Patent Publication Number: US-9424753-B2

Title: Simplified user interface for an aircraft

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Contemporary aircraft may have autoflight systems including a flight management system (FMS), an autopilot system, and an autothrottle system each of which include independent displays and controls. The separate systems have overlapping information and parameters for their separate functions. Each system has its own multi-layer user interface that is presented to the flight crew on a multi-function display (MFD) or other display device. Each system also tends to show a multitude of data regardless of its usefulness. The result is a complex set of layered displays and modes of operation, which are difficult to learn and use efficiently and require significant crew training. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment, a user interface for an integrated autopilot and flight management system for an aircraft includes a plurality of tactical parameter controls for operation of the autopilot and a plurality of strategic parameter controls for operation of the flight management system. The tactical parameters and the strategic parameters are user-programmable and simultaneously accessible. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portion of an aircraft cockpit with user interfaces according to a first embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a user interface illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a user interface according to a second embodiment of the invention and which may be used in the aircraft illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a portion of an aircraft  10  having a cockpit  12 . A first user (e.g., a pilot) may be present in a seat  14  at the left side of the cockpit  12  and another user (e.g., a co-pilot) may be present at the right side of the cockpit  12  in a seat  16 . A flight deck  18  having multiple multifunction flight displays  20  and various instruments  22  may be located in front of the pilot and co-pilot and may provide the flight crew with information to aid in flying the aircraft  10 . 
     One or more cursor control devices  24  and one or more multifunction keyboards  26  may be included in the cockpit  12  and may be used by one or more flight crew members, including the pilot and co-pilot, to provide input to a processor (not shown) and interact with the systems of the aircraft. A suitable cursor control device  24  may include any device suitable to accept input from a user and to convert that input to a graphical position on any of the multiple flight displays  20 . Various joysticks, multi-way rocker switches, mice, trackballs, and the like are suitable for this purpose and each user may have separate cursor control device(s)  24  and keyboard(s)  26 . Through use of the cursor control device(s)  24  and multifunction keyboard(s)  26 , the pilot and co-pilot may interact with the data elements graphically and textually in accordance with feedback provided by the multiple displays  20 . 
     One or more user interfaces  30  may be included in the flight deck  18  and for availability a user interface  30  may be provided on each side of the flight deck  18 . The user interfaces  30  may be operably coupled with a suitable controller or processor (not shown) such that they may operate to integrate autopilot tactical modes and FMS strategic flight plan for the aircraft  10  such that the operational controls are consolidated and there is no longer a differentiation between the autopilot and FMS modes of operation. The autopilot tactical modes may guide the aircraft  10  without assistance of the pilot. More specifically, the autopilot may abandon a flight path generated by the flight management system and may operate the aircraft based on tactical parameter controls. Such tactical parameter controls may include at least heading, speed, altitude, and vertical speed such that autopilot may control these aspects of the aircraft  10 . The FMS may also have controls allowing it to go directly to a next waypoint, hold at various settings, flying the aircraft at an offset trajectory, and meet a required time of arrival among other things. The FMS automates a wide variety of in-flight tasks and one of its primary functions is in-flight management of the flight plan. The flight path trajectory includes a plurality of waypoints and a plurality of vectors that extend between each waypoint of the plurality of waypoints. The FMS may include a processor that is configured to calculate a first flight path trajectory including an origin waypoint and a destination waypoint. Thus, the FMS requires various strategic parameter controls such as a destination location, a departure procedure, enroute segments, taxi route, arrival procedure, and approach procedure. Each user interface  30  may be operably coupled with the cursor control devices  24  and one or more multifunction keyboards  26  such that the flight crew may interact with each user interface  30  and enter in such tactical and strategic parameter controls. The user interface  30  may have a variety of input/output and flight planning elements, which may be implemented by either/both hardware and software, such as dedicated hardware panels, a software generated panel on a general purpose display, a touch panel display for the MFD, dials, lights, knobs, levers, buttons, switches or any combination thereof, to name a few non-limiting examples. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary user interface  30  according to one embodiment of the invention that combines the tactical parameter controls of the autopilot with the strategic parameter controls of the FMS to provide all of the information and parameter controls for both systems on a simple, one-layer user interface providing simultaneous access to both the tactical and strategic parameter controls. The user interface  30  is more easily able to accomplish the simplification by an underlying combination of the autopilot and FMS, which is described further in commonly-owned patent application entitled, Flight Management System With Integrated Tactical Commands for Use with an Aircraft and Method of Operating Sane, filed Jan. 7, 2011, and assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 12/986,838, which is incorporated by reference. However, the user interface  30  may be implemented in systems where the functionalities of the autopilot and FMS are not combined and retained as operational, stand-alone systems. 
