Aircraft standby display device and system

1. An aircraft display system comprising:

two standby display devices that each comprise:

a set of information sources;

an information processing unit capable of processing information originating from said set of information sources;

a display unit operable to present on at least one display screen processed information originating from said information processing unit; and

a configuration section by which an operator can configure said display unit to display:

a first configuration state, for which said display unit presents, solely, customary piloting information on the display screen, relating to the speed, altitude, and attitude of the aircraft;

a second configuration state, for which said display unit presents, solely, customary navigation information of the aircraft on the display screen; and

a third configuration state, for which said display unit presents both the piloting information and the navigation information on the display screen,

wherein:

the configuration section is an actuation section that can be switched by a pilot so as to switch the display on the display screen from each one of the first through third configuration states to another; and

two main display devices corresponding to one navigation display and one primary flight display, each main display device comprising an information source, wherein:

the two sets of information sources of said standby display devices are part of one and the same information unit,

the two information processing units of said two standby display devices are part of one and the same central unit,

the two display units are separate units; and

said two sets of information sources of said two standby display devices are distinct from said information sources of said two main display devices.

2. The aircraft display system of claim 1 , wherein:

when no failure occurs in the two main and two standby display devices, one main and one standby display device are each programmed to display piloting information and the other main and standby display device are each programmed to display navigation information,

when a failure occurs in one of the two standby display devices, the other standby display device is configured for the third configuration state so as to present both piloting information and navigation information, and

when a failure occurs in one of the two main display devices, the configurations of the standby display devices are not modified.

3. The aircraft display system of claim 1 , wherein each said set of information sources comprises sources which are installed on the aircraft and which supply position indications, and wherein the position indications supplied by these sources are part of said navigation information.

4. The aircraft display system of claim 1 , wherein when one of said standby display devices is configured in one of said second and third configuration states for presenting navigation information:

said corresponding information processing unit determines a theoretical flight path the aircraft should follow, and the deviation between the effective position of the aircraft and said theoretical flight path; and

said corresponding display unit presents said theoretical flight path and said deviation on said display screen.

5. The aircraft display system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an input unit allowing an operator to enter data in one of said standby display devices, wherein

when said one standby display device is configured in one of said second and third configuration states allowing presentation of navigation information:

said input unit is used to enter flight path waypoints; and

said corresponding display unit presents on said display screen the flight path waypoints thus entered.

6. The aircraft display system of claim 1 , wherein:

each said set of information sources comprises a device operable to supply information on the horizontal position of the aircraft, and

when one of said standby display devices is configured in one of said second and third configuration states for presenting navigation information, said corresponding display unit presents said horizontal position of the aircraft on said display screen.

7. The aircraft display system of claim 1 , wherein when one of said standby display devices is configured in one of said second and third configuration states for presenting navigation information:

said corresponding information processing unit determines an indication of direction in latitude and longitude toward a predetermined geographic waypoint that is a point where a very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR) beacon is mounted; and

said corresponding display unit presents said direction indication on said display screen.

8. The aircraft display system of claim 1 , wherein said two standby display devices are identical.

9. The aircraft display system of claim 1 , wherein when one of said standby display devices is configured in the second configuration state and the aircraft passes close to a flight path waypoint in the flight plan, the corresponding display unit presents on the display screen information relating to the segment of the flight plan between the flight path waypoint in the vicinity of the aircraft and the next flight path waypoint.