Interactive Speed Profile Bar for Aircraft Flight Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern commercial aircraft face complexity in managing speed profiles due to various influences such as aircraft configuration, weather data, ATC requests, and altitude-based restrictions, leading to a complicated speed schedule that increases pilot workload and potential errors.
Innovation Solution
A graphical user interface in the form of an interactive speed profile bar is introduced, allowing pilots to view and modify the aircraft's speed profile efficiently by displaying speed segments with alphanumeric symbology, enabling pilots to select and change speed modes and target speeds, and providing decluttering features to manage speed segments effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple systems are used to manage speed profile (FMC, mode control panel, autopilot, autothrottle), then comprehensive speed management capability is achieved, but device complexity and pilot workload increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple speed management functions (FMC, mode control panel, autopilot, autothrottle) into a single integrated speed profile bar display. This consolidation presents all speed-related information and controls in one unified interface, reducing the cognitive load and operational complexity for pilots while maintaining comprehensive speed management capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The speed profile bar serves multiple functions simultaneously: it displays current speed, target speed, speed restrictions, and allows pilot intervention. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for pilots to switch between multiple separate systems, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving adaptability.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive speed profile information is displayed, then pilot awareness is improved, but information overload and difficulty in detecting key parameters occur
Solution Approach 1:
The speed profile bar segments information into distinct visual elements: current speed, target speed, speed restrictions, and active speed modes are each represented by separate graphical components. This segmentation allows pilots to quickly identify and detect specific parameters without being overwhelmed by a mass of undifferentiated data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs color coding to differentiate various speed parameters and states. Different colors indicate different speed modes, restrictions, and alert conditions, enabling pilots to rapidly detect and interpret key information at a glance, thereby improving information detection while maintaining comprehensive awareness.
3Loss of information
If detailed speed segment information is displayed in each button, then information completeness is improved, but button width becomes insufficient to display all symbology
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts detailed speed segment information from the compact button labels and presents it in an expanded format adjacent to or below the speed profile bar. This extraction allows small buttons to maintain their compact size while still providing access to complete information, resolving the conflict between information completeness and display space constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
An interactive speed profile bar that enables crew awareness of the overall planned flight trajectory speed profile. The speed profile bar will have a graphical depiction (e.g., virtual buttons having alphanumeric symbology) of some or all of the speed segments of the speed profile. Each graphical element (e.g., virtual button) includes symbology identifying the applicable speed mode and corresponding target speed change. Each speed segment will start at the inflection point where the speed change will occur in the flight plan, and will continue until the next trajectory speed change. The speed profile bar will be interactive, allowing the flight crew to select the speed segment to change, in response to which selection the system displays graphical user interface elements showing a menu of the available speed segment options. Each individual speed segment is represented by an individual virtual button that can be selected by touching the screen or other input device.