Title: Flat panel display using dual CPU's for an aircraft cockpit
Abstract: A thin flat panel display for aircraft cockpits. These displays use a dual CPU/graphics generator system to produce simulated aircraft instrumentation displays which are color coded to indicate when one of the graphic generators has not correctly received data from the aircraft system bus. The displays use standard graphic generators and CPUs, and do not require additional software. The displays also allow the aircraft systems to be continuously tested while the aircraft is on the ground. Moreover, the inventive systems include input touch devices which access external memories to display necessary flight and landing information which allow the cockpit crew to expand in detail the external information for display on the flat panels.
Patent Number: 6,977,666 Issued on 12/20/2005 to Hedrick
| Inventors:
|
Hedrick; Geoffrey S. M. (Malvern, PA)
|
| Assignee:
|
Innovative Solutions and Support Inc. (Malvern, PA)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
390051 |
| Filed:
|
September 3, 1999 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
345/690; 345/87; 345/618; 345/502; 701/14; 701/16 |
| Intern'l Class: |
G09G 005/10 |
| Field of Search: |
345/173-176,112,150,115-117,502-506,133-134,87,204,904,60,82,618,690,589,156
340/963,973,974-975,438
701/9,14-16,120
714/46-47,11,48,25,30
434/30,49
178/180.3
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
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| |
Primary Examiner: Eisen; Alexander
Assistant Examiner: Nguyen; Kimnhung
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cohen, Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane
Parent Case Text
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from provisional
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/099,191, filed on Sep. 4, 1998 entitled FLAT
PANEL DISPLAY USING DUAL CPU'S FOR AN AIRCRAFT COCKPIT.
Claims
1. A flat panel display system for displaying data relating to aircraft system
parameters from corresponding aircraft instruments to a flight crew in a cockpit
of an aircraft, comprising:
a flat panel display for visually displaying the aircraft system parameters on
simulated instruments found on the flat panel display and for displaying indicia
that said data is being received related to the aircraft system parameters from
corresponding aircraft instruments;
a first central processor for receiving said data from the aircraft instruments
measuring said aircraft system parameters;
a first graphics generator operatively coupled to the first central processor
for generating a first set of color data as a function of the data received by
the first central processor and for outputting the first set of color data to a
location on the flat panel display so that the flat panel display can form the
simulated instruments and the indicia;
a second central processor for receiving said data from the aircraft instruments
measuring said aircraft system parameters; and
a second graphics generator operatively coupled to the second central processor
for generating a second set of color data as a function of the data received by
the second central processor and for outputting the second set of color data to
said location on the flat panel display in a different color than said first set
of color data so that the combination at said location of the first set of color
data from the first graphics generator and the second set of color data from the
second graphics generator forms at said location on the flat panel display the
simulated instruments and the indicia such that said indicia is of another color
different from the colors of said first and second sets of color data,
wherein when either of the first and second sets of color data is not output
to said location on the flat panel display, the indicia on the flat panel display
is in a color different from said another color.
2. The flat panel display system of claim 1, further comprising a video multiplexer
circuit connected between the first and second graphics generators and the flat
panel display for multiplexing and timing the output of the first and second sets
of color data for output to the flat panel display.
3. The flat panel display system of claim 1, further comprising a third central
processor for receiving data from aircraft instruments related to the aircraft
system parameters and for interrogating the aircraft systems with simulated flight
data on a statistical basis to build a database of statistical measurements of
the aircraft systems for maintenance and diagnostic purposes.
4. The flat panel display system of claim 3, wherein the third central processor
implements Monte Carlo statistics.
5. The flat panel display system of claim 3, further comprising an external memory
device for storing external flight data that can be recalled by the flight crew
and displayed on the flat panel display.
6. The flat panel display system of claim 5, further comprising an input device
in communication with the external memory device for accessing the external data
so that the external data can be displayed on the flat panel display.
