Patent ID: 7506272

Claim:
A method of monitoring and controlling a plurality of aircraft cabin systems using a user interface having a touch sensitive display and a plurality of input keys arranged on a scroll bar and corresponding to the plurality of aircraft cabin systems, the method comprising: monitoring a subset of the plurality of aircraft cabin systems, selected by the user from among the plurality of aircraft cabin systems, in a main menu that includes a first system image showing status information for a first system of the plurality of aircraft cabin systems, and a second system image showing status information for a second system of the plurality of aircraft cabin systems, wherein at least the first system image is a spatial map of the aircraft cabin showing status information for the first system at different locations within the aircraft cabin; activating one of said input keys corresponding to a first system of said plurality of aircraft cabin systems to display a first system graphical menu having status information and operating functions of said first system, wherein the first graphical menu can also be displayed by the user touching the first system image spatial map and can also be displayed as part of a predescribed succession plan or display sequence which automatically successively displays system graphical menus corresponding to the plurality of aircraft cabin systems; touching a touch sensitive input area of said first system graphical menu to perform at least one of selection and control of said operating functions of said first system; activating another one of said input keys corresponding to a second system of said plurality of aircraft cabin systems to display a second system graphical menu having status information and operating functions of said second system, wherein the second graphical menu can also be displayed by the user touching the second system image and can also be displayed as part of said predescribed succession plan or display sequence which automatically successively displays system graphical menus corresponding to the plurality of aircraft cabin systems; touching a touch sensitive input area of said second system graphical menu to perform at least one of selection and control of said operating functions of said second system.