Simplified auto-flight system coupled with a touchscreen flight control panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9616993-B1
Application number	US-201514835015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 25, 2015
Priority date	Sep 26, 2013
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A system includes an auto-flight system and a touchscreen flight mode control panel. The auto-flight system is configured to control a plurality of primary flight modes. The touchscreen flight mode control panel is communicatively coupled to the auto-flight system. The touchscreen flight mode control panel is configured to receive primary flight mode data from the auto-flight system. The touchscreen flight mode control panel is also configured to graphically present each primary flight mode of the plurality of primary flight modes to a user. The touchscreen flight mode control panel is further configured to detect touch gestures and direct executions of the user. The touchscreen flight mode control panel is additionally configured to output touch gesture data and direct execution data to the auto-flight system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an auto-flight system configured to control a plurality of primary flight modes including a primary airspeed flight mode, a primary lateral flight mode, and a primary vertical flight mode, the primary airspeed flight mode including a plurality of airspeed sub-modes including an airspeed automatic sub-mode and an airspeed hold sub-mode, the primary lateral flight mode including a plurality of lateral sub-modes including a lateral automatic sub-mode and a lateral hold sub-mode, the primary vertical flight mode including a plurality of vertical sub-modes including a vertical automatic sub-mode and vertical hold sub-mode; and
a touchscreen flight mode control panel communicatively coupled to the auto-flight system, wherein the touchscreen flight mode control panel is configured at least to:
receive primary flight mode data from the auto-flight system;
graphically present the primary airspeed flight mode, the primary lateral flight mode, and the primary vertical flight mode to a user, wherein the touchscreen flight mode control panel is contextually driven such that particular sub-modes are presented if determined to be relevant to at least one flight condition;
detect touch gestures and direct executions of the user configured to: activate a user-selected airspeed sub-mode of the plurality of airspeed sub-modes, activate a user-selected lateral sub-mode of the plurality of lateral sub-modes, and activate a user-selected vertical sub-mode of the plurality of vertical sub-modes; and
output touch gesture data and direct execution data to the auto-flight system such that the auto-flight system controls the plurality of primary flight modes based at least on the detected touch gestures and direct executions of the user.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the touchscreen flight mode control panel comprises:
at least three touchscreen displays including a first touch screen display, a second touchscreen display, and a third touchscreen display, the first touch screen display being configured to present a primary airspeed flight mode, the second touch screen display being configured to present a primary lateral flight mode, the third touch screen display being configured to present a primary vertical flight mode; and
at least three direct-execute buttons including a first direct-execute button associated with the first touch screen display, a second direct execute button associated with the second touch screen display, and a third direct execute button associated with the third touch screen display,
wherein the first direct-execute button is configured to interface with the user for directly executing the user-selected airspeed sub-mode of the plurality of airspeed sub-modes,
wherein the second direct-execute button is configured to interface with the user for directly executing the user-selected lateral sub-mode of the plurality of lateral sub-modes, and
wherein the third direct-execute button is configured to interface with the user for directly executing the user-selected vertical sub-mode of the plurality of vertical sub-modes.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least three direct-execute buttons is configured at least to be depressed and rotated.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the auto-flight system or the touchscreen flight mode control panel is communicatively coupled with a flight management system.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the auto-flight system is configured to output suggested flight profiles to the touchscreen flight mode control panel.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein automation is configured to determine an at least substantially efficient or optimized flight profile based upon at least one goal.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein automation is configured to determine an at least substantially efficient or optimized flight profile based upon a set of goals, the set of goals including at least two goals, wherein each of the at least two goals comprises a pilot manual set goal, a pilot inferred goal, or a safety goal.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lateral sub-modes further includes at least one of a direct to course mode, a rejoin flight plan mode, and an optimal course mode.

9. A method, comprising:
dynamically outputting user-adjustable parameter modification content to a user interface system for graphical presentation to a user during or before a flight procedure, the user-adjustable parameter modification content associated with at least one flight performance parameter including a first flight performance parameter, the user-adjustable parameter modification content including at least one parameter adjuster including a first parameter adjuster, the first parameter adjuster associated with the first flight performance parameter;
receiving user input data from the user interface system, the user input data being associated with at least one user adjustment to the at least one parameter adjuster of the user-adjustable parameter modification content;
determining at least one flight performance effect based at least upon received user input data associated with the at least one user adjustment to the at least one parameter adjuster from the user interface system; and
dynamically outputting a graphical depiction of the at least one flight performance effect to the user interface system as a graphical tradeoff between the at least one flight performance effect and at least one other flight performance effect.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the user-adjustable parameter modification content is associated with multiple flight performance parameters, the at least one flight performance parameter further includes a second flight performance parameter, and the at least one parameter adjuster further includes a second parameter adjuster associated with the second flight performance parameter.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first parameter adjuster comprises a first parameter adjuster bar and a first parameter slider, the first parameter slider configured to be manipulated by the user along the first parameter adjuster bar, wherein the second parameter adjuster comprises a second parameter adjuster bar and a second parameter slider, the second parameter slider configured to be manipulated by the user along the second parameter adjuster bar.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first parameter adjuster bar comprises a flex takeoff parameter adjuster bar, wherein the first parameter slider comprises a flex takeoff parameter slider, the flex takeoff parameter slider configured to be manipulated by the user along the flex takeoff parameter adjuster bar.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
outputting an alert to the user interface system.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first parameter adjuster comprises a first parameter adjuster bar and a first parameter slider, the first parameter slider configured to be manipulated by the user along the first parameter adjuster bar.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the flight procedure is a takeoff, wherein the first parameter adjuster bar comprises a flex takeoff parameter adjuster bar, wherein the first parameter slider comprises a flex takeoff parameter slider, wherein the flex takeoff parameter slider is configured to be manipulated by the user along the flex takeoff parameter adjuster bar.

16. A system, comprising:
an auto-flight system configured to control a plurality of primary flight modes including a primary airspeed flight mode, a primary lateral flight mode, and a primary vertical flight mode, the pri

Assignees

• Rockwell Collins Inc

Inventors

• Shapiro Geoffrey A
• Etherington Timothy J
• Smith-Velazquez Laura Maxine

Classifications

• G06F2203/04808

  Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• B64D43/02

  for indicating aircraft speed or stalling conditions · CPC title

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title