Abstract:
An avionics system having displays with display configurations pilot selected for a phase of flight of an aircraft and reconfigurable for each phase of flight. A multifunction flight display stores and displays the stored phase of flight display configurations for each phase of flight of the aircraft. A cursor control panel connected to the multifunction display for changes from one stored phase of flight display configuration to another stored phase of flight display configuration when the aircraft changes phase of flight. The cursor control panel also is used for reconfiguring the display configuration for each phase of flight. The cursor control panel has phase of flight quick access pushbuttons for selecting a stored phase of flight configuration and for reconfiguring a stored phase of flight configuration into a new phase of flight configuration by selecting the new configuration and pressing a phase of flight quick access pushbutton for a predetermined time to store the new configuration.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to avionics systems, flight displays, and more particularly to a flight display that memorizes a display configuration in accordance with a phase of flight. 
   Modern aircraft cockpits have a number of displays such as primary flight displays (PFD) and multifunction displays (MFD) showing a wide variety of data to pilots for various phase of flight such as climbing to an altitude, cruising at altitude, and descending. Each phase of flight has with it an associated display configuration displaying a number of data parameters needed by the pilot in various formats on the cockpit displays. When the phase of flight changes, the display configuration also needs to change. In addition, pilots and copilots have their individual preferences as to what they would like to see displayed during a phase of a flight. 
   Configuring cockpit displays for various phases of flight such as, climbing to an altitude, cruising at an altitude, and descending has always involved a certain workload for a pilot. The pilot is required to select a number of different display formats using various input devices such as keyboards, switches, and joysticks. Attempts have been made in the past to automate setting up display configurations by utilizing a series of preset display configurations for each phase of flight. A pilot would select a phase of flight and the displays would automatically be reconfigured depending on the aircraft flight phase to the preset display configuration. These approaches have not worked very well because the display configurations are preset and could not be reconfigured. The preset phase of flight display configurations do not take into account the desire of pilots to configure displays for phases of flight according to personal preferences. 
   What is needed is an avionics system having displays that have selectable display configurations for each phase of a flight. The displays need to be configured to display data needed for each phase of flight to suit the needs and preferences of individual pilots. The display configurations for each phase of flight should be easily changed. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An avionics system having displays with display configurations pilot-selected for a phase of flight of an aircraft and reconfigurable for each phase of flight is disclosed. A multifunction display stores and displays phase of flight display configurations for each phase of flight of the aircraft. A cursor control panel connected to the multifunction display is used for changing from one stored phase of flight display configuration to another stored phase of flight display configuration when selected by the pilot for a phase of flight and for reconfiguring the display configuration for each phase of flight. 
   The multifunction display has a middle window and a lower window for displaying a pilot-selectable display configurations and a line select key for selecting display formats. 
   The cursor control panel includes phase of flight quick access pushbuttons for selecting a stored phase of flight configuration and for reconfiguring a stored phase of flight configuration into a new phase of flight configuration. The new phase of flight configuration is selected with controls on the cursor control panel and by pressing a phase of flight quick access pushbutton for a predetermined time to store the new configuration. The cursor control panel has a climb quick access pushbutton for selecting a climb phase of flight display configuration and for reconfiguring the climb phase of flight display configuration. The cursor control panel has a cruise quick access pushbutton for selecting a cruise phase of flight display configuration and for reconfiguring the cruise phase of flight display configuration. The cursor control panel has a descend quick access pushbutton for selecting a descend phase of flight display configuration and for reconfiguring the descend phase of flight display configuration. 
   The multifunction display displays the climb, cruise, and descend phase of flight configuration displays with pilot-selected display configurations for the middle window that may be a vertical terrain profile, a checklist index, or a flight management system text and for the lower window may be a present position format, a plan format, a datalink format, a chart format, a traffic display format, or a maintenance format. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide an avionics system having a display that has selectable display configurations for each phase of flight. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a display that can be configured to display data needed for each phase of flight to suit the needs and preferences of individual pilots. 
   It is a object of the present invention to provide display configurations for each phase of flight that may be easily changed. 
   It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a pilot with a number of display configurations to select. 
   It is an advantage of the present invention to provide windows on an avionics display with different display formats. 
