Abstract:
A portable computer system allows a pilot to efficiently and effectively manage time-oriented and other flight-related tasks. The system preferably includes a microprocessor coupled to a display/input screen. The microprocessor, which includes or is coupled to a timer, preferably executes one or more application programs that are configured to receive information from and display information to the pilot. The application program is preferably hierarchically arranged and menu-driven for navigating among the various displays and thereby retrieving the desired information or initiating the desired functionality.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/160,533, which was filed on Oct. 20, 1999 by Stanley Durlacher and Paul Mandrafino for a METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING INFORMATION TO PILOTS IN REAL-TIME and is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to time management devices for use by pilots and, more specifically, to a portable computer system that allows pilots to more efficiently and effectively manage the time-oriented and other aspects of their flights. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There are basically two areas in which pilots must adhere to time-sensitive procedures. The first are precision flight maneuvers in which time is critical to remain within certain Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) limits, and the other is to monitor flight progress and aircraft subsystems on a periodic basis to ensure safe and proper operation of the aircraft. A typical flight may be divided into the following phases: pre-flight, enroute, approach, holding and post-flight. The enroute route phase is made up of a series of legs between various waypoints. Pilots must monitor the actual time taken to fly each leg to obtain accurate fuel consumption information. During the approach and holding phases of the flight, the pilot typically must perform a series of precise, time-dependent maneuvers. 
     Before taking off, many pilots prepare a handwritten flight plan. This flight plan typically includes the waypoints that are to be flown during the flight. The handwritten flight plan is often attached to a knee board that is secured to the pilot&#39;s leg for reference during the flight. To the extent it spans multiple pages, handwritten flight plans can be difficult to consult during the flight. They can also be difficult to read. 
     Furthermore, during each phase of the flight, pilots are often confronted with multiple demands on their attention and concentration. For example, in addition to flying the aircraft, pilots must typically handle all navigation and communication duties, monitor weather conditions, monitor the aircraft&#39;s fuel supply and perform other such tasks. Pilots also must continually review and check cockpit indicators and gauges to monitor the condition and operation of the aircraft&#39;s many subsystems. In particular, most aircraft have one or more cockpit displays that reveal the operating condition of the engine, the hydraulic systems, the electrical systems, the fuel systems, the landing gear systems, the auxiliary power units, if any, etc. Pilots flying in inclement weather, in close proximity to other aircraft or in other demanding conditions often neglect to continually scan their indicators and gauges. As a result, pilots may overlook the early warnings of an impending failure until it is too late to take corrective action. 
     While enroute, the pilot may also encounter an emergency situation. Most aircraft have emergency checklists identifying the corrective action to be taken in response to many different types of emergencies. Although these procedures are often contained in a loose-leaf, print format that is designed for relatively easy access, it can be difficult and/or time consuming to locate the specific pages corresponding to the particular emergency being faced. Flipping between multiple pages of the emergency checklist is similarly awkward especially where the pilot is busy controlling the flight characteristics of the aircraft as a result of the emergency. 
     In addition, the pilot may be interrupted during execution of the emergency checklist. For example, a call may come over the communications system that must be responded to or some other action may need to be taken. When the pilot returns to the checklist, he or she may forget the point at which he or she was interrupted. That is, the pilot may not remember which portions of the checklist have been completed and which portions still need to be completed. 
     Despite the importance of time-management during flight, the only devices currently available are conventional stopwatch timers and sweep second-hand stopwatches and clocks. Accordingly, a need exists for a more comprehensive and user-friendly device to assist pilots in time-management and other flight-related tasks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the present invention is directed to a system and method that facilitates the management of time-oriented and other flight-related tasks. In the illustrative embodiment, the system includes a hand-held computer having a microprocessor, a memory and a display/input screen. The microprocessor, which includes or is coupled to a timer, preferably executes one or more novel application programs that are configured to request information from and display or provide information to the pilot at appropriate times during a flight. The application program is preferably menu-driven so that the pilot may easily navigate among the various displays and retrieve desired information or initiate desired functionality, such as activating one-or-more-count-Tupor count-down timers or displaying one or more-electronic-checklists The system may also include a visual, tactile and/or aural warning element. 
