IP Library Granted Patent US 11,442,470
Granted Patent B2
US 11,442,470 · App. 16/185,612 · Granted Sep 13, 2022

Method of and system for displaying an aircraft control input

Inventors: Laurence Casia (Kirkland, CA); Mathieu St-Cyr (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, CA); Gervais Arel (Lachine, CA)
Assignee: BOMBARDIER INC.
G05D1/101B64C13/503B64D43/00B64D45/00B64D45/0005G01C23/005G02B27/01B64C13/04B64C13/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,442,470
App. No.
16/185,612
Granted
Sep 13, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of and a system for displaying an aircraft control input. The method comprises accessing a first indication indicative of an aircraft control input, the aircraft control input being associated with an orientation and an amplitude of the aircraft control input; generating, by a processing unit, a first single visual indication based on the first indication, the first single visual indication being reflective of the orientation and the amplitude of the aircraft control input; and causing the display of the first single visual indication on a display surface, the display of the first single visual indication providing a user viewing the first single visual indication with an understanding of the orientation and the amplitude of the aircraft control input.

Claims (58)

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying an aircraft control input, the method comprising:

accessing, from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, a first indication indicative of an aircraft control input, the aircraft control input being associated with an orientation and an amplitude of the aircraft control input;

generating, by a processing unit, a first single visual indication based on the first indication, the first single visual indication being reflective of the orientation and the amplitude of the aircraft control input; and

causing the display of the first single visual indication on a display surface, the display of the first single visual indication providing a user viewing the first single visual indication with an understanding of the orientation and the amplitude of the aircraft control input,

wherein causing the display of the first single visual indication on the display surface is in response to an event relating to the operation of an aircraft, and wherein the event comprises a dual input received from a first aircraft controller and a second aircraft controller,

wherein the first single visual indication comprises a dot and the display surface further displays a target-like graphical component, the target-like graphical component comprising circular graphical patterns, and

wherein a first input from the first aircraft controller and a second input from the second aircraft controller are displayed simultaneously on the target-like graphical component.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the first single visual indication to be displayed comprises causing the first single visual indication to be displayed in relation to at least one of a graphical amplitude scale and a graphical orientation scale.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target-like graphical component is configured to ease understanding of the orientation and the amplitude.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the orientation is associated with (1) a first axis of the display surface and (2) a second axis of the display surface and the amplitude is associated with (3) a first distance of the first single visual indication to the first axis and (4) a second distance of the first single visual indication to the second axis.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a first quantitative value is associated with the first axis of the display surface and a second quantitative value is associated with the second axis, the first quantitative value being reflective of a first axis amplitude of the aircraft control input along a longitudinal axis and the second quantitative value being reflective of a second axis amplitude of the aircraft control input along a vertical axis.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first quantitative value and the second quantitative value reflect values of the aircraft control input provided to a fly-by-wire system.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first quantitative value and the second quantitative value are one of absolute values and relative values.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first distance is proportional to the first quantitative value and the second distance is proportional to the second quantitative value.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft control input is generated by the first aircraft controller.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first aircraft controller is one of a side stick, a yoke, a rudder pedal and an autopilot.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first indication indicative of the aircraft control input is a numerical value generated based on a raw digital signal of the first aircraft controller.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display surface is at least a part of a multifunction display, a primary flight display and a head-up display.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the display of the first single visual indication on the display surface in response to the event relating to the operation of an aircraft comprises temporarily displaying the first single visual indication on the display surface.

14. A computer-implemented method for displaying an aircraft control input, the method comprising:

in response to an aircraft control input being inputted via a first aircraft controller, receiving a raw signal from the first aircraft controller;

converting, by a processing unit, the raw signal from the first aircraft controller into numerical values, the numerical values being reflective of an orientation and an amplitude of the aircraft control input;

generating, by the processing unit, a first single visual indication based on the numerical values; and

causing the display of the first single visual indication on a display surface, the display of the first single visual indication providing a user viewing the first single visual indication with an understanding of the orientation and the amplitude of the aircraft control input,

wherein causing the display of the first single visual indication on the display surface is in response to an event relating to the operation of an aircraft, and wherein the event comprises a dual input received from the first aircraft controller and a second aircraft controller,

wherein the first single visual indication comprises a dot and the display surface further displays a target-like graphical component, the target-like graphical component comprising circular graphical patterns, and

wherein a first input from the first aircraft controller and a second input from the second aircraft controller are displayed simultaneously on the target-like graphical component.