   It is a feature of the present invention to provide a quickly selectable display format for a phase of flight. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may be more fully understood by reading the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is block diagram of an avionics system incorporating the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram of a front panel of a cursor control panel of  FIG. 1  that includes the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a diagram of a typical front panel of a multifunction display of  FIG. 1  showing a typical display configuration; 
       FIG. 4  is a diagram of another front panel display format of the multifunction display of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a diagram of a typical display format for the lower two windows of the multifunction display of  FIG. 3  when an aircraft is in a climb phase of flight; 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram of a typical display format for the lower two windows of the multifunction display of  FIG. 3  when an aircraft is in a cruise phase of flight; and 
       FIG. 7  is a diagram of a typical display format for the lower two windows of the multifunction display of  FIG. 3  when an aircraft is in a descend phase of flight. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   A typical avionics system  100  that may employ the present invention is shown in exemplary fashion in  FIG. 1 . The avionics system  100  shown in  FIG. 1  is intended for installations in such aircraft as business aircraft, airliners, and other large aircraft. An avionics system such as that shown in  FIG. 1  is manufactured by the assignee of the present invention Rockwell Collins Inc. 
   The avionics system  100  shown in  FIG. 1  may have two electronic flight displays that function as a primary flight display (PFD)  105  and a multifunction display (MFD)  110 . Alternate numbers of displays may be used. A PFD  105  and an MFD  110  are typically mounted in front of both a pilot and a copilot. To allow for the failure of either the PFD  105  or the MFD  110 , each is capable of being pilot-configured to a PFD/MFD format. The PFD/MFD format provides all the instrumentation required for the safe operation of the aircraft. A cursor control panel (CCP)  145  is connected to the MFD  110  to access and manipulate features available on the MFD  110 . A CCP  145  is available to both the pilot and copilot. 
   Also include in the avionics system  100  is an integrated avionics processing system (IAPS)  115  that performs part of the integration functions to interconnect and manage the various avionics subsystems in the aircraft. Included in the IAPS  115  are such items as flight control computers, flight management computers, and maintenance diagnostic computers. Dual cockpit control units (CDU)  119  are provided for integrated multisensor navigation, flight maintenance and execution, sensor control, MFD  110  map support, communications equipment control, and other controls to the avionics system  100 . Dual file server units (FSU)  117  provide processing and mass storage databases for the avionics system  100 . The FSUs are used to store terrain data and other databases used by the avionics system  100 . Various data buses including Ethernet buses interconnect and transfer data between the components in the avionics system  100  as shown by the interconnect lines in  FIG. 1 . Other components in the typical avionics system  100  are air data computers (ADC)  135 , engine indication system (not shown), attitude heading computers (AHC)  130 , GPS receivers  137 , and a radio altimeter  138 . Also connected to the avionics system  100  are various radio systems  120  and their associated antennas. These radio sensors may include VOR/LOC, ADF, DME, ILS, and MLS systems to provide navigational information. 
   The cursor control panel (CCP)  145  incorporating the present invention is shown in  FIG. 2 . The cursor control panel  145  is used to control the MFD  110  functions in the avionics system  100  of  FIG. 1 . Included on the cursor control panel are a menu (MENU) pushbutton  201  to access and exit menus on the MFD  110 , an escape (ESC) pushbutton  202  to exit a menu level or data entry mode, and a menu advance (MENU ADV) data entry switch  203  to control menu navigation and selection and data entry. A status (STAT) pushbutton  204  provides access to full format presentations on the MFD  110 . A chart (CHART) pushbutton  221  provides control to access and exit a chart format on the MFD  110 . An orient pushbutton  222  allows switching the chart format between portrait and landscape orientation. A zoom (ZOOM) pushbutton  223  allows the displayed chart to be zoomed in and out. A joystick  205  provides control for chart pan and zoom and 3D-map orientation. Included on the cursor control device  145  are three phase of flight quick access pushbuttons  210 ,  215 , and  220  that are used to access and update predefined and stored MFD display formats. The three phase of flight preset pushbuttons are ascending or climb  210 , level flight or cruise  215 , and descend  220  as indicated by an aircraft icon on each button. Other labels and icons may be used on the quick access pushbuttons  210 ,  215 , and  220 . 
   A display configuration for the MFD  110  may be stored in memory within the MFD  110  for each of the three pushbuttons  210 ,  215 , and  220 . If a pushbutton is pressed and released, a currently stored display configuration for the selected button for a flight phase is displayed. If a button is pressed and held for some period of time such as three seconds for example, a current display configuration is stored in memory in the MFD  110  for future selection or until replaced with a new memorization action for the flight phase for the appropriate button. 
   A typical MFD  110  front panel  300  is shown in  FIG. 3 . The front panel is divided into three smaller virtual display windows. A top window  305  of the MFD  110  is used to display the EIS (engine indication system) data. N 1  (turbine fan speed), ITT (inter-turbine temperature), fuel quantity, N 2 , fuel flow, oil pressure and temperature are displayed in  FIG. 3 . 