     In a first aspect, the system, including the application program, is configured to display one or more bulletins at pre-arranged times during flight. More specifically, during the preflight phase, the pilot preferably programs the system to generate and display one or more bulletins prompting the pilot to check the status of specific aircraft subsystems or to perform some other flight-related tasks. The bulletins can be programmed to occur at a single preset time during the flight or they can be set to occur periodically throughout the flight. For example, the system can be programmed to display a first bulletin directing the pilot to check the engine oil and fuel systems every seven minutes, while a second bulletin prompts the pilot to check the generator or electrical subsystem only every fourteen minutes. As the flight progresses, the system automatically interrupts the current application or process and displays the bulletins at the programmed time intervals. Once the displayed task has been performed, the pilot preferably acknowledges its completion by pressing an “acknowledgement” key or button which may be displayed on the screen and/or may be remotely located from the system, e.g., a thumb switch coupled to the system. Following the acknowledgement, the application program preferably causes the next bulletin to be displayed at the appropriate time. If no acknowledgment is received after a pre-set time, the application program may activate the warning element. 
     In a second aspect, the system facilitates the creation of pilot reports (PIREPS). that can be transmitted by the pilot to an air traffic controller (ATC). PIREPS preferably follow a specific, FAA-approved format (e.g., sequence of information) and utilize a number of abbreviations that can be difficult to remember. Because of the complexity of the format and abbreviations, many pilots do not provide PIREPS. The application program is preferably configured to display one or more windows or menus, upon request, that solicit particular information from the pilot, including location, weather, etc., in an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand format. The program includes a PIREP conversion engine that translates the information provided by the pilot into a PIREP-compatible format for display. The pilot can then simply read the system generated and displayed PIREP over the aircraft&#39;s communication subsystem to the ATC. 
     In a third aspect, the application program provides one or more novel timer displays to facilitate flying precision maneuvers, such as holding and approach maneuvers. Specifically, the application program is configured to generate an approach timer window that includes a settable pending timer field or window and an active timer field or window. Within the pending timer field, the pilot preferably enters the time value associated with flying the next leg or segment of the approach. When the pilot starts this leg, e.g., crosses the initial fix point, the pilot selects a start button. In response, the application program copies into the active timer field the time value that was entered in the pending timer field and begins a count-up or a count-down based on that time value. During execution of the first leg, the pilot can enter the time associated with the next approach leg in the pending timer field. At the end of the first leg, the pilot can again enter the start button causing the program to copy the newly entered time value from the pending timer window into the active timer window and to begin the count up or the count down. This process can be repeated until the pilot lands the aircraft. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention description below refers to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
     FIG. 1 is a highly schematic, functional block diagram of the computer system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a highly schematic diagram of the display/input tablet and various software components of the computer system of FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 3 is a highly schematic illustration of the menu-driven application program of the present invention; and 
     FIGS. 4-8 are exemplary screen displays generated by the system of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 shows a computer system  100  in accordance with the present invention. The system  100  includes a central processing unit (CPU)  102  that is coupled to a read only. memory (ROM)  104  for receiving one or more instruction sets and to a random access memory (RAM)  106  which may be organized into a plurality of buffers or records for temporarily storing and retrieving information. A clock  108  is also coupled to the CPU  102  for providing clock or timing signals or pulses thereto. The computer system  100  further includes input/output (I/O) circuitry  110  that interfaces between the CPU  102  and one or more peripheral devices, such as a touch-sensitive screen  114  and/or a penbased display/input tablet. A user may control or interact with the computer system  100  by writing, drawing or signaling on the tablet  114  with his or her finger, e.g., or by tapping on one or more keys or buttons that may be displayed, or with a pen or stylus  116 . Those skilled in the art will understand that the computer system  100  includes one or more bus structures for interconnecting its various components, and that communication between the components may be effected either through polling or via interrupts. 
     A suitable computer system  100  for use with the present invention include the Palm series of palm PCs from Palm Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. which are controlled and coordinated by operating system software, such as the Palm OS® operating system. However, other palm PCs, such as but not limited to the Cassiopeia series of palm PCs from Casio Computer Co., Ltd. of Tokyo Japan or the iPAQ series of palm PCs from Compaq Computer Corp. of Houston, Texas, which are controlled and coordinated by the Windows CE operating system from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., may also be advantageously used with the present invention. Additionally, the present invention may be practiced with laptop or notebook computers, such as the Presario and/or Armada series of laptops from Compaq Computer Corp. 
