Patent ID: 11884417
Assignee: ROCKWELL COLLINS, INC.
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC B  G

Claim 11:
12. A method for emergency manual flight direction to a non-pilot, comprising:
receiving, from a flight deck interface onboard an aircraft, an indication of a user command to enter an emergency flight mode;
receiving a current aircraft status from an aircraft status link, the current aircraft status including at least an airspeed, an altitude, a heading, an attitude, a position, and a fuel state associated with the aircraft;
comparing the position associated with the aircraft with a position of at least one probable emergency landing airport;
determining an appropriate emergency landing runway based on the comparison, the current aircraft status, and a weather condition at each of the at least one probable emergency landing airport;
determining a desired aircraft status to position the aircraft on a path to landing at the appropriate emergency landing runway, the desired aircraft status including each of the airspeed, the altitude, the heading, the attitude, and the position associated with the aircraft;
displaying, on at least one flight deck display onboard the aircraft, at least one information dialog, at least one maneuver command, at least one configuration command, and at least one communication command;
identifying nearby aircraft and corresponding settings to enable voice communication with those nearby aircraft;
each of the at least one information dialog, the at least one maneuver command, the at least one configuration command, and the at least one communication command configured for 1) interpretation by a non-pilot of the aircraft for a manual flight of the aircraft, 2) achieving the desired aircraft status, and 3) assisting the non-pilot in maintaining the path to landing at the appropriate emergency landing runway airport, the at least one maneuver command includes each of a graphic depiction of a desired flight deck flight control, a teaching pattern to visually indicate to the non-pilot how the aircraft status is altered by a specific control manipulation, an animated graphic of the desired flight deck flight control, and a direction of manipulation of the desired flight deck flight control; and
updating each of the maneuver command, the configuration command, and the communication command based on a change in the aircraft status,
wherein:
the at least one maneuver command, the at least one configuration command, and the at least one communication command configured for sequential, non-simultaneous execution to facilitate safe implementation by the non-pilot;
the at least one maneuver command is limited to exclude rudder manipulation;
the communication command includes changes to a radio frequency to enable communication with the nearby aircraft; and
the at least one information dialog includes a diagram of a frequency communication command presentation to enable the non-pilot to successfully change frequencies.