7. The flat panel display system of claim 6, wherein the flat panel display further
comprises a bezel surrounding a periphery of the flat panel display and wherein
the input device is interfaced to the bezel.
8. The flat panel display system of claim 7, wherein the input device comprises
a capacitive touch pad.
9. The flat panel display system of claim 8, wherein the external memory device
comprises a compact disc player.
10. The flat panel display system of claim 9, wherein the external data comprises
an aircraft navigation chart.
11. A circuit for controlling a flat panel display that displays on simulated
aircraft instruments data related to aircraft system parameters gathered from aircraft
instruments and indicia that show that the data is being received by the flat panel
display, comprising:
a first central processor for receiving said data from the aircraft instruments
measuring said aircraft system parameters;
a first graphics generator operatively coupled to the first central processor
for generating a first set of color data as a function of the data received by
the first central processor and for outputting the first set of color data to a
location on the flat panel display so that the flat panel display can form the
simulated instruments and the indicia;
a second central processor for receiving said data from the aircraft instruments
measuring said aircraft system parameters;
a second graphics generator operatively coupled to the second central processor
for generating a second set of color data as a function of the data received by
the second central processor and for outputting the second set of color data to
said location on the flat panel display in a different color than said first set
of color data so that the combination at said location of the first set of color
data from the first graphics generator and the second set of color data from the
second graphics generator forms at said location on the flat panel display the
simulated instruments and the indicia such that said indicia is of another color
different from the colors of said first and second sets of color data;
wherein when either of the first and second sets of color data is not output
to said location on the flat panel display, the indicia on the flat panel display
is in a color different from said another color; and
a third central processor for receiving data from aircraft instruments related
to the aircraft systems parameters and for interrogating the aircraft systems with
simulated flight data on a statistical basis to build a database of statistical
measurements of the aircraft systems for maintenance and diagnostic purposes.
12. The circuit of claim 11, further comprising a video mulitplexer circuit connected
between the first and second graphics generators for multiplexing and timing the
output of the first and second sets of color data to the flat panel display.
13. The circuit of claim 12, wherein the third central processor implements Monte
Carlo statistics.
14. The circuit of claim 13, further comprising an external memory device for
storing external flight data that can be recalled by the flight crew and displayed
on the flat panel display.
15. The circuit of claim 14, further comprising an input device in communication
with the external memory device for accessing the external data so that the external
data can be displayed on the flat panel display.
16. The circuit of claim 15, wherein the input device comprises a capacitive
touch pad.
17. A color flat panel display system for displaying, to an aircraft flight crew
in an aircraft cockpit, aircraft flight data for use by the flight crew in operating
the aircraft based on flight data information input to the display system, said
system comprising:
a color flat panel display screen for presenting to the flight crew an image
representing the flight data, the flight data image being presented on the display
screen in a presentation color selectively formed at each of multiple locations
on the display screen by concurrently illuminating predetermined combinations of
a plurality of color pixels on the display screen at said each location;
a first independent processor for receiving the flight data information supplied
to the display system and operable for generating a first output to the display
screen for illuminating a first subset of said plural color pixels at said each location;
a second independent processor for receiving the flight data information supplied
to the display system and operable for generating a second output to the display
screen, concurrent with said first output of the first processor, for illuminating
a second subset of said plural color pixels at said each location to thereby present
the flight data image on the display screen at said each location in said presentation
color formed by concurrent illumination by the first and second processors of a
combination of said first and second subsets of the plural color pixels at said
each location.