     FIG. 2 is a highly schematic, partial, functional block diagram of several software components running on computer system  100  (FIG. 1) and their interaction with the display/input tablet  114 . These software components generally include one or more application programs, such as application program or process  202 , and an operating system  204 . The application program  202  executes on the computer system  100  and interacts with the operating system  204  as shown by arrow  206  through system calls or task commands of an application programming interface (API) layer  208  in order to control the operations of the computer system  100 . Lower-layers of the operating system  204  include device drivers for interfacing directly with one or more physical devices or components. That is, for each physical device or component, a corresponding device driver is provided to accept requests, to read or write data or to determine the status of the respective device. 
     More specifically, the operating system  204  preferably includes an input manager  210  that is coupled to the API layer  208  via arrow  212 . The input manager  210  is also coupled to an input driver  214 , which, in turn, is in communicating relationship with the display/input tablet  114  for receiving handwritten and other information entered thereon, including sensing or detecting a finger touching or tapping tablet  114 . In particular, the input manager  210  receives input information and command or input button interrupts from the input driver  214  as generated by the tablet  114 . One or more handwriting recognition engines (not shown) may be installed on the computer system  100  for performing recognition analysis on received input information. 
     The operating system  204  further includes a window/display manager  216  which also implements task commands from the application program  202 . The window manager  216  is typically a set of software routines or modules within the operating system  204  that is responsible for managing windows and graphics displayed on the tablet  114  for viewing by the user, e.g., the pilot, during operation of the system  100 . The window manager  216  typically acts in direct response to task commands sent from the application program  202  to the operating system  204  via the API layer  208  as shown by arrow  218 . The window manager  216  may use a graphics system  220 , also located within the operating system  204 , to draw on the display/input tablet  114 . The graphics system  220  stores the information to be displayed via arrow  222  into a screen buffer  224 . Under the control of various hardware and software in the computer system  100 , the contents of the screen buffer  224  may be read out and provided, as indicated schematically by arrow  226 , to a display adapter  228 . The display adapter  228  contains hardware and software (sometimes in the form of firmware) which converts the information from the screen buffer  224  to a form which can be used to drive the display/input tablet  114 . 
     As indicated above, the tablet  114  is configured to operate as both an input device and an output device. When operating as an output device, tablet  114  receives data from the CPU  102  (FIG. 1) via I/O circuitry  110  and displays that data on a screen  230 , such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. The input mechanism of tablet  118  is preferably a thin, clear membrane (not shown) overlying the screen  230  that is sensitive to the position and/or pressure of the pen  116  (FIG. 1) or the presence and location of the user&#39;s finger on its surface. Tablet  114  may also include a dedicated input area  232  for receiving input from either the pen  116  or the user&#39;s finger. It may further include one or more “hard” keys  234   a-d , which may be pressed or otherwise activated by the user. In operation, a user can provide inputs to the computer system  100  by “writing” on the screen  230  or input area  232  with the pen  116  or by tapping buttons that are displayed on the screen  230  with either the pen  116  or his or her finger depending on the mode of operation selected. Information concerning the location of the pen  116  during handwriting operation and/or the user&#39;s finger is preferably sampled and provided to the CPU  102  via I/O circuitry  110 . 
     Computer system  100  may also include one or more communications ports, such as port  236 , which is coupled to the operating system  204 . Port  236  may be used to couple computer system  100  to another computer (not shown), such as a desktop or laptop personal computer. In addition, computer system  100  may further include or run a synchronization engine  238 . The synchronization engine  238  is preferably configured to receive information or data from the second computer and synchronize that information to corresponding data records or locations stored or configured at one or more memory structures of computer system  100 , such as RAM  106 . A suitable synchronization engine includes but is not limited to the HotSync software commercially available from Palm Inc. 
     Application program  202 , moreover, preferably comprises a plurality of software modules or libraries pertaining to the methods described herein. In particular, program  202  may include a bulletin generator  240 , a PIREP conversion engine  242  and a timer entity  244 , among other things. 
     The software modules or libraries that make up application program  202  may be resident on a computer readable media, such as RAM  106  (FIG. 1) or a mass memory device (not shown), and executed by one or more processing elements, such as CPU  102 . Other computer readable media, such as floppy disks and CD-ROMs, may also be used to store the program instructions for execution or transfer. The application program  202  may also be implemented in hardware through a plurality of registers and combinational logic configured to produce sequential logic circuits and cooperating state machines. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various combinations of hardware and software components may also be employed. 
