Device for controlling a thrust of at least one aircraft engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016137307-A1
Application number	US-201514940433-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2015
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device for controlling a thrust of at least one aircraft engine. The device includes a display unit configured to display, on at least one display screen of the cockpit, indications regarding operation and at least the current engine speed of said engine of the aircraft, as well as a set of graphic elements including at least one graphic element, said graphic element or elements being configured to be able to be operated and activated by an operator to control at least one engine speed, said set of graphic elements including at least one graphic selection element configured to control the transition from the current engine speed to a preconfigured engine speed.

First claim

1 . A device for controlling a thrust of at least one engine of an aircraft, referred to as engine speed, the device comprising:
a display unit configured to display, on at least one display screen of the cockpit, indications regarding operation and at least the current engine speed of the engine of the aircraft, the display unit additionally being configured to display simultaneously, on the screen, a set of graphic elements including at least one graphic element, the at least one graphic element being configured to be able to be operated and activated by an operator to control at least one engine speed, the set of graphic elements including: at least one graphic selection element configured to control a transition from a current engine speed to a preconfigured engine speed and at least one movable graphic element movable on the screen by an operator and configured to control the transition from the current engine speed to any engine speed, defined between a minimal engine speed and a maximum engine speed and dependent on a position on the screen of the at least one movable graphic element.

2 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said screen is a touchscreen on which said set of graphic elements is displayed, each of said graphic elements being able to be actuated by direct contact with said touchscreen at the location of said graphic element.

3 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one graphic selection element is configured to select, respectively, at least one of the following preconfigured engine speeds:
a slowed speed; a maximum continuous thrust; a takeoff speed with reduced thrust; a slowed go-around speed; a maximum takeoff and go-around speed; an aircraft climbing phase speed; and an automatic engine speed regulation intermediate speed.

4 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , said device being configured to control the speed of at least two engines, said graphic selection element being configured to control the transition from the current engine speed to a preconfigured engine speed for all of said engines.

5 . The device as claimed in claim 4 , said device being configured so that, in the event of a situation limiting the speed of a first of the engines to a limit speed, the activation of a graphic selection element corresponding to an engine speed greater than the limit speed drives the transition from the current engine speed to the limit speed for this first engine and to the greater engine speed corresponding to said activated graphic selection element for the other engine.

6 . The device as claimed in claim 4 , said device being configured, in the event of failure of a first of the engines, to automatically control the rise of the engine speed of at least one other of the engines.

7 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , said device being configured to control the speed of at least two engines, wherein said set of graphic elements includes a graphic activation element per engine, each of the graphic activation elements being configured to be actuated so as to select, independently for each engine, a guided speed control mode or an automatic speed control mode.

8 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said display unit is configured to display at least one of the following indications regarding the operation of the engine:
a current engine speed; an engine speed change mode; a level of at least one preconfigured engine speed; a difference between a selected engine speed and the current engine speed; a value, in percentage, of the current engine speed in relation to a theoretical maximum engine speed; an automatic or guided operating mode.

9 . A method for controlling a thrust of at least one engine of an aircraft with the aid of a device as defined in claim 1 , comprising the steps:
actuating at least one graphic element displayed on the screen of the display unit of said device, controlling a corresponding engine speed upon the actuation of a graphic element.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Fernandez Brice

Classifications

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• B64D31/04 Primary

  actuated personally · CPC title

• B64D43/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title