Flight Deck Window Management Turbulence Touch Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated avionics systems face challenges in providing unimpaired access to control devices during turbulence events, where vibrations make precise touch inputs difficult, leading to operator errors and increased heads-down time due to the need to visually search for auxiliary controls.
Innovation Solution
A flight deck system with a graphical interface that distinguishes between active and non-active touch inputs, allowing operators to interact with displays without inadvertently engaging the system, and a control interface device that enables spatial data input without physical contact, reducing the need for auxiliary tools and minimizing heads-down time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If operators use touch interface during turbulence, then control input can be provided, but vibrations cause inadvertent touches and reduce input precision
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary classification of touch inputs by analyzing temporal patterns and contact characteristics before executing commands. This preliminary action distinguishes between intentional touches and vibration-induced inadvertent touches, preventing erroneous inputs while maintaining operational capability during turbulence events.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that analyze touch patterns, duration, and timing to determine operator intent. By providing feedback on recognized input patterns and filtering based on turbulence detection, the system maintains reliable control input capability even when physical vibrations occur during flight operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If operators visually search for auxiliary controls during turbulence, then control functions can be accessed, but heads-down time increases and focus is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The display surface serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both a visual information display and a stable reference surface for turbulence compensation. The same display that shows flight data also provides the reference frame for determining inadvertent touches, eliminating the need for separate auxiliary controls and reducing heads-down time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the display surface with the control interface surface, combining information presentation and control input functions into a single integrated interface. This merging eliminates the need for operators to search for separate auxiliary controls during turbulence events, maintaining adaptability while reducing time loss.
3Reliability
If the system distinguishes between active and non-active touches, then inadvertent inputs are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display system performs self-service by using its own surface as the reference frame for turbulence compensation and touch validation. The display generates and processes its own reference data, eliminating the need for external sensors or separate reference systems, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing the increase in system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The display surface acts as an intermediary that mediates between the turbulence environment and the touch input system. By serving as both the disturbed element and the reference frame, the display simplifies the overall system architecture while enabling reliable distinction between intentional and inadvertent touches.
Data Source
AI summary
A flight deck system for an aircraft includes a display device for providing a graphical interface for displaying flight-related information including a plurality of windows to an operator. The display device is configured for displaying the plurality of windows within a plurality of regions. The plurality of regions can each have a predefined shape and orientation on the display screen according to a regular grid layout. A touch interface is coordinated with the display device for receiving touch information from the operator and allowing the operator to interact with the graphical interface. A processor is communicatively coupled with the touch interface device and operatively coupled with the display device. The processor can be configured to dynamically recreate a selected window of flight-related information within one or more of the plurality of regions corresponding to an operator-selected icon. In such embodiments, the operator can operate the graphical interface through direct touch.