     FIG. 3 is a highly schematic illustration of the menu-driven features or facilities of the application program  202 . As shown, the application program  202  is preferably hierarchically organized and menu driven so as to provide a plurality of different modes or phases of operation for the user, such “Setup”, “Preflight”, “Inflight”, “Prelanding”, “Postflight” and “Utilities”. The pilot preferably selects among these different modes depending on the phase of the flight. Each mode, moreover, may have a plurality of features or facilities that can be selected and run by the pilot. Specifically, program  202  includes a main menu  302 . From the main menu  302 , the pilot may access a plurality of sub-menus or modes, including a setup mode  304 , a preflight mode  306 , an inflight mode  308 , a prelanding mode  310 , a postflight mode  312  and a utilities mode  314 . From each sub-menu or mode  304 - 314 , the pilot may access and/or run one or more facilities. 
     In particular, from the setup mode  304 , the pilot may access and run an aircraft setup facility  316  and a checklists facility  318 . From the preflight mode  306 , the pilot may access a flight planning facility  320 , a preflight checklists facility  322 , a prompts facility  324 , and a waypoint list maintenance facility  326 . From the inflight mode  308 , the pilot may access an enroute facility  328 , a timers facility  330 , a pilot report facility  332 , and an inflight checklists facility  334 . From the prelanding mode  310 , the pilot may access the timers facility  330 , which is preferably the same timers facility as may be accessed through the inflight sub-menu  308 . The pilot may also access a prelanding checklists facility  336 . From the postflight mode  312 , the pilot may access a postflight checklists facility  338 . From the utilities mode  314 , the pilot may access the same checklists facility  318  as accessible from the setup mode, an E6B calculator facility  340  and the pilot report facility  332 . 
     FIGS. 4-8 are exemplary screen displays generated by the application program  202  in response to the selection and running of various modes and facilities by the pilot. These screen displays show how a pilot might operate the system  100 . 
     FIG. 4 is a main menu  400  screen display. The main menu  400  includes six selectable buttons which represent the available modes. Specifically, there is a setup button  402 , a preflight button  404 , an inflight button  406 , a prelanding button  408 , a postflight button  410  and a utilities button  412 . The main menu  400  may also include up and down arrows  414  and  416  for scrolling through the buttons  402 - 412  and an OK or select (SEL) button  418  for selecting the highlighted button. A desired mode of the application program  202 , e.g., setup, can be entered by keying the corresponding button, e.g., button  402 . For example, the pilot can tap button  402  twice, or he or she can tap the arrows  414  and  416  until the desired button is highlighted and then tap the OK button  418 . 
     Setup 
     By selecting the setup button  402 , the pilot is transferred to the setup mode of the application program  202 . FIGS. 5A-D are exemplary screen displays generated by the application program  202  while operating in the setup mode  304 . A first-level setup screen or window  500  (FIG. 5A) allows the pilot to call-up two facilities: the aircraft facility  316  (FIG. 3) as represented by aircraft button  502  and the checklists facility  318  as represented by checklist button  504 . Tapping the aircraft button  502  will cause the application program  202  to transfer programming control the aircraft facility  316 . Facility  316  causes an aircraft setup screen or window  506  (FIG. 5B) to be displayed on screen  230 . Screen  506  prompts the pilot for various information about himself or herself and the aircraft that he or she will be flying. For example, screen  506  preferably includes a pilot field  508  in which the pilot may enter his or her name. An alphanumeric (ABC . . . ) icon  510  is preferably provided as part of the setup screen  506 . Tapping the alphanumeric icon  510  causes an alphanumeric keypad screen  512  (FIG. 5C) to be displayed. Keypad screen  512  includes a plurality of buttons that facilitate the entry of text and/or numbers. Tapping an OK button  513  causes the letters and numbers entered with the keypad  512  to be copied into the pilot field  508 . 
     A type field  514  (FIG. 5B) of the aircraft setup screen  506  requests the type of aircraft that is going to be flown, e.g., C-172 for a Cessna 172 aircraft. An identifier (ID) field  516  requests an identifier of the aircraft, such as its tail or “N” number. A Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) field  518  may be provided to enter a value corresponding to the offset or conversion from local time to UTC time. The conversion from Eastern Standard Time (EST) to UTC time, for example, is plus five hours. Accordingly, if the pilot is flying in the EST zone, a “5” may be entered in UTC field  518 . The computer system  100  is preferably configured or programmed with the local time in a conventional manner. A true airspeed (TAS) field  520  allows the pilot to enter a true cruise airspeed for the aircraft in nautical miles per hour (nn/Hr). A usable fuel capacity (cap) field  522  allows the pilot to enter the aircraft&#39;s fuel capacity in gallons. A fuel burn rate field  524  allows the pilot to enter the aircraft&#39;s fuel burn rate in gallons per hour (Gal/Hr) at the specified TAS. 