18. A method of displaying, to an aircraft flight crew on a color flat panel
display screen in an aircraft cockpit, an image of aircraft flight data presented
to the flight crew on the display screen in a presentation color selectively formed
at each location on the display screen by concurrently illuminating a predetermined
combination of a plurality of color pixels at said each location, for use of the
presented flight data image by the flight crew in operating the aircraft, said
method comprising the steps of:
supplying flight data information to a first independent processor for generating,
from the supplied flight data information, the flight data image as a first output
for illuminating a first subset of the plural color pixels on the display screen
at said each location;
supplying the flight data information to a second independent processor for generating,
from the supplied flight data information, the flight data image as a second output
for illuminating a second subset of the plural color pixels at said each location; and
concurrently supplying the first and second outputs to the display screen so
as to concurrently illuminate the first and second subsets of the plural color
pixels at said each location of the display screen and thereby present the flight
data image on the display screen at said each location in the presentation color
formed by the concurrent illumination of the first and second subsets of the plural
color pixels at said each location of the color flat panel display screen.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to displays for aircraft instrumentation. More
specifically, this invention relates to thin, flat panel displays that display
representations of aircraft instruments in color.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is desirable to use a thin, flat panel display in an aircraft cockpit so that
aircraft parameters, which have typically been displayed on analog or electronic
instruments, can be simulated on the flat panel display to provide reliable aircraft
information. Aircraft parameters such as altitude, air speed, pitch, roll, and
fuel consumption can be simulated on a thin, flat panel display so that the cockpit
crew can readily observe these parameters. These displays are usually composed
of liquid crystal devices (LCD) which can output color images.
In flat panel displays, preferably LCD flat panel displays, which combine simulated
displays of instruments, all of the simulated instruments must output images to
the cockpit crew with the highest integrity. Prior attempts at producing the flat
panel displays which are driven by a central processing unit and a video graphics
accelerator have not made it possible to monitor the actual images on a flat panel
which the flight crew uses as a reference. The complicated software has not yet
been developed which would be needed to modify current graphics accelerators and
central processing units to adequately insure that the flat panel displays do not
output erroneous information. Accordingly, the art has not heretofore produced
flat panel displays for aircraft instrumentation, which reliably provide aircraft
parameters to cockpit crews. Moreover, other information which the crew must monitor
during flight and landings is not even available today in a convenient electronic
format so that the flight crew can easily and simply access it in a timely and
safe fashion. For example, well-known "approach plates" which set out in detail
the terrain over which the plane is flying contain detailed information about the
terrain which must be examined by the crew during flight and landings. Typically,
approach plates have been available only as foldable, hard-copy map-like papers
that the crew sticks or pastes to an instrument in the cockpit. Needless to say,
this is an inefficient and potentially dangerous manner in which to observe terrain
information. Furthermore, since approach plates contain detailed information about
the terrain, oftentimes the information is obscured and difficult to read since
it exists only on the hard-copy. Recently, approach plates have been made available
on compact discs, but the required compact disc players are not conveniently found
in a cockpit so that the crew can electronically access the approach plates. Also,
compact disc players do not have the capability to "zoom-in" on a desired area
of the approach plate so that the information can be readily comprehended and interpreted
by the flight crew.
Additionally, prior display and processing systems for cockpit crews
have required detailed and time-consuming certification procedures by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) before such systems and software can be incorporated
into a new aircraft flight system. Such certification procedures are quite costly
and can hinder the development and utilization of new aircraft control and flight systems.
Moreover, prior flight control systems and display devices have not provided
adequate diagnostic tools for the crew and maintenance personnel to test and verify
the performance of the various flight systems which are typically displayed in
the cockpit. In the past, such systems have been tested or monitored only when
maintenance personnel have specifically run diagnostic procedures on the systems
according to standard practices or maintenance routines. Therefore, long-term data
is not provided, or even available, for flight systems which can aid in indicating
and/or diagnosing sporadic or intermittent problems with the systems, thereby allowing
maintenance and crew personnel to adequately address such issues for safety purposes.
