Display systems and methods for providing displays having an integrated autopilot functionality

摘要

A method for providing a display to a flight crew of an aircraft includes providing a horizontal navigation display that includes data regarding the movement of the aircraft in a horizontal direction and an aircraft icon indicating a position of the aircraft in the horizontal direction. The method further includes providing a vertical navigation display that includes data regarding the movement of the aircraft in a vertical direction and an aircraft icon indicating a position of the aircraft in the vertical direction. The horizontal and vertical navigation displays are disposed adjacent to one another on a single display device. The method further includes receiving a first input to the display device indicating a selection of the horizontal navigation display aircraft icon, and, in response to the selection of the horizontal navigation display aircraft icon, engaging a horizontal navigation control feature of an autopilot system of the aircraft.

主权项

1. A method for providing a display to a flight crew of an aircraft comprising the steps of: providing a horizontal navigation display comprising: data regarding the movement of the aircraft in a horizontal direction; a virtual compass comprising an aircraft heading indicator indicating a current heading of the aircraft and an autopilot heading selector; and an aircraft icon indicating a position of the aircraft in the horizontal direction; providing a vertical navigation display comprising: data regarding the movement of the aircraft in a vertical direction; an altitude target indicator line; and an aircraft icon indicating a position of the aircraft in the vertical direction, wherein the horizontal and vertical navigation displays are disposed adjacent to one another on a single display device; receiving a first input to the display device indicating a selection of the horizontal navigation display aircraft icon; in response to the selection of the horizontal navigation display aircraft icon, engaging a horizontal navigation control feature of an autopilot system of the aircraft; receiving a second input to the display device indicating a selection of the vertical navigation display aircraft icon; in response to the selection of the vertical navigation display aircraft icon, engaging a vertical navigation control feature of the autopilot system of the aircraft; receiving a third input to the display device indicating a selection of the autopilot heading selector, the third input comprising a movement of the autopilot heading selector along the virtual compass to a desired heading; in response to the movement of the autopilot heading selector, actuating a flight heading control system of the horizontal navigation control feature to cause the aircraft to fly at the desired heading; receiving a fourth input to the display device indicating a selection of the altitude target indicator line, the fourth input comprising a movement of the altitude target indicator line in either an up or a down vertical direction to indicate a desired altitude; and in response to the movement of the altitude target indicator line, actuating an altitude control system of the vertical navigation control feature to cause the aircraft to fly at the desired altitude; receiving a fifth input to the display device indicating a selection of the horizontal navigation display aircraft icon, the fifth input comprising a movement of the horizontal navigation display aircraft icon in either a forward or reverse horizontal direction to indicate a desired airspeed; and in response to the movement of the horizontal navigation display aircraft icon, actuating an autothrottle control system of the autopilot system of the aircraft to cause the aircraft to fly at the desired airspeed, wherein receiving one or more of the first, second, third, and fourth inputs comprises moving a cursor control device to overlay a respective one or more of the horizontal navigation display aircraft icon, vertical navigation display aircraft icon, the autopilot heading selector, and the altitude target indicator line.