:

identifying, among the multiple types of data, high importance primary data for presentation on the display;

identifying, among the multiple types of data, secondary data of lesser importance than the primary data for presentation of the secondary data on the display;

presenting the primary data on the display at a first brightness level appropriate for facilitating attention to and ease of viewing of the primary data on the display by the user;

presenting the secondary data on the display at a second brightness level predeterminately less than the first brightness level and suitable for viewing of the secondary data on the display by the user;

detecting user contact with the display screen in a region of the display screen at which the secondary data is presented on the display requiring user attention to the secondary data on the display; and

changing the brightness level of the secondary data on the display from the second brightness level to the first brightness level in response to said detecting of the user contact with the display screen, and returning the changed brightness level of the secondary data from the first brightness level to the second brightness level a predetermined time interval after said detecting of the user contact with the display screen.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising the step of:

detecting that the secondary data represents an abnormal condition.

11. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising the step of:

detecting that the secondary data has a value comprising a predetermined alarm condition.

12. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein said secondary brightness level is approximately one-half said first brightness level.

13. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the primary data comprises primary flight information for use in flying the aircraft.

18. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein said presenting of the primary data comprises presenting the primary data in a central portion of the display, and said presenting of the secondary data comprises presenting the secondary data in a peripheral portion of the display peripherally about said central portion.

14. An aircraft instrumentation display system for presenting a combination of multiple types of data relating to at least one of environmental, aircraft flight, situational awareness, aircraft operation and aircraft systems status on a single display for ease of viewing of the presented data by a user of the aircraft, said system comprising:

a flat panel display screen;

a display controller connected to the display screen and operable for receiving data to be imaged on the display screen and for rendering the received data to create graphically-implemented images representing the received data on the display screen, said display controller being further operable for;

presenting received data identified, from among the multiple types of data, as high importance primary data on the display screen at a first brightness level appropriate for facilitating attention to and ease of viewing of the primary data on the display screen by the user,

presenting received data identified, from the among the multiple types of data, as secondary data of lesser importance than the primary data on the display screen at a second brightness level predeterminately less than the first brightness level and suitable for viewing of the secondary data on the display screen by the user, and

changing the brightness level at which the secondary data is presented on the display screen from the second brightness level to the first brightness level in response to detection of manual entry by the user of a new value of the secondary data requiring user attention to the secondary data imaged on the display screen, and returning the changed brightness level of the secondary data from the first brightness level to the second brightness level a predetermined time interval after the manual entry by the user of the new value of the secondary data; and

a detector connected to the display controller for detecting the manual entry by the user of the new value of the secondary data requiring user attention to the secondary data imaged on the display screen.

15. An aircraft instrumentation display system in accordance with claim 14, wherein at least one of the detector and the display controller is further operable to detect an abnormal condition of the secondary data.

16. An aircraft instrumentation display system in accordance with claim 14, wherein at least one of the detector and the display controller is further operable to detect a value of the secondary data denoting a predetermined alarm condition.

17. An aircraft instrumentation display system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said display screen further comprises a touch-sensitive display screen, and wherein the manual entry by the user of the new value of the secondary data is performed by contacting the display screen in a region of the display screen at which the secondary data is presented on the display.

19. An aircraft instrumentation display system for presenting a combination of multiple types of data relating to at least one of environmental, aircraft flight, situational awareness, aircraft operation and aircraft systems status on a single display for ease of viewing of the presented data by a user of the aircraft, said system comprising:

a flat panel display screen; and

a display controller connected to the display screen and operable for receiving data to be imaged on the display screen and for rendering the received data to create graphically-implemented images representing the received data on the display screen, said display controller being further operable for;

presenting received data identified, from among the multiple types of data, as high importance primary data on the display screen at a first brightness level appropriate for facilitating attention to and ease of viewing of the primary data on the display screen by the user,

presenting received data identified, from the among the multiple types of data, as secondary data of lesser importance than the primary data on the display screen at a second brightness level predeterminately less than the first brightness level and suitable for viewing of the secondary data on the display screen by the user, and

changing the brightness level at which the secondary data is presented on the display screen from the second brightness level to the first brightness level in response to detection of

user operation of a control operable for initiating a change in the secondary data brightness level on the display screen from the second brightness level to the first brightness level requiring user attention to the secondary data imaged on the display screen, and returning the changed brightness level of the secondary data from the first brightness level to the second brightness level a predetermined time interval after the manual entry by the user operation of the control; and

a detector connected to the display controller for detecting user operation of a control operable for initiating a change in the secondary data brightness level on the display screen from the second brightness level to the first brightness level requiring user attention to the secondary data imaged on the display screen.