Patent ID: 7693615

Claim:
An aircraft navigation system comprising: a processor operatively coupled to an electronic display that graphically displays flight plan information; a flight management computer, the flight management computer including a central display unit for alpha-numerically displaying flight plan information; a memory accessible by the processor and adapted to store a software program and a database; and a cursor control device for controlling a cursor on the electronic display, wherein the software program is adapted to interpret a selection on the electronic display made by a user with the cursor control device, to convert the selection on the electronic display to latitude and longitude coordinates, to compare the latitude and longitude coordinates of the selection on the electronic display to a displayed navigational point on the electronic display, to fill a scratchpad area on the central display unit with information regarding the displayed navigational point on the electronic display if the displayed navigational point on the electronic display is within a predetermined, distance of the latitude and longitude coordinates of the selection on the electronic display, to place a temporary waypoint symbol on the electronic display with the latitude and longitude coordinates of the displayed navigational point on the electronic display if the displayed navigational point on the electronic display is within the predetermined distance of the latitude and longitude coordinates of the selection on the electronic display, to fill the scratchpad area on the central display unit with the latitude and the longitude coordinates of the selection on the electronic display if the displayed navigational point on the electronic display is not within the predetermined distance of the latitude and longitude coordinates of the selection on the electronic display, and to place the temporary waypoint symbol on the electronic display with the latitude and longitude coordinates of the selection on the electronic display if the displayed navigational point on the electronic display is not within the predetermined distance of the latitude and longitude coordinates of the selection on the electronic display.