   A middle window  310  in the MFD  110  in  FIG. 3  is showing a vertical terrain profile (VTP) display with the position of the aircraft indicated by an aircraft symbol  311 . The VTP display in the middle window  310  presents to the pilot views of the aircraft  311  vertical situation over all phases of flight. The VTP display in window  310  in  FIG. 3  is in an end-on view format. The VTP display in window  310  is obtained by determining aircraft location from position determination means on board the aircraft such as the GPS receiver  137  in  FIG. 1 . The position, altitude, and track of the aircraft are used with terrain database information in the database of the FSU  117  to form a vertical terrain profile view  312  in the FSU processor and pass the data to the MFD  110 . Other formats that may be displayed in the middle window include a checklist index, or a flight management system (FMS) text format. These formats are selectable on the MFD  110  by using the CCP  145  pushbuttons and controls in  FIG. 2 . A format line select key  328  on the MFD  110  may also be used to select the middle window  310  formats. Repeatedly pressing the line select key  328  cycle the middle window display  310  format. 
   A lower window  320  in  FIG. 3  may display one of six formats shown in a format display selection box  325 . These six formats are displayed as required during the various phases of flight. A format (FRMT) line select key  329  on the MFD  110  is pressed to select a format in box  325 . Repeatedly pressing the FRMT line select key  329  cycles the selected format through the list in box  325 . The six selectable formats in box  325  include present position (PPOS) on a compass rose or arc, plan map (PLAN) on a geographical map display, data link (DLINK) for textual and graphical weather information, charts (CHARTS) for electronic Jeppesen charts, traffic (TRFC) for a traffic display from TCAS (traffic collision avoidance system), and maintenance (MAINT) for aircraft maintenance information. In  FIG. 3  format select box  325  shows data link (DLINK) highlighted and selected. Window  320  is displaying a datalink applications menu  327 . 
     FIG. 4  shows a present position (PPOS) view on the front panel  300  of the MFD  110  in the lower window  320 . An end-on VTP view is again shown in the middle window  310  of  FIG. 4 . On the present position (PPOS) or plan map (PLAN) are several different navaids or geographical overlays that may be displayed or hidden from view. Navaids usually consists of high altitude VORs, low altitude VORs, NDBs, and intersections. Shown on  FIG. 4  are navaids  331  and an intersection  332 . Geographic overlays  330  consist of political boundaries, rivers, lakes, and oceans. 
   Selecting and storing may be accomplished as follows for the phases of flight with the quick access pushbuttons  210 ,  215 , and  220  on the cursor control panel  145 . Shown in  FIG. 5  is the middle window  310  and bottom window  320  of a typical MFD  110  display format for the climb or ascent phase of flight that a pilot may desire. Shown in  FIG. 5  is a checklist index displayed in the middle window  310  in place of the VTP display of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Four types of checklists may be selected in window  310  including a normal, abnormal, user, and emergency checklist.  FIG. 5  shows the present position (PPOS) display in lower window  320  as in  FIG. 4 . This climb display format may be selected from memory at any time by the pilot by pushing the climb quick access pushbutton  210 . If a change to the climb format is desired, the pilot changes the MFD  110  display to a new desired format using the cursor control panel  145 , a line select key on the MFD  100 , or other means and then presses and holds pushbutton  210  down for some period of time such as three seconds. The new display format is then stored in memory in the MFD  110 . Typical items displayed in the climb display configuration may include such pilot-selectable items for the middle window  310  as the checklist index, the FMS text display and the VTP display. The bottom window  320  includes the PPOS, PLAN, DLINK, CHARTS, TRFC, and MAINT displays discussed above. 
   When the aircraft transitions from the climb phase to the cruise phase, the pilot pushes the cruise quick access pushbutton  215  to obtain a typical cruise MFD  110  display format as shown in  FIG. 6 . Window  310  of  FIG. 6  now displays the FMS text and window  320  displays the PLAN format. This cruise display format may be changed in the same fashion as described above for the climb pushbutton  210 . If the climb format is again desired at this point, the pilot pushes the ascent quick climb pushbutton  215 . Items that may be selected for display in the cruise display configuration are the same as for the climb phase of flight. 
   When the aircraft starts to descend from the cruise mode, the pilot pushes the descend quick access pushbutton  220  and a preselected and stored descend display configuration is shown on the MFD  110  as shown in exemplary fashion in  FIG. 7 . Window  310  now shows a VTP view that is a side-on view inside of the end-on view shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The lower window  320  again shows the present position view (PPOS). This descend display format may be changed in the same fashion as described for the climb pushbutton  215 . Items that may be selected for display in the cruise display configuration are the same as for the climb phase of flight. 
   The present invention is described above as being implemented on a multifunction display in an avionics system. As described above the multifunction display and a primary flight display may be utilized interchangeably and the present invention may also be used interchangeably on these flight displays. In addition, other types of flight displays for displaying vertical terrain profiles may be used to incorporate the present invention. 
   It is believed that the avionics display system for memorization of display configuration to phase of flight pushbuttons of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form herein before described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.