Accordingly, there is a long-felt, but unresolved need, in the art for
flat panel display systems which are readily implementable in current aircraft
to display flight data to the crew in the cockpit. Such display systems should
be robust and simply integrated into the cockpit environment so that the flight
crew can rely on the data received from the display system with assurance of its
credibility. It would be further beneficial if these systems were equipped with
diagnostic procedures so that long-term data is developed to indicate the performance
of the systems over long periods and diverse conditions. Furthermore, an easily
certifiable system is desired. Such needs have not heretofore been achieved in
the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above referenced long felt needs are met, and problems solved, by flat panel
display systems, preferably LCD flat panel display systems, provided in accordance
with the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the systems comprise at
least two central processing units (CPU), each interfaced to a separate graphics
generator having a color graphics accelerator. The CPUs are further interfaced
to two aircraft system interfaces which receive aircraft system parameters, and
convert them to digital data which can be used by the CPUs. Each of the graphics
generators drive color outputs which are input to a video multiplexing circuit,
which further drives an LCD, thin, flat panel display. By alternately feeding the
flat panel display with the data from each graphics generator, gray indicia, pointers,
displays and borders can be created around each of the simulated instruments shown
on the flat panel. This is accomplished since the first of the CPU's drives only
red images, while the second CPU drives only blue and green images. The combination
of these three colors in the LCD flat panel display, will produce grayish white
indicia, pointers, displays or borders around each of the simulated instruments
when a video multiplexer receives the color data from the two CPUs, and is itself
functioning correctly.
If either of the graphics generators, either of the CPUs, or either of the aircraft
system interfaces are not properly outputting, or receiving data, or are not functioning
properly otherwise, that particular graphics generator will drop out of the feed
to the video multiplexer, or go out of phase with the other graphics generator.
This will produce either red indicia, pointer and border, when the blue and green
graphics generator is not outputting properly, or a cyan type color when the red
graphics generator is not outputting properly or it will produce a fuzzy, pointer,
collar and indicia with the colors separated to some degree to produce red and
blue-green fringing. Since such a misalignment of graphics, or the failure of one
graphics generator, means to the crew that the data may be false, when the cockpit
crew observes that the grayish white indicia and/or border has changed to another
color or is fuzzy, it will be alerted to the fact that it is potentially receiving
erroneous data concerning the aircraft system parameters and prompt the crew to
take corrective action.
The inventive flat panel displays are readily certifiable according to present
and anticipated future aircraft standards promulgated by the FAA and other organizations
since a minimal amount of new software must be written to implement these displays.
Additionally, with the use of a preferred Monte Carlo statistical sampling routine,
the aircraft systems associated with the flat panel display can be continuously
tested while the aircraft is not flying to build a statistical database of instrument
performance which can be analyzed for safety and efficacy purposes.
In a further preferred embodiment of the flat panel displays of the present invention,
the displays access external data sources which can input meaningful information
to the displays that is necessary for safe and effective flight. For example, electronic
approach plates can be stored in an external compact disc drive, digital versatile
disc drive, or some other external memory for display on the inventive panels.
Still more preferably, the inventive flat panels may advantageously be equipped
with input devices to select a desired position on a particular approach plate
so that the panel can zoom-in on or -out of the position to display the position's
details to the crew clearly and efficiently. Such input devices could be a standard
capacitive input touch pad interfaced on the bezel of the flat panel display, a
computer mouse, an input stylus, a track ball, a resistive film or other equivalent
input device. Photosensors may also be used on the corners of the flat panel displays
to detect color changes and provide further data integrity to the displays. Such
features, benefits and advantages have not heretofore been achieved in the art.
