Abstract:
In one aspect, an aircraft instrumentation system for a cockpit instrument panel of an aircraft is provided. The system includes a first display operable to display at least one of flight mission data or aircraft systems monitoring data, and a second display operable to control a plurality of display options of the first display. The first display and the second display are positioned outside an ejection envelope of the aircraft.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention relates generally to airplane cockpit instrument panel configurations and, more particularly, to an up-front control panel for controlling an out-of-reach large area display. 
     At least some known aircraft include large displays to provide a pilot with menus, data and graphical options to facilitate increased pilot performance and aircraft safety. These large displays are commonly referred to in the aerospace industry as Multi-Functional Displays (MFDs). Some known MFDs are programmable and/or customizable and may be used by the pilot as the primary instrument or display for use in flying the aircraft. Such displays are commonly referred to as the Primary Flight Displays (PFDs). MFDs and PFDs typically include push buttons located on and around the bezel of the display that may be used to select different menus and graphical presentations of information on the displays. 
     In at least some known military aircraft that include an ejection seat, one large touchscreen display is installed rather than multiple smaller displays. However, generally, the taller the display, the further away the display must be positioned relative to the pilot to ensure the display remains outside of the ejection envelope. Anthropometric requirements for new aircraft have been expanded over recent years to enable smaller or shorter pilots to fly such aircraft. However, such pilots may not be able to reach the displays while in their harness, which may limit the ability to use touchscreen technology in the aircraft. Thus, there is a need for a system that enables smaller or shorter pilots with shorter limbs to control the information displayed on larger displays. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, an aircraft instrumentation system for a cockpit instrument panel of an aircraft is provided. The system includes a first display operable to display at least one of flight mission data or aircraft systems monitoring data, and a second display operable to control a plurality of display options of the first display. The first display and the second display are positioned outside an ejection envelope of the aircraft. 
     In another aspect, an aircraft is provided. The aircraft includes a cockpit including a cockpit instrument panel and an ejection seat including an ejection envelope, and an aircraft instrumentation system coupled to the instrument panel. The aircraft instrumentation system includes a first display operable to display at least one of flight mission data or aircraft systems monitoring data, and a second display operable to control a plurality of display options of the first display. The first display and the second display are positioned outside the ejection envelope. 
     In yet another aspect, a method of assembling an aircraft instrumentation system for a cockpit instrument panel of an aircraft is provided. The method includes providing a first display operable to display at least one of flight mission data or aircraft systems monitoring data, providing a second display operable to control a plurality of display options of the first display, and positioning the first display and the second display outside an ejection envelope of the aircraft. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is forward perspective view of an exemplary aircraft cockpit instrument panel; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a cockpit with the instrument panel shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an exemplary interface between a large display and small display that may be used with the instrument panel shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The systems and methods described herein are directed to an Up Front Control Panel (UFCP) display that uses touchscreen technology to enable a user to make selections on a larger, main display in the cockpit. Because of reduced pilot size requirements, it is possible that a shorter or smaller pilot does not have the same extended reach capability as that of a taller or larger pilot. For example, smaller pilots under 5′8″ do not have the reach capability of a taller pilots over 6′2″. As a result, this smaller touchscreen UFCP is positioned closer to such smaller pilots to enable the pilots to make selections on or to otherwise control a larger display, especially when the pilot is locked in a torso harness. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary forward crew station or cockpit  10  of a military aircraft (not shown) that includes an instrument panel  12 , a throttle  14  to control thrust of the aircraft, and a control stick  16  to control a relative direction of travel of the aircraft. Instrument panel  12  includes a large display  18 , a UFCP display  20 , and a head up display (HUD)  22 . The aircraft may also include a co-pilot aft crew station (not shown) that has a substantially similar construction as described above for forward crew station  10 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of an aircraft including crew station  10 . Station  10  includes instrument panel  12 , a seat  56  having a torso harness  58 , and a pilot  60 . In the exemplary implementation, seat  56  is an ejection seat  62 . In order for pilot  60  to safely eject from the aircraft, controls and instrumentation must be positioned outside of an ejection clearance volume or envelope  63 . Ejection envelope  63  is defined at least partially between a forward ejection plane  64 , an aft ejection plane  65 , and side ejection planes (not shown) extending between forward ejection plane  64  and aft ejection plane  65  to the right and left of ejection seat  62  when looking to the front of the aircraft. Positioning controls and instrumentation forward of forward ejection clearance plane  64  ensures that an ejecting pilot does not contact any objects that could cause injury. In the exemplary implementation, ejection envelope  63  is approximately 30 inches by approximately 30 inches. Additionally, ejection envelope  63  may include forward ejection plane  64  having approximately a 6 inch radius between the side planes. However, the size and shape of the envelope may vary based upon the type of aircraft and the requirements of a given customer. 
     In the exemplary implementation, large display  18  includes a touchscreen interface  66  that displays mission related information or other data a pilot may use when piloting the aircraft. MFD or large display  18  may display flight mission or aircraft systems monitoring data according to various display options selectable by pilot  60 . Such data may include flight information, subsystem information (e.g., landing gear, fuel, health monitoring, performance, etc.), maps, training information, and/or other aircraft related data. 