     Returning to FIG. 5A, if the checklist button  504  is selected, programming control is transferred to the checklists facility  318 . The checklists facility  318  preferably includes or has access to one or more checklists that were synchronized to the computer system  100  through the communications port  236  and synchronization engine  238 . These checklists, which are typically associated with a specific aircraft or type of aircraft, may be created on a desktop or lap personal computer and synchronized to the computer system  100 . Alternatively, they may be obtained from third parties and downloaded to the desktop or laptop personal computer and then synchronized to the computer system  100 . 
     In response to being selected, the checklists facility  318  preferably causes a top-level checklists screen  526  (FIG. 5D) to be displayed on screen  230 . Screen  526  includes a plurality of buttons, including a preflight button  528 , an inflight button  530 , a prelanding button  532 , a postflight button  534 , an emergency button  536  and a reference button  538 . Selection of a button, e.g., preflight button  528 , causes the checklists stored under the selected flight phase, e.g., preflight, to be displayed on screen  230 . Possible preflight checklists might include Pre-Engine Start, Engine Start, Pre-Taxi, During Taxi; Engine Run-up, etc. Possible emergency checklists might include Engine Failure, Electrical System Failure, Distress Call Protocol, Emergency Landing Checklist, Light Signals, etc. The pilot may access any of the checklists stored on the computer system  100  by accessing the checklists facility  318  from the setup mode  304 . 
     Preflight 
     Returning to FIG. 4, selection of the preflight button  404  causes programming control to be transferred to the preflight mode  306  of the application program  202 . FIGS. 6A-G are exemplary screen displays that may be generated during the preflight mode  306 . In response to selecting the preflight button  404 , for example, a first-level preflight screen  600  (FIG. 6A) is preferably displayed on screen  230 . The preflight screen  600  includes a flight planning button  602 , a checklists button  604 , a prompt button  606  and a waypoint (waypt) list maintenance (maint) button  608  which are used to access the corresponding facilities  320 - 326  (FIG. 3) of the application program  202 . 
     Prompts 
     By selecting the prompt button  606 , the prompts facility  324  (FIG. 3) of the application program  202  is called and run. This facility  324  allows the pilot to set up periodic reminders to check an aircraft subsystem or to perform some other flight-related task during the flight. Upon selection, the prompts facility  324  preferably causes a programming window or screen  610  (FIG. 6B) to be displayed on screen  230  (FIG. 2) which is used by the pilot to set a first prompt. Screen  610  includes a message field  612  into which the pilot preferably enters the prompt message that is to be displayed during the flight. Screen  610  includes an alphanumeric (ABC . . . ) icon  612  which, if selected, causes the alphanumeric keypad screen  512  (FIG. 5C) to be displayed to facilitate the entry of text and/or numbers into the message field  612 . After entering the prompt message, e.g., “Check gyroscopic procession”, the pilot is asked for the first time at which this prompt is to be displayed during the flight. More specifically, after entering the message in field  612 , an initial prompt time field  616  (FIG. 6C) is highlighted. 
     To enter an initial prompt time in field  616 , the pilot preferably selects a timer icon  618 , which appears in place of the alphanumeric icon  612 . In response, application program  202  preferably generates and causes a timer keypad  620  (FIG. 6D) to be displayed on screen  230 . Timer keypad  620  includes a plurality buttons that facilitate the entry of a time. By selected buttons of timer keypad  620 , the pilot can designate the time, e.g., 12:00 minutes, from the start of the flight that must elapse before the subject prompt is first presented. By tapping an OK button  621 , screen  610  is caused to reappear and the entered time value is copied into the prompt time field  616 . 
     In addition to a first time, the pilot may also configure the prompts facility  324  to cause the prompt to be displayed periodically throughout the flight. In particular, screen  610  (FIGS. 6B and 6C) preferably include a repeat checkbox  622 . By checking checkbox  622 , e.g., by tapping checkbox  622  with his or her finger, the pilot causes a repeat time entry field  624  (FIG. 6E) to be added to the programming window  610 . Repeat time entry field  624  includes an interval field  626 , an entire flight checkbox  628  and a count field  630 . Within the interval field  626 , the pilot may enter the frequency, e.g., in minutes, that the subject prompt should be repeated following its initial display as specified in initial prompt time field  616 . Again, the pilot may call-up the timer keypad  620  (FIG. 6D) to facilitate the entry of the interval time value by tapping the timer icon  618 . Next, the pilot can specify that the subject prompt be repeated at the specified interval during the entire flight by checking checkbox  628 . Alternatively, the pilot can specify that the subject prompt be repeated a specified number of times by entering the desired count into a count field  630 . 
     When the pilot has completed the entry of the requisite information for setting the subject prompt as desired, he or she preferably selects an OK button  632 . In response, the prompts facility  324  stores the entered information in one or more records or buffers. The prompts facility  324  may then generate a prompts list display  634  (FIG. 6F) including or adding an entry or record  636  for the just created prompt or bulletin, e.g., “check gyroscopic procession”. Record  636  includes a first element  636   a  containing both the name and the initial time that the prompt will first be displayed, e.g., “12:00” minutes. A second element  636   b  contains an indicator, e.g., “R” for repeat, if the prompt will repeat. If a specific count had been entered, the count value would also appear. By tapping an add button  638 , the pilot may create additional prompts. When the pilot is finished setting up prompts, he or she taps an OK button  640 . 
