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

Claim 0:
1. A system for emergency manual flight direction to a non-pilot, comprising:
at least one flight deck display onboard an aircraft;
a flight deck interface onboard the aircraft;
an aircraft status link onboard the aircraft, the aircraft status link configured to communicate an aircraft status, the aircraft status including at least an airspeed, an altitude, a heading, an attitude, a position, and a fuel state associated with the aircraft;
an aircraft communication link onboard the aircraft, comprising at least an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) system, a voice communication capability, and a data communications capability;
a controller onboard the aircraft;
a tangible, non-transitory memory onboard the aircraft configured to communicate with the controller, the tangible, non-transitory memory including a list of emergency airports, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored therein that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to:
receive, from the flight deck interface, an indication of a user command to enter an emergency flight mode;
receive a current aircraft status from the aircraft status link;
determine at least one probable emergency landing airport based on the current aircraft status and the list of emergency airports;
determine an appropriate emergency landing runway based on the aircraft status and a weather condition at each of the at least one probable emergency landing airports;
determine a desired aircraft status to position the aircraft on a path to landing at the appropriate emergency landing runway;
display, on the at least one flight deck display, at least one information dialog, at least one maneuver command, at least one configuration command, and at least one communication command;
identify 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, the at least one maneuver command includes each of a graphic depiction of a desired flight deck flight control, an animated graphic of the 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, and a direction of manipulation of the flight deck flight control; and
update 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 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.