Method and device for displaying at least one position indicator for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9908636-B2
Application number	US-201615211616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Jul 24, 2015
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A method and device for displaying at least one position indicator for an aircraft. The display device includes at least one unit for generating information for determining, during a flight of the aircraft, a control value representative of the movement by a first pilot of his joystick relative to at least one of the roll and pitch axes of the aircraft, at least one computation unit for computing a piloting command representative of the control value determined by the unit for generating information, and one display unit for displaying at least one symbol on at least one screen intended for the second pilot and directly visible by the latter, the symbol representing the position indicator and being displayed on the screen in a position illustrating the piloting command on the screen.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for displaying at least a first position indicator of a first joystick of an aircraft, the aircraft being configured to be piloted by a first pilot and a second pilot, the first joystick being configured to be operated by the first pilot for piloting the aircraft about two piloting axes, which comprise a roll axis and a pitch axis, the method comprising steps of:
generating information, comprising determining, at least during a flight of the aircraft, a first control value representative of a movement of the first joystick relative to at least one of the two piloting axes of the aircraft;
computing a first piloting command about at least one of the two piloting axes, wherein the first piloting command is representative of the first control value thus determined; and
displaying a first symbol on a second screen in a position that is directly visible by the second pilot,
wherein the first symbol represents the first position indicator and is displayed on the second screen in a position illustrating the first piloting command on the second screen.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising a step of displaying the first symbol on a first screen first in a position that is directly visible by the first pilot, wherein the first symbol is representative of the first position indicator and is displayed on the first screen in a position illustrating the first piloting command on the first screen.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, during operation of the first joystick for piloting the aircraft simultaneously about the two piloting axes, the first symbol is displayed on the first and second screens in a position simultaneously illustrating the first piloting command about the two piloting axes.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising a step of detecting a flight of the aircraft and a manual piloting phase, wherein displaying the first symbol comprises displaying the first position indicator solely when a flight situation of the aircraft with a manual piloting phase is detected, for as long as the flight situation is detected.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising, for displaying a second position indicator of a second joystick of the aircraft, the second joystick being configured to be operated by the second pilot for piloting the aircraft about the two piloting axes:
generating information, comprising determining, at least during a flight of the aircraft, a second control value representative of a movement of the second joystick relative to at least one of the two piloting axes of the aircraft;
computing a second piloting command about at least one of the two piloting axes, wherein the second piloting command is representative of the second control value thus determined; and
displaying a second symbol on a first screen in a position that is directly visible by the first pilot,
wherein the second symbol represents the second position indicator and is displayed on the second screen in a position illustrating the at least one piloting command on the second screen.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
during operation of the first joystick for piloting the aircraft simultaneously about the two piloting axes, the first symbol is displayed on the second screen in a position simultaneously illustrating the first piloting command about the two piloting axes, and
during operation of the second joystick for piloting the aircraft simultaneously about the two piloting axes, the second symbol is displayed on the first screen in a position simultaneously illustrating the second piloting command about the two piloting axes.

7. The method of claim 5 , comprising displaying the first symbol on the first screen in a position that is directly visible by the first pilot, wherein the first symbol is representative of the first position indicator and is displayed on the first screen in a position illustrating the first piloting command on the first screen.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
during operation of the first joystick for piloting the aircraft simultaneously about the two piloting axes, the first symbol is displayed on the first and second screens in a position simultaneously illustrating the first piloting command about the two piloting axes, and
during operation of the second joystick for piloting the aircraft simultaneously about the two piloting axes, the second symbol is displayed on the first screen in a position simultaneously illustrating the second piloting command about the two piloting axes.

9. The method of claim 7 , comprising displaying the second symbol on the second screen in a position that is directly visible by the second pilot, wherein the second symbol is representative of the second position indicator and is displayed on the second screen in a position illustrating the second piloting command on the second screen.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
during operation of the first joystick for piloting the aircraft simultaneously about the two piloting axes, the first symbol is displayed on the first and second screens in a position simultaneously illustrating the first piloting command about the two piloting axes, and
during operation of the second joystick for piloting the aircraft simultaneously about the two piloting axes, the second symbol is displayed on the first and second screens in a position simultaneously illustrating the second piloting command about the two piloting axes.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second symbols on the first screen are visually differentiated from each other, and wherein the first and second symbols on the second screen are visually differentiated from each other.

12. The method of claim 5 , comprising displaying the second symbol on the second screen in a position that is directly visible by the second pilot, wherein the second symbol is representative of the second position indicator and is displayed on the second screen in a position illustrating the second piloting command on the second screen.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
during operation of the first joystick for piloting the aircraft simultaneously about the two piloting axes, the first symbol is displayed on the second screen in a position simultaneously illustrating the first piloting command about the two piloting axes, and
during operation of the second joystick for piloting the aircraft simultaneously about the two piloting axes, the second symbol is displayed on the first and second screens in a position simultaneously illustrating the second piloting command about the two piloting axes.

14. A device for displaying at least a first position indicator of a first joystick of an aircraft, the aircraft being configured to be piloted by a first pilot and a second pilot, the first joystick being configured to be operated by the first pilot for piloting the aircraft about two piloting axes, which comprise a roll axis and a pitch axis, the device comprising:
a first unit for generating information, which is configured for determining, at least during a flight of the aircraft, a first control value representative of a movement of the first joystick relative to at least one of the two piloting axes of the aircraft;
a first computation unit, which is configured for computing a first piloting command about at least one of the two piloting axes, wherein the first piloting command is representative of the first control value determined by the first unit for generating information; and
a display unit configured for displaying a first symbol on a second screen in a position that is directly visible by the second pilot,
wherein the display unit is configured for displaying the firs

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas
• Airbus Sas

Inventors

• Crosta Franck
• Cail Christophe

Classifications

• B64C13/044

  operated by feet, e.g. pedals · CPC title

• B64C13/0421

  control sticks for primary flight controls · CPC title

• B64D45/0005 Primary

  Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear · CPC title

• G01C23/005

  Flight directors (indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32) · CPC title

• B64D43/00 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title