These and other features of the present invention will become apparent from
the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are not drawn to scale
and are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of
the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings, wherein like reference elements identify similar elements throughout
the several views:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a flat panel display in accordance with the invention
having various simulated aircraft instrumentation thereon;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a dual CPU, flat panel display system for aircraft
in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of a dual CPU, flat panel
display system for aircraft in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4A depicts a flat panel display of the present invention operative to display
an approach plate on the panel and having an input device that can select a particular
position on the approach plate which can be examined in further detail; and
FIG. 4B depicts the flat panel display of FIG. 4A wherein a position on the
approach plate has been selected by an input device and blown up on the display
for detailed examination by the crew.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to
like elements, FIG. 1 shows a thin, flat panel display
10 for an aircraft
cockpit. As shown, and as presently preferred, the display panel is a LCD panel,
although many other flat panel displays such as, by way of example; plasma displays,
thin film transistor screens, and field effect displays may be used. On the display
10, several simulated representations of aircraft instrumentation are found
which a flight crew must monitor in order to safely fly the aircraft by way of
example and not limitation, an airspeed indicator
12, an artificial horizon
14, an altimeter
16 and a compass
18. Of course, other flight
instruments may be employed in lieu of or in addition to those shown by way of
example. As can be seen in FIG. 1, most of the simulated instruments comprise separate,
circular grayish white dials and pointers to indicate various aircraft system parameters.
Several bar displays are also simulated which provide indications of other, different
kinds of aircraft system parameters to the flight crew.
As shown and preferred, each of the simulated instruments in FIG. 1 have surrounding
their borders a ring, or other type of border or collar which, when the display
is functioning properly, is of a grayish white color. Since the LCD flat panel
displays of the present invention are color displays, these grayish white indicia,
pointers and borders or collars are, for example, composites of red, blue and green
images, the standard colors of typical raster monitors, which conventionally sweep
the data across the display and that have heretofore been used in the art. Of course
other color combinations may be employed without departing for the invention. When
one of the graphics generators, CPUs or aircraft system interfaces of the present
invention ceases to output correct data, the indicia, pointers, borders or collars
will change color, since that particular graphics generator will either be as a
separate CPU to mix the color data received from each of the graphics generators
70,
80. In this case, appropriate software would be written to accomplish
this task. Moreover, video multiplexer
90 may also comprise a digital mulitplexing
circuit since modern flat panel displays are currently operative to directly receive
and process digital data.
Advantageously, the use of at least two CPUs in accordance with the
present invention greatly reduces the certification time of the software in the
system since very little new, additional software must be written for CPUs
50,
60. Traditionally, when any new software or system comprising software is
proposed for inclusion in an aircraft, FAA regulations and test procedures literally
require that each line of code be independently verified for accuracy and functionality
under all conditions. This requires simulating flight conditions in all possible
permutations to ensure that the code does not fail at an unacceptable rate. Often,
this involves months of testing and reporting to the FAA which is both time consuming
and costly. By using standard CPUs with very little additional code in accordance
with the present invention, this testing and foolproofing procedure can be greatly
streamlined and reduced, thereby lowering the testing costs and expediting integration
of the system into new and different aircraft. Such results have not heretofore
been achieved in the art.
The display
100, and display in information, is monitored by alternately
feeding display
100 with each CPU/generator data solution through video
multiplexer
90. The grayish-white indicia, pointers and borders displayed
around each simulated instrument of FIG. 1 are created since first graphics generator
70 outputs rod images, while second graphics generator
80 outputs
blue and green images. It will be recognized by those with skill in the art that
these two graphics generators can be interchanged without altering the scope of
the invention. Likewise, if desired different selections of complementary colors
could be employed. The graphics generators together scan at 75 Hz, that is 75 scans
per second, wherein in a first second die fit graphics generator scans 37 times,
and the second generator scans 38 times; and in the next second, vice-versa to
maintain the scan of 75 Hz. This creates an average 37.5 scans per generator per
second. In this way, the two CPUs and graphics generators combine colors to create
a dimmed, white or gray indicia, pointer, and collar or border in and around each
of the simulated instruments displayed in FIG. 1.
