Patent ID: 11893209
Assignee: MERCURY SYSTEMS, INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  G  B  H | IPC B  F  G

Claim 0:
1. A countermeasures control interface for
use in deploying countermeasures from a frame in response to commands from a user in which the countermeasures are deployed from
a first countermeasure dispenser that deploys a first type of countermeasure and
a second countermeasure dispenser that deploys a second type of countermeasure that is different from the first type of countermeasure in which the first countermeasure dispenser and the second countermeasure dispenser are selectively activated by a control unit,
the countermeasures control interface comprising:
(a) a programmable user interface, in communication with the control unit, that receives the commands from the user regarding deployment of the countermeasures, the user interface including:
(i) a display that shows a plurality of user-selectable image formats, in which at least one of the user-selectable image formats includes a graphic representation of a current loadout of the first countermeasure dispenser,
a graphic representation of a current loadout of the second countermeasure dispenser and a graphic representation of a plurality of currently-available options for deploying countermeasures, wherein the display includes a screen that displays graphic representations and wherein the user input device includes a plurality of hard buttons disposed linearly along at least one edge of the screen; and
(ii) a user input device that receives input regarding a countermeasure deployment choice from the user and generates a signal corresponding to the countermeasure deployment choice; and

(b) an electronic circuit that controls the display so as to generate the plurality of user-selectable image formats and that receives the signal corresponding to the countermeasure deployment choice from the user interface and
that selectively activates both the first countermeasure dispenser and the second countermeasure dispenser so as to cause deployment of the countermeasures according to the countermeasure deployment choice,
wherein the electronic circuit is programmed to cause the screen to display a plurality of labels wherein each one of the plurality of labels is disposed adjacent to a different one of the hard buttons and is associated therewith,
wherein the electronic circuit is further programmed to display a set of ladder soft keys underneath at least one of the hard buttons when the user presses the hard button, user input device further configured to receive a user input for selecting one of the ladder soft keys and wherein the electronic circuit is further programmed to take a specific action when one of the set of ladder soft keys is selected by the user.