Guarded Touchscreen Controls for Aircraft Component Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft pilots face inefficiencies and increased error likelihood due to the need for manual setup of physical interfaces to initiate operations like fuel dump, which can be cumbersome and prone to accidental interactions.
Innovation Solution
A system with a display device and control circuit that generates a visual representation of aircraft components, uses sensors to indicate status, and includes user interface elements with interaction guards to authorize operations through gestures, automating component control and reducing accidental interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual setup of physical interface controls is used to initiate operations, then operational control is achieved, but operational efficiency decreases and error likelihood increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical mechanical controls (switches, levers, dials, buttons) with a touchscreen display interface. The touchscreen presents visual representations of aircraft components and allows pilots to initiate operations through touch gestures, eliminating the need for manual physical setup and reducing the complexity of interface configuration while improving operational efficiency.
2Reliability
If physical interface controls are used, then component control is achieved, but accidental interactions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control interface into distinct visual representations of aircraft components, each with its own control elements. This segmentation allows for precise control and reduces the likelihood of accidental interactions by clearly delineating functional areas and requiring intentional selection of specific components and operations through the touchscreen interface.
3Productivity
If touchscreen interface with interaction guards is used, then operational efficiency improves, but interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements interaction guards that require preliminary actions (such as confirming selections or entering passcodes) before allowing certain operations to proceed. These guards are built into the touchscreen interface structure, allowing efficient operation once familiarized while providing necessary safety checks without significantly increasing perceived complexity during normal use.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a display device and a control circuit. The control circuit generates an interface including a visual representation of a component of a platform, a status of the component indicated by a plurality of sensors associated with the platform, and one or more user interface elements corresponding to the component of the platform and one or more locations on the interface. The control circuit receives an indication of one or more gestures identifying at least one user interface element; selects an interaction guard from a plurality of interaction guards each corresponding to a respective authorization process identifying at least one authorization gesture; initiates, responsive to the selected interaction guard, the authorization process corresponding to the interaction guard; and causes, responsive to receiving the at least one authorization gesture, an operation of the component corresponding to the identified at least one user interface element.