     More specifically, the user interface  30  has a plurality of tactical parameter controls  32  for operation of the autopilot and a plurality of strategic parameter controls  34  for operation of the flight management system. The tactical parameters and the strategic parameters are user-programmable and simultaneously accessible on the user interface  30  and the user interface  30  allows detailed trajectory information and advisory information to be displayed in conjunction with selections made by the crew on the user interface  30 . 
     The tactical parameter controls  32  and strategic parameter controls  34  may be either hardware controls or software controls. By way of non-limiting example, the tactical parameter controls  32  have been illustrated as including both hardware and software controls. More specifically, the user interface  30  is illustrated as including a panel with tactical control knobs and corresponding displays including, by way of non-limiting example, a heading selection knob  40  and heading display  41 , a speed selection knob  42  and speed display  43 , a vertical speed or flight path angle (FPA) selection knob  44  and vertical speed/FPA display  45 , and an altitude selection knob  46  and altitude display  47 . The knobs  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  may be push rotary knobs. The tactical parameter controls  32  may also include, by way of non-limiting example, a direct to/next waypoint selection window  48 , a hold at selection window  50 , a required time of arrival at a waypoint selection window  52 , an offset flight plan selection window  54 , and a data link request selection window  56 , all of which may be software generated. 
     By way of non-limiting example, the strategic parameter controls  34  may include a destination location selection window  58 , a departure procedure selection window  60 , an enroute segment selection window  62 , a taxi route selection window  64 , an arrival procedure selection window  66 , and an approach procedure selection window  68 . It is contemplated that the strategic parameter controls  34  may include more or less selection windows and that the destination location selection window  58  may be the only necessary control for the construction of a flight plan trajectory. 
     System engage buttons including an accept button  70  and an undo/clear button  72  may also be hardware or software controls included in the user interface  30 . A flight director indicator  74  may include suitable indicia and an LED or other suitable light source which may be lit up when the flight director is on and the autopilots are not engaged. Similarly, an auto flight indicator  76  may include suitable indicia and an LED or other suitable light source, which may be lit when the autopilot is engaged. 
     A status indicator  80  for at least one of the tactical parameter controls  32  and strategic parameter controls  34  may also be included in the user interface  30 . By way of non-limiting example, the heading display  41 , speed display  43 , vertical speed/FPA display  45 , and altitude display  47  may serve to act as status indicators for those tactical parameter controls  32 . By way of further non-limiting example, indicia related to the remainder of the tactical parameter controls  32  and strategic parameter controls  34  may be capable of being illuminated and may act as status indicators  80  for those controls. The status indicators  80  may indicate whether at least one of the tactical and strategic parameter controls  34  is automatically or manually set. By way of non-limiting example, parameters being actively controlled may be illuminated or highlighted in some fashion. 
     The status indicators  80  may also indicate whether the at least one of the tactical and strategic parameter controls  34  is: active, armed, or reached a dynamic flight envelope limit. The status indicators  80  may have different illumination states for each status. It is contemplated that the different illumination states may include a different color for each status. Such a color coding scheme may be used to inform the crew which flight parameters are actively being controlled, which flight plan segments are active, and which parameters and/or flight plan segments are armed for activation when captured. Modified plans may be considered armed for activation and all segments could show the color code for being armed. Various color schemes may be used; by way of non-limiting example, green may be used to indicate an active flight parameter or flight plan segment, blue may be used to indicate an armed flight parameter or flight plan segment or modified flight plan, amber may be used to indicate a flight parameter has reached a dynamic flight envelope limit, and magenta may be used to denote a remainder of an active plan or active control. 
     During operation, the user interface  30  may receive commands and selections from the flight crew through the tactical parameter controls  32  and strategic parameter controls  34  and may present information to the crew such that the user interface  30  becomes the primary crew interface for all autoflight activity including autopilot and FMS. The heading display  41 , speed display  43 , vertical speed/FPA display  45 , and altitude display  47  may define the basic flight control parameters for the aircraft  10  and may default to auto computed values, which may be overridden by crew selection of a manual value. Such manual entry is controlled by the associated heading selection knob  40 , speed selection knob  42 , vertical speed/FPA selection knob  44 , and altitude selection knob  46 . More specifically, pushing the corresponding knob selects manual entry for the associated display and rotating the knob may scroll the numerical value at a predetermined or definable increment such that a new value may be selected. The heading selection knob  40  may be turned to control movement in the lateral plane, the speed selection knob  42  may be turned to control airspeed or Mach number, the vertical speed/FPA selection knob  44  may be turned to control movement in the vertical plane, and the altitude selection knob  46  may be turned to control vertical movement. Once the user has selected the desired value the user may select the accept button  70  to activate the manual entry. It is contemplated that if a crew member accidentally pushes one of the knobs that a subsequent push of the knob reverts that tactical parameter control  32  back to auto. 
