Avionics Virtual Keyboard Clipboard Widget

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Solution Overview

Problem

Avionics touchscreen systems in aircraft cockpits lack an efficient clipboard cut and paste operation, which is essential for transferring flight data between different locations, leading to potential errors and increased workload for flight crews.

Innovation Solution

A keyboard module is introduced that displays a virtual keyboard on the touchscreen, featuring a text box widget to display clip data, a copy widget to transfer data from one widget to the clipboard memory, and a paste widget to transfer data from the clipboard memory to another widget, enabling seamless data manipulation and reduction of errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual data entry and transfer methods are used in avionics touchscreen systems, then system simplicity is maintained, but flight crew workload increases and error rates rise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transfer operationVSAvoidflight crew efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a clipboard copy and paste function that allows flight crew to copy data from one location and paste it elsewhere, eliminating manual re-entry. The clipboard widget stores copied data and enables efficient transfer between different data fields, directly reducing workload and error rates while improving operational efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Productivity

If clipboard functionality is added to the avionics touchscreen system, then data transfer efficiency improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transfer efficiencyVSAvoidtouchscreen system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The clipboard widget is integrated into the existing virtual keyboard interface, allowing it to serve multiple functions within a single component. The widget can display copied data, enable paste operations, and manage clipboard content, providing universal data transfer functionality without requiring separate dedicated hardware or complex additional interfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If clipboard widget is integrated into the virtual keyboard, then user interface consistency is maintained, but interface design complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser interface consistencyVSAvoidinterface design complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The clipboard widget is merged with the virtual keyboard interface, combining data transfer functionality with the existing input mechanism. This integration allows flight crew to access copy and paste functions through the familiar keyboard interface, maintaining consistency in user interaction patterns while avoiding the need for separate, complex interface elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3451129B1System and method of providing clipboard cut and paste operations in an avionics touchscreen system
Publication Date: 2020.03.18 HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC
  • EP3451129B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3451129B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2D
  • EP3451129B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

A keyboard module configured for use in an avionics touchscreen system is disclosed. The keyboard module is configured to display, via a visual display in the avionics touchscreen system and responsive to a selection of an application program generated widget for focus via a touchscreen surface in the avionics touchscreen system, a virtual keyboard. The virtual keyboard includes a text box widget configured to display clip data stored in clipboard memory provided by the avionics touchscreen system, a copy widget configured to cause data in a first widget provided by the application program that is in focus to be copied to the clipboard memory, and a paste widget configured to cause the clip data in the clipboard memory and displayed in the text box widget to be pasted to a second widget provided by the application program that is in focus.