Peter V Daniel

US Patent:

7162335, Jan 9, 2007

Filed:

Dec 19, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/741111

Inventors:

Gang He - Morristown NJ, US
Blake W. Wilson - Peoria AZ, US
John G. Suddreth - Cave Creek AZ, US
Carlos M. Gameros - Glendale AZ, US
Peter L. Daniel - Glendale AZ, US

Assignee:

Honeywell International, Inc. - Morristown NJ

International Classification:

B64C 23/00

US Classification:

701 3, 701 14, 701 16, 701120, 701206, 340947, 345156

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus are provided for interactively building flight paths for entry into an aircraft flight management system (FMS). The apparatus comprises a database containing map information, a display for presenting the map information, a user controlled cursor and selection buttons, all under the control of a graphics processor. The processor presents the map information with included navigation features on the display, correlated with the aircraft position and cursor location. When the cursor overlies a navigational feature (airways, waypoints, etc. ), the processor highlights the feature. Feature ID information may also pop up when the feature is highlighted. Using a mouse button or equivalent, the user selects the highlighted feature or ID, whereupon the processor sends the information associated therewith to the FMS. By successively highlighting and selecting features or IDs an entire flight path can be identified and entered automatically into the FMS without the need for individual text entry.