A failure of either of the display drivers
70 or
80 will therefore
change the color of the indicia, pointer and border from gray to a primary color
such as red, or some other composite color such as cyan in the case when the first
graphics generator fails, or create a red-cyan color fringe when a misalignment
occurs, or blue-green in the case where the second graphics generator fails. Misalignment
will also result in some blurring of the indicia and pointer, and at least some
color separation which causes fringing. A misalignment of the displays may cause
an incorrect heading or pitch command to be outputted to the crew; a potentially
dangerous condition. But with the change in color of this display by either a misalignment
of the two color inputs, or the complete absence of one, the crew will be alerted
to possible failures and will be able to take corrective action. It is preferable
to synchronize at
105 the graphics generators
70 and
80 so
that they scan correctly, and input to the video multiplexer
90 in synchronization.
Alternatively, the video multiplexer
90 may be removed altogether which
would then require that generator
70 only drive red, while generator
80
only drive green and blue, thereby eliminating the need for multiplexing and synchronization.
A series of photosensors
110 may also be provided which will appear as
dots
in the corners of LCD flat panel display
100 to sense a change in color
of the indicia; pointer and/or collar, and to trigger an alarm which may be audible
or visual or both, when the display is perceptibly off from its normal grayish
white color.
FIG. 3 depicts an alternative embodiment of a flat panel display
100
and circuit
120 for driving said flat panel display in accordance with the
present invention. Circuit
120 preferably includes a pair of multiplexers
130 operable to receive analog signals from the aircraft interface circuits
30,
40 for integrating and processing the signals which are indicative
of the states, e.g. airspeed, altitude, etc., of the aircraft instruments which
should be monitored by the flight crew. The output of the multiplexers
130
are input to analog-to-digital (A/D) converters
140 for conversion of the
multiplexed, analog signals to digital signals capable of being read and processed
by CPUs
50,
60. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art
that any appropriate A/D and multiplexer circuits or components may be implementable
in circuit
120 depending on the availability and/or desirability of using
a particular make or brand of such circuits or components. Additionally, the use
of such circuits or components will be constrained by their compatibility with
other circuit elements in circuit
120. It will be further appreciated by
those skilled in the art that circuit
120 may be implemented as an application
specific integrated circuit (ASIC) wherein all of the circuit elements and their
functionality may reside on one chip, or as a digital signal processor (DSP) chip
wherein the various functions of the elements are programmed in firmware. All such
embodiments and equivalents thereof are intended to be within the scope of the
present invention.
In a preferred aspect of the invention, a third CPU
150 is provided to
the system and serves an important function in that it runs a statistically based
testing program which constantly interrogates all of the aircraft instrumentation
associated with the flat panel display
100 when the aircraft is on the ground
and under power. As known by those skilled in the art, an aircraft spends most
of its time on the ground as opposed to in the air out of phase with, or outputting
different data, the needed colors to make the grayish white combination (or whatever
resultant color is selected), as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.
Referring now to FIG. 2, an aircraft system bus
20 carries aircraft
system parameters to two aircraft system interfaces
30 and
40. The
aircraft system interfaces
30 and
40 convert the various parameters
from bus
20 to digital data which can then can be input to CPUs
50
and
60 for processing. In accordance with the present invention, CPU
50
is preferably although not necessarily, of a different construction than CPU
60
to further enhance system reliability. For example, CPU
50 could be a Pentium
chip, while CPU
60 a Power PC chip, or vise versa. In a similar manner,
graphics generators
70 and
80 are each interfaced to the respective
CPU
50 and
60, and are also preferably of a different construction,
preferably having different graphics accelerator chips therein. The graphics generators
70 and
80 are preferably driven by different software codes, and
may also be of a different design. It will be recognized by those with skill in
the art that the various components, CPUs and graphics generators could be used
on either leg of the system of FIG. 2, interchangeably.
Graphics generators
70 and
80 output and drive color images
corresponding to the aircraft system parameters which have been processed by CPUs
50 and
60. In a preferred embodiment, graphics generator
70
outputs data in a red spectrum and feeds it to the video multiplexer
90.
