Aircraft Circuit Breaker Group Control via Hierarchical Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of aircraft electrical systems requires pilots to individually control numerous circuit breakers, leading to time-consuming and error-prone operations, especially in emergency situations, where efficient and instantaneous control is critical.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for controlling circuit breakers in groups rather than individually, using an interactive display with hierarchically organized screens to simplify operations, allowing pilots to switch multiple circuit breakers to the 'on' or 'off' state with a single action, reducing workload and operation time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If circuit breakers are controlled individually through a dedicated display with a long list, then each circuit breaker can be precisely controlled, but the operation becomes highly time and workload consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual circuit breaker controls into a single group control operation. The system allows pilots to select and control groups of circuit breakers simultaneously through a single interface element, rather than individually controlling each circuit breaker. This combining of control operations dramatically reduces the time and workload required to manage multiple circuit breakers during flight operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal control interface that can handle both individual circuit breaker control and group circuit breaker control through the same display and control mechanism. The system provides multi-functionality by allowing pilots to switch between controlling single circuit breakers and controlling groups of circuit breakers, making the control system adaptable to different operational scenarios without requiring separate dedicated interfaces.
2Reliability
If circuit breakers are controlled individually one by one, then precise control is achieved, but the procedure is prone to mistakes due to wrong typing of numbers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple circuit breaker controls into group selections that are visually presented and selectable as unified entities. Instead of requiring pilots to individually type and select each circuit breaker number, the system presents groups of circuit breakers as selectable units, reducing the complexity of the selection process while maintaining precise control over which circuit breakers are activated or deactivated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the pilot and the individual circuit breakers in the form of group selections. These groups act as intermediaries that organize circuit breakers by functional categories or system areas, providing a structured interface that reduces the cognitive load and potential for errors while still allowing precise control over individual circuit breakers within each group.
3Productivity
If individual circuit breakers are controlled separately, then detailed system control is maintained, but activation/deactivation cannot take place instantaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control of multiple circuit breakers into a single operational command that can be executed simultaneously. When a pilot selects a group of circuit breakers for activation or deactivation, the system processes and executes all control actions within that group in one operation, achieving instantaneous system response without requiring sequential individual control actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary organization of circuit breakers into pre-defined groups based on functional systems or operational categories. This preliminary structuring allows the control system to quickly retrieve and execute group operations without requiring real-time individual selection, thereby accelerating the response time while maintaining organized and manageable control procedures.
4Loss of information
If a dedicated display with a long list of all circuit breakers is used, then complete system overview is provided, but display space is wasted and multiple displays are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the circuit breaker system into hierarchical levels: group-level views that provide overview and individual-level views that provide detailed control. The display interface is divided into selectable sections where pilots can view and control circuit breakers by functional groups rather than displaying all individual circuit breakers simultaneously. This segmentation allows complete system information to be accessed while using minimal display space at any given moment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional flat list of all circuit breakers to a hierarchical, multi-level display structure. Instead of spreading all circuit breaker information across a single large display area, the system organizes information in layers that can be navigated vertically or horizontally through selection, effectively using the time dimension (sequential access) to replace the spatial dimension (simultaneous display of all information).
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to systems and methods for simplified, more efficient and more reliable aircraft control. In particular, the present invention relates to more efficient use of display capabilities, in particular, of interactive displays in monitoring, control, and operation of aircraft systems. According to a particular aspect, a common operation of groups of circuit breakers in an aircraft electrical system, preferably by means of an interactive display, is provided. The interactive display may be hierarchically organized into plural levels of display windows showing different levels of detail. In accordance with another particular aspect, a general synoptics summary display showing a status overview of all aircraft systems on a single display window is provided.