Dynamic Checklist System for Aircraft Pilot Workflow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Aircraft pilots face challenges in efficiently completing checklists due to the need to constantly adjust their head position and eye focus to locate and verify various disparate aircraft systems, leading to potential oversight of critical tasks.

Innovation Solution

A dynamic checklist system that presents checklist items and automated responses on a single visual display unit, using real-time internal system data and external data to provide acceptability information, with visual, auditory, and tactile alerts for user input and acceptance, allowing for expanded or collapsed checklist items based on user interaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If pilots check multiple disparate aircraft systems using traditional checklist methods, then comprehensive system verification is achieved, but the pilot must constantly adjust head position and eye focus leading to increased operational complexity and potential oversight

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechecklist completion accuracyVSAvoidoperational procedure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent consolidates multiple disparate system checklists into a single integrated display unit. Instead of requiring pilots to physically locate and verify each system across different panels and locations throughout the aircraft, all checklist items and their corresponding system statuses are merged into one centralized visual interface. This eliminates the need for constant head movement and reduces procedural complexity while maintaining comprehensive verification of all aircraft systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The display unit serves multiple functions simultaneously: it presents checklist items, displays real-time system statuses, provides automated responses, and offers visual verification all in one location. This multi-functional approach replaces the traditional method where pilots must interact with numerous separate systems and panels, thereby reducing operational complexity while ensuring reliable checklist completion.

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

2Reliability

If pilots manually verify each checklist item across different aircraft panels, then thorough system checking is performed, but time consumption increases due to frequent head and eye adjustments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem verification thoroughnessVSAvoidchecklist completion time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By merging all checklist items and system displays into a single centralized unit, the patent eliminates the time required for pilots to physically move between different aircraft panels. The automated system retrieves and presents all necessary information in one location, allowing pilots to verify multiple systems sequentially without the time loss associated with constant head movement and repositioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically retrieves and displays the status of various aircraft systems without requiring pilots to manually check each one. The automated responses and real-time data presentation reduce the time investment required from pilots while maintaining thorough verification, as the system performs much of the information gathering and presentation work autonomously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If traditional checklist methods are used with multiple display locations, then all aircraft systems can be monitored, but the risk of task oversight increases due to分散ed information presentation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem monitoring coverageVSAvoidinformation accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges all system information into a single accessible display location, ensuring that no checklist item or system status is lost or difficult to access. Instead of information being scattered across multiple panels where it might be overlooked, all data is consolidated in one place, making it easily visible and reducing the risk of task oversight while maintaining comprehensive system monitoring coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides automated feedback by continuously updating the display with real-time system statuses and automatically comparing actual values against expected parameters. This feedback mechanism ensures that pilots receive immediate information about system states without having to actively search for or interpret data from multiple sources, thereby preventing information loss and reducing oversight risks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS8736464B1System and method for presenting a dynamic checklist to the user of a vehicle
Publication Date: 2014.05.27 ROCKWELL COLLINS INC
  • US8736464B1 patent drawing
  • US8736464B1 patent drawing
  • US8736464B1 patent drawing

AI summary

A present novel and non-trivial system and method for presenting a dynamic checklist are disclosed. The system may be comprised of one or more vehicular sources of internal system data and a checklist generating processor, and a presentation unit such as a visual display unit. An automated response corresponding to each checklist item appearing on the dynamic checklist may be determined after real-time internal system data is received and applied to an acceptability configuration defined by a manufacturer and/or end-user. Then, a presentation data set representative of a dynamic vehicular checklist and comprised of each checklist item and its corresponding automated response could be generated and provided to a presentation unit which presents the dynamic checklist, whereby the user is presented with acceptability information of one or more of the checklist items. Additionally, the dynamic checklist may receive and present external data, and may provide for pilot interaction.