Aircraft Communication Control Device Dynamic Channel Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft communication systems require a large number of buttons to control multiple communication channels, making them bulky, heavy, and costly, and pilots cannot answer calls from channels not associated with their button sets.
Innovation Solution
A control device with a processing unit, display screen, and fewer sets of buttons, where each set includes a volume button, reception button, and transmission button, with a display area to indicate and allow answering of calls from unassociated channels by selecting the channel via the transmission button.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate button set is provided for each communication channel, then each channel can be controlled independently, but the number of buttons increases making the device bulky and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal button set that can be dynamically associated with different communication channels. Instead of having dedicated buttons for each channel, a single set of buttons (volume, reception, transmission) can be configured to control any channel through software association. This multi-functional approach maintains independent channel control capability while dramatically reducing the physical number of buttons required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic associability where the button set can be flexibly linked to different channels based on operational needs. The system allows pilots to dynamically change which channel is associated with the button set, enabling the same physical buttons to adapt to different communication channels as required, rather than being statically assigned to specific channels.
2Device complexity
If the number of button sets is reduced, then device bulk and cost decrease, but pilots cannot answer calls from channels not associated with their button sets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic re-association of the button set with different communication channels. When a call is received on an unassociated channel, the system allows the pilot to dynamically change the association so the button set controls the newly received channel. This dynamic adaptability ensures that pilots can answer calls from any channel regardless of initial associations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary signaling to alert pilots of incoming calls on unassociated channels through visual or auditory indicators. This preliminary action informs pilots before they need to re-associate the button set, allowing them to proactively prepare to answer the call by switching the channel association before the call becomes urgent.
3Productivity
If multiple communication channels are mixed in reception, then pilots can listen to several channels simultaneously, but the control interface becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a universal button set that can control multiple channels through dynamic association. The same physical buttons handle volume, reception, and transmission for different channels as needed, providing multi-channel monitoring capability without requiring separate control interfaces for each channel. This universal approach maintains simple control interface while enabling productivity gains from multi-channel monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
The control device of a communication system of an aircraft having a predefined number of communication channels comprises a processing unit and one or more sets of buttons each associated with a communication channel. The number of sets of buttons is less than the predefined number of communication channels of the communication system. The device comprises a set of call buttons comprising at least one transmission button, and a display area on a display screen, this display area being associated with the set of call buttons. The processing unit is configured to display an indication in the display area associated with the set of call buttons when the communication system receives a call on a channel with which no set of buttons is associated and to select this channel for transmission following an action of a user on the transmission button of the set of call buttons.