Aircraft flight mode selector system

US6314343A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Don L. Adams · Bartlesville, US
• Thomas J. Provenzano · Stratford, US
• Ari Novis · Rocky Hill, US
• Ann Crowley · Zelienople, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 23, 1999
• Grant date: Nov 6, 2001
• Expiry date: Dec 23, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05D1/0055
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An aircraft flight mode selector assembly utilizes computer-generated menus and soft wired bezel keys to enable the use of a greater number of flight modes to be accessed in a smaller space than is presently possible with a flight mode selector consisting solely of conventional dedicated switches, switch indicator lights, and hard wired selector panel assemblies. Serial bus connections between the flight mode selector assembly and the flight control computer in the aircraft reduce the amount of wiring needed for the flight mode selector assembly, as compared to present protocol which utilizes dedicated wiring for each dedicated switch in the aircraft flight mode selector. The use of computer-generated displays and menus permits easy expansion of the flight mode selector assembly without the need to add additional switches and switch indicator lights. The inclusion of a display information look-up table in the processor controller, which table is separate from the software program in the controller, allows changes to the flight mode selector panel display to be made merely by changing the look-up table. The flight mode selector assembly also includes a pilot message display which is…