Aircraft Touch Screen Instrument Panel Synoptic Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft instrument panels are inflexible and limited in customizability, often requiring duplicate instruments for pilots and co-pilots, reducing the effective display area and limiting the type of information they can show or receive.
Innovation Solution
A touch screen instrument panel system that provides a synoptic user interface, allowing for graphical and symbolic depiction of aircraft components, enabling customizable layouts, control inputs through touch sensing, and automatic updates of displayed information to represent the aircraft's state, with features like pinning and overlaying panels for enhanced usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If duplicate instruments are provided for pilot and co-pilot, then both users can access information, but the effective display area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument panel is designed as a universal system that can serve multiple users (pilot and co-pilot) simultaneously through a single shared display. The system allows both users to access and interact with the same information space, eliminating the need for duplicate physical instruments while maintaining accessibility for both operators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges separate pilot and co-pilot instrument displays into a single integrated touch screen panel. This consolidation combines previously separate information spaces into one unified display area, allowing both users to access the same comprehensive information without requiring duplicate physical instruments.
2Reliability
If traditional fixed instruments are used, then specific information can be displayed reliably, but flexibility and customizability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument panel transitions from static fixed instruments to a dynamic touch screen interface where displays can be reconfigured, moved, and customized. The system allows users to dynamically adjust the layout, position, and content of displayed information while maintaining reliable presentation of critical data during flight operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The display is segmented into multiple independent, movable information panels that can be individually positioned and configured. Each segment represents a separate information space that can be independently customized, allowing users to create personalized layouts while maintaining the reliability of each individual information element.
3Ease of operation
If multiple separate instruments are used, then specific controls can be received, but the interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touch screen interface serves as a universal control surface that can receive multiple types of control inputs (touch, gesture, selection) across a single integrated panel. This eliminates the need for multiple separate physical controls while maintaining comprehensive control capability through a unified, simplified interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple separate control instruments into a single touch screen interface. By combining various control functions (selection, adjustment, activation) into one unified interface, the system reduces overall interface complexity while maintaining full control input capability across all aircraft systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are described for controlling an aircraft. The systems and methods utilize a touch screen instrument panel to display information to pilots or other users, and to receive input from the user for controlling the aircraft and its components. The systems and methods include synoptic user interface panels that provide graphical or symbolic representations of the aircraft, its components, and subsystems, and display information regarding their configuration, condition, and status. The users may interact with the synoptic user interface panels through the touch screen instrument panel to control the various components of the aircraft.