The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 06, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1999
Don L. Adams, Fairfield, CT (US);
Thomas J. Provenzano, Stratford, CT (US);
Ari M. Novis, Rocky Hill, CT (US);
Ann Crowley, Zelienople, PA (US);
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, CT (US);
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 used to convey text messages to the pilot of the aircraft.