     Prompts may also be programmed at the desktop or laptop personal computer and downloaded and/or synchronized to the computer system  100 . 
     Upon commencement of the flight, the pilot activates an enroute timer operated by the application program  202 . The enroute timer basically maintains a running time count for the flight. For example, the pilot may tap a start button from a display screen called-up and used during the first leg of the flight, i.e., a screen showing the take-off airport and the first waypoint of the flight. The prompts facility  324  monitors elapsed time of the flight and causes the previously programmed prompt(s) to be displayed at the specified time(s). More specifically, the prompts facility  324  interrupts the current facility, application program or process running at computer system  100  in order to display the prompt. FIG. 6G is an illustrative display of a “check gyroscopic procession” prompt window or message  642  that is preferably displayed on screen  230  at the programmed time(s). The prompt  642  is preferably acknowledged by the pilot when he or she taps anywhere on screen  230 , thereby causing the prompt message  642  to disappear and returning program control to the facility, application program or process that was interrupted by the prompts facility  324 . 
     If the pilot does not acknowledge the prompt message  642  within a preset time, e.g., 1 to 5 minutes, the prompts facility  324  may cause an aural, visual and/or tactile warning element controlled by the computer system  100  to be activated. For example, prompts facility  324  may cause screen  230  to begin flashing until the prompt message is acknowledged. 
     It should be understood that other windows or screens may be used to program and/or display prompts. It should be further understood that a specific acknowledge key, e.g., a hard key, may be provided on the computer system  100  or remotely coupled to the computer system, e.g., through a thumb-switch that may be mounted to the yoke of the aircraft. Alternatively or in addition, an acknowledgement button may be displayed on prompt screen  642 , which can be tapped by the pilot to acknowledge completion of the is task specified by the prompt. 
     Inflight 
     Returning to FIG. 4, selection of the inflight button  406  causes programming control to be transferred to the inflight mode  308  of the application program  202 . FIGS. 7A-P are exemplary screen displays that may be generated during the inflight mode  306 . In response to selecting the inflight button  406 , a first-level inflight screen  700  (FIG. 7A) is preferably displayed on screen  230 . The inflight screen  700  includes an enroute. button  702 , a timers button  704 , a pilot reports button  706  and a checklist button  708  which are used to access or run the corresponding facilities  328 - 334  (FIG. 3) of the application program  202 . 
     Pilot Reports 
     By selecting the pilot reports button  706 , the pilot reports facility  332  (FIG. 3) of the application program  202  is called and run. This facility  332  induces the pilot to enter information that is then converted into a format that is compatible with accepted or standard PIREPS transmissions. Specifically, upon selection, the pilot reports facility  332  preferably causes a series of, e.g., six, information entry windows or screens to be displayed sequentially on screen  230  (FIG.  2 ). These windows or screens seek particular information from the pilot which is then used to generate the PIREP. 
     FIG. 7B illustrates a first entry window or screen  710 . Screen  710  includes a Zulu time field  712  that is automatically filled-in by the application program  202  based on the UTC off-set entered by the pilot during the setup phase of the flight and the local time as described above. Screen  710  further includes a location field  714  that has longitude and latitude sub-fields  714   a  and  714   b . A compass icon  716  can be used to call-up a compass keypad  718  (FIG. 7C) for display on screen  230 . Compass keypad  718  has a degrees display field  719  and a minutes display field  720  and a plurality of buttons that facilitate the entry of longitude and latitude positions. When the correct longitude or latitude is entered, the pilot taps an OK button  721  and the entered value is copied to sub-fields  714   a  or  714   b.    
     First entry window  710  further includes a report type field  722  that can be set to either emergency or regular by tapping corresponding buttons  722   a  and  722   b . Window  710  further includes an altitude field  724 . By tapping altitude field  724 , compass icon  716  is preferably replaced with a numeric ( 123  . . . ) icon. Selecting the numeric icon causes a numeric keypad to appear to facilitate the entry of the aircraft&#39;s altitude. First window  710  further includes an aircraft type field  725 . By tapping type field  725 , the numeric icon  731  is preferably replaced with an alphanumeric icon, e.g., ABC . . . , which can be tapped to call-up the alphanumeric keypad  512  (FIG.  5 C). The alphanumeric keypad  512  can then by used to enter the aircraft type in type field  725 . 
     When all of the requested information has been entered in the first window  710 , the pilot preferably selects a right arrow  726 . This causes the pilot report facility  332  to generate and display the next window in the sequence. FIG. 7D is an exemplary second window  728  which is used to record the cloud cover. In particular, second window  728  has a cloud base field  730  in which the pilot enters the altitude of the base of the clouds, e.g. in hundreds of feet, and a cloud tops field  731  is used to enter the altitude of the tops of the clouds. Second window  728  also has a description field  732  for recording the appropriate cloud characterization. Within or proximate to description field  732  is a pop-up icon  734 . By tapping the pop-up icon  734 , a new window  736  (FIG. 7E) appears which lists the available characterizations of the cloud cover that are preferably compatible with standard PIREP format. In particular, list window  736  may include a series of buttons, including a clear button  737 , a scattered button  738 , a broken button  739 , an overcast button  740  and an obscured button  741 . The pilot preferably highlights one of buttons  737 - 741 , e.g., clear  737 , by tapping that button and then tapping a select (SEL) button  742 , thereby causing the selected cloud characterization to be copied into description field  732 . 