Similarly, graphics generator
80 generates data in green and blue spectrums
as processed by CPU
60 and then feeds this data to video multiplexer
90.
The video multiplexer conventionally multiplexes the red, green and blue colors
received from the respective graphics generators
70 and
80, and conventionally
outputs them to the thin, LCD flat panel display
100. It will be appreciated
that video multiplexer
90 may be implemented and this presents an important
opportunity to test the aircraft flight systems in an effort to gather statistically
meaningful data about the systems' performance.
To this end, CPU
150 interrogates the aircraft systems by generating simulated
aircraft data
160 which is input at
170 to the aircraft system interfaces
30,
40. These simulated flight data then are processed by the flat
panel display system so that data is gathered in an acceptable statistical sample
while the systems in the aircraft are artificially stimulated with signals
160
from the CPU
150 which simulate the need for the systems to perform their
assigned functions. In this manner, CPU
150 then monitors and gathers continuously,
or over a defined time period, the data output by each of the aircraft systems
to be monitored. Signals
160 are both analog and digital signals and so
the aircraft system interfaces
30,
40 preferably include the appropriate
analog-to-digital, digital-to-analog and multiplexer components to handle these
signals appropriately. The statistics and simulated data may ultimately be output
to the flat panel display
100, or alternately output to some other appropriate
output device such as a printer, storage medium, or other monitor.
By acquiring data in this manner over a sufficient period of time, an accurate
and comprehensive performance picture can be obtained for each of the aircraft
systems so monitored. This will allow the FAA, the owners of the aircraft, maintenance
personnel and cockpit crew to obtain a realistic indication of the aircraft systems'
performance under nearly genuine flight conditions. This will provide data not
heretofore available to safety inspectors and engineers and will greatly improve
the safety and performance of the aircraft. It will be further appreciated by those
skilled in the art that the statistical testing routine described herein may alternately
be implemented by either of CPUs
50,
60 alone or in combination when
appropriate software is written for these CPUs.
Additionally, any manner of statistically accurate testing procedure
can be employed by CPU
170. In a most preferred aspect of the invention,
well-known statistical Monte Carlo routines are employable to interrogate and test
the aircraft systems. However, it will be apparent that other statistically acceptable
routines are also usable such as, without limitation, game theories, gaussian distributions,
classical statistical theories, discrete theories, sampling theories and others.
All such embodiments and their equivalents are intended to be within the scope
of the present invention.
The present inventive flat panel displays also advantageously provide a mechanism
by which the flight crew can examine external data necessary for safe and efficient
flight and landings. External data can be stored in an external memory device
180
which may store the data in any appropriate format or medium. For example, and
without limiting the invention in any way, external memory device
180 may
be a compact disc player, digital versatile disc player, ROM, EEPROM, floppy disc,
magnetic disc, optical disc, or any other appropriate storage and accessing device
which will allow the crew to access the data. By way of further example, external
memory
180 may be integrated with any of the CPUs of circuit
120,
or may include its own processor and interface unit to communicate with the crew.
External memory
180 will be further capable of storing any type of important
flight information such as an aircraft navigation chart or approach plate necessary
for safe and efficient retrieval and observation by the crew. Even more preferably,
external memory
180 is a compact disc drive and the external data is a compact
disc having stored thereon multiple approach plates which will be useful to the
crew for landing the aircraft and flying over unfamiliar terrain.
Referring now specifically to FIG. 4A, flat panel display
10 has
displayed thereon an approach plate which has been electronically accessed from
compact disc player
180 and which contains thereon various terrain indicating
markers
200 and text
210. The terrain indicating markers
200
set forth various and sundry terrain conditions such as high elevations, mountains,
lakes, rivers and other relevant terrain conditions. The text
210 generally
contains information about the specific terrain marker with which the text is associated.
