Aircraft Display Annotation System for Procedure Information
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pilots lack the ability to permanently annotate critical aircraft procedure information on electronic flight deck displays, which is essential for safe and reliable execution of procedures, especially during critical operations.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows pilots to add user-defined annotations to displayed content on an aircraft's display device, associating them with specific objects or procedures, and controls their display based on relevant operational criteria, ensuring annotations are only shown when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electronic displays replace paper charts, then the need to maintain physical charts is eliminated, but the ability to permanently annotate procedure information is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows pilots to pre-define annotations with display criteria before flight operations. These annotations are stored in memory and automatically displayed when their associated criteria are met, enabling permanent retention of experiential knowledge without paper charts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary annotation system that bridges the gap between electronic displays and permanent note-taking. Annotations serve as a digital intermediary layer that can be selectively displayed over procedural information, preserving critical information without requiring physical paper charts.
2Loss of information
If all annotations are displayed continuously, then complete information is available, but display clutter and distraction increase during critical operations
Solution Approach 1:
The annotation display system is dynamic rather than static. Annotations are automatically displayed or hidden based on whether their associated display criteria are currently met. This dynamic behavior ensures that only relevant annotations appear at any given moment, preventing display clutter while maintaining information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
Different annotations have different display criteria tailored to their specific purpose and relevance. Each annotation is selectively displayed only in the local context where it is needed, rather than all annotations being displayed uniformly. This ensures critical information is visible without creating unnecessary distraction.
3Loss of information
If paper charts are used for annotations, then permanent marking capability is achieved, but weight and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy of the annotation capability that replaces physical paper charts. Annotations are stored electronically in memory associated with their display criteria, providing permanent retention of experiential knowledge without the weight and storage requirements of physical charts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of annotation storage from physical paper to electronic memory. This parameter change eliminates the weight associated with paper charts while maintaining the permanent retention capability, as electronic storage has negligible weight compared to physical chart copies.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for presenting content on a display device (102) onboard an aircraft (130). A method involves displaying, on the display device (102), information corresponding to a first procedure and displaying an annotation associated with the first procedure on the display device (102). The first procedure is associated with an airport (306) and prescribes operation of the aircraft (130) in a vicinity of the airport (306), and the annotation (336) includes user-defined information pertaining to the first procedure.