Aircraft Position Indicator Display for Dual-Pilot Vision
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Solution Overview
Problem
In aircraft piloted by two pilots, the manual control of pitch and roll axes using mini-joysticks makes it difficult for the non-piloting pilot to perceive the movements of the piloting pilot, requiring the non-piloting pilot to change direction or lean forward, resulting in a loss of near and external vision.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that generate and display position indicators on screens accessible to both pilots without requiring them to change their line of sight, using a unit to determine control values from the joysticks and compute piloting commands, displaying symbols on dedicated screens for each pilot to illustrate the joystick positions, ensuring visibility without diverting attention from the aircraft's front.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the non-piloting pilot looks at the piloting pilot's joystick to perceive movements, then the non-piloting pilot can detect joystick position, but the non-piloting pilot loses near and external vision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy of the joystick position information by displaying a symbol on the screen that represents the joystick's position and movements. This allows the non-piloting pilot to perceive joystick movements through the screen display without needing to physically look at the joystick itself, thus maintaining both information awareness and external vision.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen acts as an intermediary between the joystick and the non-piloting pilot's perception. Instead of direct observation of the joystick, the screen mediates the information transfer by displaying symbolic representation of joystick position, enabling indirect but effective perception without visual distraction from external environment.
2Loss of information
If the non-piloting pilot leans forwards to see the joystick, then the non-piloting pilot can perceive movements, but the non-piloting pilot loses external vision
Solution Approach 1:
The screen displays a symbolic copy of the joystick position and movements, eliminating the need for the non-piloting pilot to lean forward or change posture. The visual information is delivered to the pilot's field of view through the screen interface, maintaining proper seating position and external vision while providing complete awareness of joystick movements.
3Ease of operation
If separate screens are used for each pilot, then each pilot has dedicated information display, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality where screens serve dual purposes: they display primary flight information for navigation and control, and simultaneously display the symbolic representation of joystick positions. This allows the same screen infrastructure to provide both dedicated pilot information and cross-awareness of colleague's inputs without requiring additional separate display devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for displaying at least one position indicator for an aircraft. The display device includes at least one unit for generating information for determining, during a flight of the aircraft, a control value representative of the movement by a first pilot of his joystick relative to at least one of the roll and pitch axes of the aircraft, at least one computation unit for computing a piloting command representative of the control value determined by the unit for generating information, and one display unit for displaying at least one symbol on at least one screen intended for the second pilot and directly visible by the latter, the symbol representing the position indicator and being displayed on the screen in a position illustrating the piloting command on the screen.