     In the exemplary implementation, large display  18  is sized approximately 8 inches by approximately 20 inches to provide pilot  60  with a large viewing area. However, ejection clearance plane  64  limits a relative location of the lower edge of large display  18  and, as such, larger objects such as large display  18  that are oriented low on instrument panel  12 , must be positioned a farther distance away from seat  62  to be positioned outside of the ejection envelope  63  defined between forward ejection clearance plane  64  and aft ejection clearance plane  65 . However, because large display  18  is positioned relatively lower and farther forward than typical displays, smaller pilots may be unable to reach all of, or portions of, large display  18  while secured in torso harness  58 . Although the smaller pilots may be able to reach large display  18  by unlocking torso harness  58 , they still must lean forward each time they need to manipulate large display  18 , which takes time, increases the workload on pilot  60  especially in conditions where inertia tends to push pilot  60  back into seat  56 , and can cause accidental contact with, or in advertent movement of, sensitive systems such as control stick  16 . Further, leaning forward to utilize large display  18  may cause pilot  60  to frequently remove his focus from what is external to the aircraft, which can be dangerous and may potentially compromise the aircraft and/or safety of pilot  60  or the co-pilot. 
     Traditionally, UFCPs have included keyboards (not shown) that enable manual inputs. However, in the exemplary implementation, instrument panel  12  includes a UFCP display  20  having a touchscreen interface  68 . Display  20  is smaller than large display  18 , which enables smaller display  20  to be oriented relatively higher and farther aft on instrument panel  12  such that it is within the reach  70  of a smaller pilot. As shown in  FIG. 2 , small display  20  is positioned forward of forward ejection clearance plane  64  such that small display  20  is located outside of ejection envelope  63 . Moreover, display  20  is located within the pilot&#39;s reach  70 , while large display  18  is located outside of the pilot&#39;s reach  70 . In the exemplary implementation, small display  20  extends from instrument panel  12  toward pilot  60  and is located between about 4″ and about 8″ farther aft than large display  18 . More particularly, small display  20  is located between about 5″ and about 6″ farther aft than large display  18 . Because of space limitations within crew station  10 , placement of small display  20  relative to large display  18  is critical to the described implementation. As shown in  FIG. 1 , small display  20  is located at the top of instrument panel  12  and oriented between large display  18  and HUD  22  to enable pilot  60  to maintain her view ahead of the aircraft while viewing small display  20  and/or utilizing touchscreen interface  68 . In some implementations, crew station  10  may not include HUD  22  and may include a helmet mounted display (HMD) (not shown). 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary display interface  72  that communicatively integrate small display  20  with large display  18  through an aircraft computer  74 . For example, aircraft computer  74  may be a mission computer. Small display  20  is communicatively integrated with large display such that the pilot&#39;s interaction with touchscreen interface  68  enables control of large display  18 . For example, small display  20  may display a cursor and/or menu items representative of information on large display  18 . Additionally, small display may display any portion of large display  18 . Moreover, any information displayed on large display  18  may be duplicated on small display  20  or otherwise represented on small display  20  for interaction therewith by pilot  60 . As such, pilot  60  is able to view and/or control any information or data displayed on large display  18 . 
     Small display  20  may also include one or more control modes. For example, small display  20  may operate in a cursor control mode such that interaction with touchscreen interface  68  moves a cursor (not shown) on large display  18 . Small display  20  may also operate in a selection options mode, wherein any or all options displayed on large display  18  are replicated and displayed on small display  20 . Interaction with or selection of any of the options on small display  20  will interact with or select corresponding options on large display  18 . As such, small display  20  enables pilot  60  to interact with and utilize large display  18 , which may be out of reach of pilot  60  or difficult for pilot  60  to reach. In addition, small display  20  may also operate in a keyboard mode, wherein traditional UFCP keys are displayed on touchscreen interface  68 . Moreover, small display  20  may display other information or data for pilot  60  to interact with such as radio frequencies (e.g., UHF, or VHF transceivers), navigational waypoints, and/or brightness controls for HUD  22  and/or displays  18  and  20 . 
     Described herein are systems and methods for enabling operation and utilization of large displays of a cockpit instrument panel by pilots unable to reach, or those that have difficulty reaching, a large display. A small display is positioned relatively closer to the pilot and includes a touchscreen. The small display is communicatively coupled with the large display such that the pilot can interact with the large display using the small display. In this way, the integrated small display enables pilots to control the large display without straining or leaning, prevents or reduces the pilot from taking his eyes off the airspace in front of the aircraft, and prevents inputs into the control stick while a pilot is reaching for the large display. 
     As used herein, the phrase “at least one of”, when used with a list of items, means different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used but only one item in the list of items may be needed. The item may be a particular object, thing, or category. In other words, “at least one of” means that any combination of items and any number of items may be used from the list but not all of the items in the list are required. 
     For example, “at least one of item A, item B, or item C” may include, without limitation, item A, item A and item B, or only item B. For example, “at least one of item A, item B, or item C” may include, without limitation, item A; both item A and item B; item A, item B, and item C; or item B and item C. In other examples, “at least one of” may be, for example, without limitation, two of item A, one of item B, and ten of item C; four of item B and seven of item C; or some other type of combination. 
     This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.