This application is related to the below listed co-pending patent applications which are filed on even date herewith, are assigned to the same assignee, and are incorporated herein in their entirety by these references:
An application entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus For Interactively Selecting Display Parameters For An Avionics Flight Displayxe2x80x9d by Sarah Barber, Norm W. Arons, and George W. Palmer;
An application entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus For Interactively Selecting, Controlling and Displaying Parameters For An Avionics Radio Tuning Unitxe2x80x9d by George W. Palmer, Claude Eyssautier, and Matt Smith;
An application entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus For Interactively Displaying A Route Window For A Flight Management Systemxe2x80x9d by Gary L. Owen, Sarah Barber, and George W. Palmer; and
An application entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus For Graphically Inserting Waypoints For A Flight Management Systemxe2x80x9d by Martin Pauly.
The present invention generally relates to avionics, and more particularly relates to avionics display systems, and even more particularly relates to multi-functional electronic flight display systems.
In the past, designers of avionics displays and flight deck electronic navigation, control and communication systems have endeavored to achieve a reduction in pilot workload. One area of concern has been the control of new large-sized multi-functional displays (MFDs), which typically requires a significant amount of xe2x80x9cheads-downxe2x80x9d time. This xe2x80x9cheads-downxe2x80x9d 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 manually controlling the information content of these MFDs via a separate controller, which may or may not be co-located with the MFDs and may have an integrated keypad or tuning knob console. Another approach has been proposed in which MFDs are segmented into smaller viewing areas and are controlled via a single pop-up, cursor-driven menu in the center of the MFD. The pilot can select from several predetermined options. Depending on the predetermined size of each instrument function to be displayed, earlier selected functions may be either removed from the view, and/or shifted to a new position on the MFD. While these alternate means of controlling MFDs have clear advantages, they also have significant drawbacks.
During times of moderate and severe turbulence, otherwise very simple tasks can become too difficult and too time consuming. For example, the step of requiring a pilot to look for or mentally keep track of the shifting location of each previously displayed instrument function is undesirable. Requiring the pilot""s attention to be diverted to a side-mounted display to operate a separate controller may also be undesirable in certain circumstances. In general, during take-off and approach, the workload on a pilot can already be extreme, leaving the pilot with little or no time to spare. Any additional effort, at an already busy time, is quite undesirable.
Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and apparatuses for effecting the operation of electronic flight instruments in an aircraft which overcome some of these shortcomings.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved avionics electronic flight display system.
It is a feature of the present invention to include a segmented forward-mounted multi-functional display with enhanced menu display capabilities, including localized pop-up menus which appear in each segment upon clicking in such segment.
It is another feature of the present invention to include a graphical user interface which allows for automatic vertical expansion/compression of a segment of an electronic flight instrument display.
It is yet another feature of the present invention to include a manual expansion/compression feature.
It is still yet another feature of the present invention to include automatic presentation of a one-click toggle feature, for linking to a hidden page, when an expanded display segment is compressed.
It is even another feature of the present invention to include a feature to prohibit simultaneously displaying the same instrument in two or more display segments.
It is an advantage of the present invention to reduce pilot workload.
It is another advantage of the present invention to enhance pilot situational awareness.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for selecting, controlling and displaying parameters for an avionics electronic flight display system, 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 xe2x80x9cheads down-lessxe2x80x9d manner in a sense that the undesirable requirement for the pilot""s attention to be diverted from the primary flight displays is reduced.
Accordingly, the present invention is an avionics multi-functional display with enhanced menuing capabilities and operating in innovative ways so as to reduce pilot xe2x80x9cheads-downxe2x80x9d time.