Since the approach plate can contain a copious amount of terrain markers
200
and text
210, the text especially may be too small and difficult to read
when flying the aircraft or performing other required cockpit tasks when the approach
plate is in its initially displayed state on display
10. In order to overcome
this problem, flat panel display
10 is preferably equipped with an input
device
220 which allows the cockpit crew to pick a particular portion of
the approach plate to be blown up and displayed on the flat panel
10 so
that the desired details of the approach plate can be examined. Moreover, the other
simulated instruments
12,
14,
16 oftentimes display information
which is too small to be easily read by the flight crew and so it would be beneficial
if the crew could zoom-in on specific areas of the instruments so that the specific
areas could be blown up and the information found thereon be easily read.
To accomplish these tasks, input device
220 is mated to, or within a,
bezel
230 surrounding the outer periphery of the display screen
225 of
flat panel display
10 and which is operable to hold display screen
225
in a fixed position during flight. Input device
220 preferably is a capacitive
touch pad such as that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,017, Methods
and Apparatus for Data Input, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by
reference. Other input devices may also be employed such as a standard computer
mouse, a track ball, a resistive film, a stylus, a pointing stick and others. All
such devices which respond to tactile inputs and equivalents thereof are intended
to be within the scope of the present invention. The input device
220 is
operative to both select from compact disc player
180 the particular approach
plate which the flight crew desires to examine, and to zoom-in on and -out of particular
positions on the approach plate to obtain greater, more detailed information about
the terrain. Additionally input device
230 could also act as a cursor to
be placed at any point on an instrument or the approach plate so the particular
information on which the cursor is placed could be zoomed-in on and blown up so
that the crew can read the data thereon.
The cockpit crew conventionally manipulates the input device
220 to positionally
select the area on approach plate
190 or other instrument from which it
is desired to expand and examine. This area is chosen by an arrow or cursor
240
which will indicate the area of a particular dimension that should be chosen and
expanded for display on on unused portions of flat panel
10. The system
will then take the particular area of interest to be blown-up and display it in
a convenient sized box. For example, with regard to the approach plate, a four
inch high, by one inch wide area
250 (FIG. 4B) can be displayed corresponding
to the area pointed out on the approach plate by cursor
240. By way of further
example, if the cursor
240 is placed near the 29.92 IN HG on altimeter
16,
this part of the altimeter can be expanded at
255 so that this level of
mercury can be clearly displayed to the flight crew. It can be seen at
250
that the terrain markers
200 and text
210 are now expanded in greater
detail and displayed on flat panel
10 such that is simple to view this information
on flat panel
10. Moreover, it is now much easier to read text
210
and flight decisions will be more safely and efficiently made based on this information.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the size and dimensions
of expanded area
250 will be adjustable by using input device
220.
Additionally, the placement on bezel
230 or in another place in the cockpit,
and the particular of input device
220 to be used are a matter of design
choice but should be geared for the ease and ergonomic comfort of the cockpit crew.
Thus, the invention is not limited to a particular placement of the expanded position
of the approach plate or on the type of input device utilized.
The thin flat panel displays of the present invention for aircraft cockpits provide
a simple solution and outstanding integrity for aircraft instrumentation. These
displays use standard graphics generators and CPUs, with standard software. Moreover,
the inventive displays are easily certified in the complex safety environment of
modern aviation and readily testable with the statistical techniques described
above. The inventive flat panel displays also allow for display of many different
kinds of important flight information which can be modifiable depending on the
particular need by the cockpit crew for such information. Thus, these displays
are economical and efficient. Such results have not heretofore been achieved in
the art.
While there have been shown and described and pointed out certain fundamental
novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof, it
will be understood by those skilled in the art that various omissions and substitutions
and changes in the methods and apparatus described herein, and in their operation,
may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention. It is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements
and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially
the same way to achieve the same result are within the scope of the invention.
Substitutions of elements from one described embodiment to another are also fully
intended and contemplated. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as
indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
*