15. A computer-implemented system for displaying an aircraft control input, the system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium;

a processor configured to perform:

accessing, from the non-transitory computer-readable medium, a first indication indicative of an aircraft control input, the aircraft control input being associated with an orientation and an amplitude of the aircraft control input;

generating, by the processor, a first single visual indication based on the first indication, the first single visual indication being reflective of the orientation and the amplitude of the aircraft control input; and

causing the display of the first single visual indication on a display surface, the display of the first single visual indication providing a user viewing the first single visual indication with an understanding of the orientation and the amplitude of the aircraft control input,

wherein causing the display of the first single visual indication on the display surface is in response to an event relating to the operation of an aircraft, and wherein the event comprises a dual input received from a first aircraft controller and a second aircraft controller,

wherein the first single visual indication comprises a dot and the display surface further displays a target-like graphical component, the target-like graphical component comprising circular graphical patterns, and

wherein a first input from the first aircraft controller and a second input from the second aircraft controller are displayed simultaneously on the target-like graphical component.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein causing the first single visual indication to be displayed comprises causing the first single visual indication to be displayed in relation to at least one of a graphical amplitude scale and a graphical orientation scale.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first single visual indication is configured to ease the understanding of the orientation and the amplitude.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the orientation is associated with (1) a first axis of the display surface and (2) a second axis of the display surface and the amplitude is associated with (3) a first distance of the first single visual indication to the first axis and (4) a second distance of the first single visual indication to the second axis.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein a first quantitative value is associated with the first axis of the display surface and a second quantitative value is associated with the second axis, the first quantitative value being reflective of a first axis amplitude of the aircraft control input along a longitudinal axis and the second quantitative value being reflective of a second axis amplitude of the aircraft control input along a vertical axis.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the first quantitative value and the second quantitative value reflect values of the aircraft control input provided to a fly-by-wire system.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the first quantitative value and the second quantitative value are one of absolute values and relative values.

22. The system of claim 19 , wherein the first distance is proportional to the first quantitative value and the second distance is proportional to the second quantitative value.

23. The system of claim 15 , wherein the aircraft control input is generated by the first aircraft controller.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the first aircraft controller is one of a side stick, a yoke, a rudder pedal and an autopilot.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the first indication indicative of the aircraft control input is a numerical value generated based on a raw digital signal of the first aircraft controller.

26. The system of claim 15 , wherein the display surface is at least a part of a multi-function display, a primary flight display and a head-up display.

27. The system of claim 15 , wherein causing the display of the first single visual indication on the display surface in response to the event relating to the operation of an aircraft comprises temporarily displaying the first single visual indication on the display surface.

28. A computer-implemented system for displaying an aircraft control input, the system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium;

a processor configured to perform:

in response to an aircraft control input being inputted via a first aircraft controller, receiving a raw signal from the first aircraft controller;

converting, by the processor, the raw signal from the first aircraft controller into numerical values, the numerical values being reflective of an orientation and an amplitude of the aircraft control input;

generating, by the processor, a first single visual indication based on the numerical values; and

causing the display of the first single visual indication on a display surface, the display of the first single visual indication providing a user viewing the first single visual indication with an understanding of the orientation and the amplitude of the aircraft control input, wherein causing the display of the first single visual indication on the display surface is in response to an event relating to the operation of an aircraft, and

wherein the event comprises a dual input received from the first aircraft controller and a second aircraft controller,

wherein the first single visual indication comprises a dot and the display surface further displays a target-like graphical component, the target-like graphical component comprising circular graphical patterns, and

wherein a first input from the first aircraft controller and a second input from the second aircraft controller are displayed simultaneously on the target-like graphical component.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2018
From: CASIA, LAURENCE; ST-CYR, MATHIEU; AREL, GERVAIS
To: BOMBARDIER INC.
Reel/Frame 047464/0431 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTIB2017052736 · May 10, 2017
Provisional Application 62334629 · May 11, 2016
Related Publication 20190094041A1 · Mar 28, 2019