     By tapping a right arrow  744  (FIG.  7 D), the pilot report facility  332  generates and causes a third entry window  746  (FIG. 7F) to appear on screen  230 . Third window  746  includes a visibility field  748 , a precipitation field  749 , a restrictions field  750  and a temperature field  751 . Each of fields  748 - 750 , moreover, has a corresponding pop-up icon  752 - 754 . By tapping pop-up icon  751 , the pilot causes a visibility list window  756  (FIG. 7G) to appear on screen  230 . Visibility list window  756  provides several selectable options, including a “&lt;1 statute miles (sm)” button  757 , a “1 to 3 sm” button  758 , a “3 to 6 sm” button  759  and a “&gt;6 sm” button  760  any one of which may be selected by the pilot. Tapping pop-up icon  753  causes a precipitation list window  761  (FIG. 7H) to appear. Precipitation list  761  provides several available selections through corresponding buttons, including a none button  762 , a light button  763 , a moderate button  764 , a heavy button  765 , a snow button  766 , a hail button  767  and an ice button  768 . Tapping pop-up icon  754  causes a restrictions list window  769  (FIG. 71) to appear. Restrictions list  769  similarly provides several available selections or options through corresponding buttons, including a none button  770 , a haze button  771 , a fog button  772 , a clouds button  773 , a smog button  774 , a smoke button  775 , and a mist button  776 . 
     It should be understood that the available options as presented by lists  736 ,  756 ,  761  and  769  preferably comply with the standard or accepted PIREP format. 
     By tapping a right arrow  777  (FIG.  7 F), the pilot report facility  332  generates and causes a fourth information entry window  778  (FIG. 7J) to appear on screen  230 . Fourth window  778 , which seeks information about the winds aloft, includes a heading (HDG) field  779 , a course (CRS) field  780 , a true airspeed (TAS) field  781 , and a ground speed (GS) field  782 . Fourth window  778  further includes a calculate (Calc) button  783 , a wind direction (WD) display area  784  and a wind speed (WS) display area  785 . Preferably, the pilot enters the information requested by fields  779 - 782  in a similar manner as described above. Next, the pilot taps the Calc button  783 . In response, the pilot report facility  332  preferably computes both the wind direction and the wind speed based on the values entered into fields  779 - 782  in a conventional manner. These computed values are then shown in display areas  784  and  785 . 
     By tapping a right arrow  786  (FIG.  7 J), the pilot report facility  332  generates and causes a fifth information entry window  787  (FIG. 7K) to appear on screen  230 . Fifth window  787 , which seeks information about turbulence, includes a turbulence field  788  which has a corresponding pop-up icon  789 , an in or near (nr) clouds selection area  790  and a duration field  791  which has a corresponding pop-up icon  792 . Tapping pop-up icon  789  causes a turbulence list window  793  (FIG. 7L) to appear on screen  230 . Turbulence list window  793  provides several selectable options, including a none button  794 , a light button  795 , a moderate button  796 , a heavy button  797  and an extreme button  798  any one of which may be selected by the pilot. Tapping pop-up icon  792  causes a duration list window  799  (FIG. 7M) to appear. Duration window  799  also provides several selectable options, including a none button  7702 , an intermittent button  7703  and a constant button  7704  any one of which may be selected by the pilot. 
     By tapping a right arrow  7706  (FIG.  7 K), the pilot report facility  332  generates and causes a sixth information entry window  7708  (FIG. 7N) to appear on screen  230 . Sixth window  7708 , which seeks information about icing, if any, includes an icing field  7710  which has a corresponding pop-up icon  7711  and a remarks field  7712 . Tapping pop-up icon  7711  causes an icing list window  7714  (FIG. 70) to appear on screen  230 . Icing list window  7714  provides several selectable options, including a none button  7715 , a trace button  7716 , a medium button  7717 , and a heavy button  7718  any one of which may be selected by the pilot, thereby causing the selected option to appear in icing field  7710 . In the remarks field  7712 , the pilot may add any additional remarks that he or she wishes and/or which were not covered in one of the earlier information entry windows. Sixth window  7708  further includes a say button  7720 . 
     Tapping the say button  7720  causes the pilot report facility  332  to organize the information entered by the pilot through the information entry windows and to translate that information into a format that is compatible with accepted or standard PIREPS. Specifically, the application program  202  may rely on the PIREP conversion engine  242  to translate the entered information into the appropriate form. 
     PIREP conversion engine  242  (FIG. 2) includes or has access to accepted or standard PIREP abbreviations and ordering rules. The following table, for example, illustrates some of the PIREP text element indicators, i.e., abbreviations, utilized by engine  242 . 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 PIREP Abbreviation 
                 Meaning 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 UUA 
                 Urgent 
               
