Flight Management System Contextual Information Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current man-machine interfaces in aircraft piloting systems face limitations in information presentation, leading to cognitive overload and reduced flight safety due to ineffective information hierarchization, fusion, and feedback, which increases pilot workload and training costs.
Innovation Solution
A method that dynamically adjusts and restores flight information to pilots using sensory modalities like vision, hearing, and haptic feedback, based on the flight context, to provide relevant and necessary information for understanding current and future flight directives, thereby improving decision-making and reducing workload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional displays present comprehensive flight information to pilots, then information completeness is improved, but cognitive overload increases and flight safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments flight information into hierarchical levels (current flight directives, upcoming directives, background information) and presents them in prioritized displays. The primary display shows only essential current directives, while secondary displays provide additional context, preventing cognitive overload while maintaining information accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing different information densities to different pilot needs and flight phases. Critical safety information receives prominent visual treatment with enhanced clarity, while less critical information is presented in condensed formats, ensuring that each information element receives appropriate attention based on its importance.
2Loss of information
If detailed flight information is provided to pilots, then understanding of flight directives is improved, but pilot workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares flight information in advance by pre-processing and organizing directives into hierarchical categories before presentation. The system anticipates pilot information needs by pre-structuring data into current, upcoming, and background levels, reducing the cognitive effort required during critical flight moments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary information processing layer between the flight management system and the pilot. This intermediary automatically filters, prioritizes, and formats raw flight data into intuitive visual representations, reducing the mental processing burden on pilots while maintaining complete information availability.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive information is displayed on cockpit screens, then information availability is improved, but information hierarchy and fusion effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic information organization that automatically adjusts display content based on flight phase, pilot actions, and system state. The information hierarchy reconfigures itself in real-time, promoting relevant information to prominent positions while demoting less relevant data, maintaining effective organization without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor pilot interaction patterns and system state to continuously optimize information presentation. The system learns from pilot behavior and flight conditions to adjust information hierarchy, ensuring that the most relevant information is always prominently displayed while maintaining complete data availability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method implemented by computer for the management of the flight of an aircraft comprises the steps of receiving flight directives and flight information associated with these directives; determining a flight context of the aircraft; as a function of the context determined, selecting information from among that associated with the formulation of a directive and/or with a current flight directive and/or with a change of a flight directive; sensorially restoring the selected information. Various developments are described, notably links to documentary resources, the determination of anomalies, the use of predefined logic rules and configuration options. System aspects and software aspects are described.