     Entering a manual selection using the tactical parameter controls  32  is treated as an input into the flight plan and is reflected in the FMS computed trajectory. The following description represents non-limiting examples of operation of the tactical parameter controls  32 . If the heading selection knob  40  is operated, a manual heading may be selected that overrides the FMS computed heading. The flight plan may reflect the manual intervention by assuming an immediate heading vector and predictions may assume a return to strategic flight plan after 1 minute using a course intercept maneuver to the next practical waypoint. Intervening waypoints that are passed may be sequenced from the flight plan. If the speed selection knob  42  is operated, a manual speed may be selected that overrides the FMS computed speed for the current phase. If the vertical speed/FPA selection knob  44  is operated, a vertical speed or flight path angle that overrides the FMS computed vertical profile may be selected. If the altitude selection knob  46  is operated, a next level-off altitude in the profile may be captured and tracked. An advisory of the current computed optimal altitude may be displayed. For all of the above manual selections, the FMS may limit the selectable values to the airplane&#39;s dynamic operating envelope and the FMS predictions may use the values as input information. 
     An entry in the direct to/next waypoint selection window  48  may result in the navigation display rendering a new path to the selected waypoint and the ETA associated with that waypoint. Changes made into the hold at selection window  50  may result in a navigation display rendering the selected hold pattern along with an ETA to enter and ETA to exit after one cycle. A user entry into a required time of arrival at a waypoint selection window  52  may render on the navigation display the minimum and maximum ETA that can be achieved for that waypoint. An entry into the offset flight plan selection window  54  may result in the navigation display rendering a new parallel flight path as well as retaining the original path showing the selected departure point and rejoin point and associated ETAs. The data link request selection window  56  may allow the crew to initiate data link operations for air/ground data communications and to request flight planning elements, ATC clearances, and other uplinks as well as manually triggered downlinks. Through the data link request selection window  56  a user may select to log on, which automatically triggers the appropriate information exchange to commence data communication activity. 
     It is contemplated that any of the selection windows of the tactical parameter controls  32  and strategic parameter controls  34  may accept uplinked flight planning elements/clearance instructions as well as crew selections. Uplinked elements may be auto loaded as a modified flight plan into the appropriate window(s) and flash, prompting the crew to accept the data, through the accept button  70 , or reject the data, through the undo/clear button  72 . An automatic downlink may be generated that reflects the crew response to the data linked message. Uplinks may also be accompanied by an audible or visual alert to draw the attention of the crew to the pending data. The uplinks may be displayed as pop-up dialog windows on the user interface  30  containing the appropriate actions or selections relevant to that specific data communication. 
     The strategic parameter controls  34  may define various flight plan elements that form a complete flight plan. It is contemplated that only a destination or a destination and a departure runway may be required to produce an active flight trajectory. The strategic parameter controls  34  including the destination location selection window  58 , departure procedure selection window  60 , enroute segment selection window  62 , taxi route selection window  64 , arrival procedure selection window  66 , and approach procedure selection window  68  may include menus and lists from which a user may select an item or items to be entered. Selection of items in the windows may be achieved using the cursor control device  24 . Alternatively, it has been contemplated that the user interface  30  may be a touchscreen and that selection of items may be achieved through interaction with the touchscreen. Selection of such items creates a modified flight plan that, after review, may be accepted through selection of the select button  70 . By way of non-limiting example, the selections may be undone one item at a time with a short push of the undo/clear button  72  or all of the items may be cleared if the undo-clear button  72  is pushed and held. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates that a user interface  130  having a navigation map or navigation display  190  according to a second embodiment of the invention. The second embodiment  130  is similar to the first embodiment  30 . Therefore, like parts will be identified with like numerals increased by 100, with it being understood that the description of the like parts of the first embodiment applies to the second embodiment, unless otherwise noted. 
     One difference between the first embodiment  10  and the second embodiment  100  is that the inclusion of a current flight mode window  182  as well as a next flight mode window  184 , and the interactive navigation display  190 , which may display a trajectory, which is the result of crew inputs through the user interface  130 . By way of non-limiting example, the navigation display  190  is illustrated as including an aircraft symbol  192 , a predicted flight path  194  having various waypoints  196 , and trajectory information  198 . The navigation display  190  may allow detailed trajectory information such as latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, ETA, fuel remaining, etc., and advisory information to be displayed in conjunction with selections made by the crew on the user interface  130 . By way of non-limiting examples, additional flight plan editing, waypoint creation/deletion, flight plan leg linking, selection of alternate airports, entry of speed/alt constraints, navigation sensor comparisons, etc. may be performed through object manipulation and menu selections on the navigation display  190 . It is also contemplated that advisory and alert messages may pop-up in a dialog box that contains the appropriate actions or selections to resolve the issue. 
     The above described embodiments bring together the tactical, strategic, and data link controls, which were previously implemented independently of each other and results in a simplified crew interface layout. Further, the above described embodiments eliminate the functional redundancies of the systems, minimize the displays and controls, eliminate superfluous information not necessary for the effective operation of the aircraft and reduce both interface complexity and equipment cost. 
     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.