Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Aeronautical vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-08
2004-09-28
Black, Thomas G. (Department: 3663)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Aeronautical vehicle
C340S995150, C340S995190, C345S001200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06799095
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to avionics, and more particularly relates to flight management systems (FMSs), and even more particularly relates to combined electronic displaying of textual FMS and graphical map data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past, designers of avionics displays and flight computer systems have endeavored to achieve a reduction in pilot workload. One area of concern has been the FMS, which typically requires a significant amount of “heads-down” time. This “heads-down” time occurs when the pilot is neither looking at the primary flight displays, nor out the wind screen, but instead is focused upon a task in an oblique direction, such as when using a typical FMS control display unit (CDU), which is an integrated keyboard and a textual display unit. One approach has been proposed in which a portion of the typical FMS textual information is displayed on a segment of a multi-functional display also containing a map display. A cursor is used to select textual information to be displayed on the map display segment. While these interactive dual format displays have clear advantages, they also have significant drawbacks.
The cockpit can become, at times, a very busy place. During take-off and approach, the workload on a pilot can be extreme. Since the proposed dual format displays are capable of showing only a limited amount of textual information, they still require the pilot to make reference to additional pages or displays. This additional effort, at an already busy time, is quite undesirable.
Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and apparatuses for displaying both textual FMS data, as well as graphical FMS maps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved FMS display.
It is a feature of the present invention to utilize a route window which simultaneously displays all textual information relating to a flight plan leg that is displayed on a graphical FMS map display.
It is an advantage of the present invention to reduce heads-down time and thereby enhance situational awareness by providing a single source for all textual information required for a flight plan leg.
It is another feature of the present invention to include a configurable route window size characteristic.
It is another advantage of the present invention to provide for increased control of the amount of textual information displayed at one time.
It is yet another feature of the present invention to include a configurable route window content characteristic.
It is yet another advantage of the present invention to provide for the capability of reducing pilot workloads at critical times, by permitting the route window to be configured in response to current events, such as weather, air traffic, phase of flight (take-off, approach, etc.) to show the most important and timely types of information required by the pilot.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for simultaneously displaying FMS textual data and FMS map data, which is designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, provide the previously stated objects, include the above-listed features, and achieve the already articulated advantages. The present invention is carried out in a “fixed format-less” manner in a sense that the undesirable constraints of a fixed format textual display segment have been greatly reduced.
Accordingly, the present invention is a multi-mode interactive FMS display which simultaneously displays FMS map data, as well as displays FMS textual data in a configurable route window.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5343395 (1994-08-01), Watts
patent: 5801942 (1998-09-01), Nixon et al.
patent: 6006158 (1999-12-01), Pilley et al.
patent: 6038498 (2000-03-01), Briffe et al.
patent: 6112140 (2000-08-01), Hayes et al.
patent: 6128553 (2000-10-01), Gordon et al.
patent: 6151023 (2000-11-01), Chari
patent: 6154790 (2000-11-01), Pruett et al.
Co-pending application, Docket No. 99CR106/KE, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Interactively Selecting Display Parameters For An Avionics Flight Display” by Sarah Barber, Norm W. Arons, and George W. Palmer;.
Co-pending application, Docket NO. 99CR107/KE, entitled “Method and Apparatus For Interactively Selecting, Controlling and Displaying Parameters For An Avionics Radio Tuning Unit” by George W. Palmer, Claude Eyssautier, and Gary L. Owen.
Co-pending application, Docket No. 99CR109/KE, entitled “Method and Apparatus For Graphically Inserting Waypoints For a Flight Management System” by Martin Pauly; and.
Co-pending application, DOcket No. 99CR13/KE, entitled “Method And Apparatus For Interactively and Automatically Selecting, Controlling and Displaying Parameters For An Avionics Electronic Flight Display System” by Gary L. Owen.
Barber Sarah
Owen Gary L.
Palmer George W.
Black Thomas G.
Mancho Ronnie
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for interactively displaying a route... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for interactively displaying a route..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for interactively displaying a route... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3225253