               
                   
                 UA 
                 Routine 
               
               
                   
                 /OV 
                 Location in reference to a Very 
               
               
                   
                   
                 High Frequency (VHF) Naviga- 
               
               
                   
                   
                 tion Aid (NAVAID) or airport 
               
               
                   
                 /TM 
                 Time (in four digit UTC) 
               
               
                   
                 /TP 
                 Type aircraft 
               
               
                   
                 /SK 
                 Sky condition 
               
               
                   
                 /WX 
                 Flight visibility 
               
               
                   
                 /TA 
                 Air temperature 
               
               
                   
                 /WV 
                 Wind direction and speed 
               
               
                   
                 /TB 
                 Turbulence 
               
               
                   
                 IC 
                 Icing 
               
               
                   
                 /RM 
                 Remarks 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Pilot report facility  332  also generates and causes to be displayed a PIREP display  7724  (FIG. 7P) having a display area  7725 . Within display area  7725  is the translated information as generated by the PIREP conversion engine  242 . The pilot may now quickly and efficiently provide a PIREP compatible report to the ATC by simply reading the PIREP display  7725 . 
     It should be understood that more or fewer information gathering windows may be displayed by the pilot reports facility  332  to obtain the requisite information for a PIREP and that additional information may also be requested. 
     Prelanding 
     Returning to FIG. 4, selection of the prelanding button  408  causes programming control to be transferred to the prelanding mode  310  of the application program  202 . FIGS. 8A-C are exemplary screen displays that may be generated during the prelanding mode  310 . In response to selecting the prelanding button  408 , for example, a first-level prelanding screen  800  (FIG. 8A) is preferably displayed on screen  230 . The prelanding screen  800  includes a timers button  802  and a checklist button  804  which are used to access or run the corresponding facilities  330  and  336  (FIG. 3) of the application program  202 . 
     Timers 
     By selecting the timers button  802 , the timers facility  330  (FIG. 3) of the application program is called and run. Upon selection of button  802 , the timers facility  330  preferably generates and displays a first level screen or window  806  (FIG. 8B) which includes a holding timer button  808  and an approach timer button  810 . In response to the pilot tapping the approach timer button  810 , the timers facility  330  generates and displays an approach timer window  812  (FIG.  8 C). The approach timer window  812  preferably includes a Zulu time display area  814  and a local time display area  816  in which the application program  202  automatically enters the corresponding times. Approach timer window  812  further includes an active timer field  818 , a pending timer field  820  and an arrow  822  having an up arrow head  822   a  and a down arrow head  822   b.    
     To utilize the approach timer window  812 , the pilot preferably taps a time entry icon  824  which causes the time entry keypad  620  (FIG. 6D) to temporarily replace the approach window  812  on screen  230 . Using the buttons of the time entry keypad  620 , the pilot preferably specifies the time associated with the first leg of the approach. For example, if the first leg of the approach is a two minute fly away from the runway, the pilot preferably enters “2:00” in the time entry keypad  620  and taps the OK button of keypad  620 . In response, the timers facility  330  copies the specified time, e.g., 2:00, into the pending timer field  820 . When the aircraft crosses over the starting point for this leg of the approach, e.g., the runway, the pilot preferably taps either the up arrow head  822   a  or the down arrow head  822   b  depending on whether he or she wishes to have the timers facility  330  execute a count-up (from zero) to the pending time value or a count-down (to zero) from the pending time value. 
     If the down arrow head  822   b  is tapped, for example, the value of the pending timer field  820 , e.g., “2:00”, is copied into the active timer field  818  and the count-down is commenced. Preferably, the last entered time, e.g., 2:00 minutes, remains in the pending timer field  820  for reference. The pilot can refer to the on-going time count displayed within the active timer field  818  to facilitate his or her execution of this leg of the approach. As the pilot nears the end of this leg, as indicated by the value of the active timer window approaching zero (or the pending time if count-up was selected), he or she preferably enters the time associated with the next leg of the approach, e.g., a one minute turn around. To enter the new time, the pilot preferably taps the time entry icon  824  which again causes the time entry keypad  620  (FIG. 6D) to temporarily replace the approach window  812  on screen  230 . This time, the pilot enters the new time value, e.g., 1:00, and presses the OK button, thereby transferring the new time into the pending timer field  820 . Meanwhile, the active timer field  818  continues its count (either up or down) based on the prior pending time value. When the active timer field  818  reaches its end (either zero or the prior pending time value), the pilot initiates the next leg and taps arrow  822 , thereby causing the new pending time value, e.g., 1:00, to be transferred into the active timer window  818  and commencing the count (either up or down as selected). 
     The ability to enter the time associated with the next leg of an approach before completing of the current leg significantly helps the pilot in flying the approach pattern. 
     The foregoing description has been directed to specific embodiments of this invention. It will be apparent, however, that other variations and modifications may be made to the described embodiments, with the attainment of some or all of their advantages. Therefore, it is the object of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.