GB1582941A - Information access and display systems - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO INFORMATION ACCESS AND DISPLAY SYSTEMS (71) We, EASAMS LIMITED, of Marconi House, New Street, Chelmsford, Essex CMl 1PL, a British Company, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to information access and display systems.

Such systems are known in the avionics field whereby an operator can gain access to stored information relating, for example, to the aircraft flight plan, radar contacts picked up by the aircraft radar system and other information relating to various sensors and subsystems on the aircraft. The system normally comprises a display, for providing a visual presentation of the information, and an associated keyboard, which may be mounted adjacent to or remote from the display, through which the operator can respond to the displayed information and select information as required for display.

Because the keyboard is located adjacent to or remote from the display screen, the operator must repeatedly look up and down between the keyboard and the display to select the correct key, and to read the displayed information. Furthermore a separate key must be provided for each separate function, e.g. selection of a particular class of information for display, selection of the appropriate 'page' of the information, and for effecting various operations on the displayed information. The operator therefore has a large selection of keys to choose from for each operation, many of which will not be required for the particular operation being performed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an information access and display system in which the above-mentioned disadvantages are substantially reduced.

According to the present invention, an information access and display system comprises an information store, an electroluminescent display for presenting information stored in said store, and circuit means responsive to changes in capacitance of elements of said display screen caused by an object, e.g. an operator's finger, being placed on or adjacent the surface of the display screen, said circuit means being arranged to detect the co-ordinates of said object.

Preferably the information access and display system includes circuit means arranged to compare the co-ordinates of the object on or adjacent to the surface of the display screen with co-ordinates of identifying information presented on the display screen to enable an operator to gain access to stored information identified by that information displayed and selected by appropriate positioning of the object.

The operator can thus modify, update, or control the stored information, or select a new set of information for display by placing his finger on an appropriate area of the display screen, thus obviating the need for a separate keyboard.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an avionics information access and display system; and Figures 2 and 3 show successive displays of information presented during a typical operation of the system.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawings, the system comprises a combined display and position transducer panel 1 for displaying information stored in a store 2 in response to signals from an aircraft computer 3, and for producing signals representative of the position of an object, e.g. an operator's finger on the panel 1.

Two sets of conductors 12, 13 of the electroluminescent display portion of the panel 1 are each connected to the outputs of respective 'X' and 'Y' drive circuits 22, 23 which receive signals from the computer to produce the required display. In addition the two sets of conductors 19, 20 of the transducer portion of the panel 1 are connected to terminals of respective 'X' and 'Y' address circuits 24, 25 which are adapted to transmit to the computer signals representing the 'X' and 'Y' co-ordinates of the operator's finger when pressed onto the upper surface of the display panel 1.

The computer is programmed to compare the co-ordinates of the operator's finger position with the co-ordinates of information displayed at selected locations on the display panel, and upon coincidence, to perform a particular operation related to information displayed at that position. The operator can thus gain access to information in the store, or perform certain operations with the computer.

An example of the way in which the system can be operated will now be described with reference to Figure 1 and Figures 2 and 3. The information shown displayed on the panel 1 in Figure 1 comprises a simple index of various classes of information available in the store 2. As shown, the classes forming the index comprise 'NAV' - which includes tabular lists of continuously updated items of information regarding the aircraft's height, position, ground speed etc; 'PLN' - which includes lists of the co-ordinates of destinations in the aircraft's flight plan; and 'RAD' - which includes lists of all contacts made by the aircraft radar system.

In the example to be described, the operator wishes to alter the co-ordinates of a particular destination in the flight plan. To do this he first selects s the class 'PLNt by pressing his finger down on the area of the panel 1 on which the legend 'PLN' is displayed. The resulting contact between the 'X' and 'Y' conductors 19, 20 of the transducer part of the panel at the cross-point or cross-points in register with this display location is detected by the address circuits 24, 25 which transmit signals representing the 'X' and 'Y' co-ordinates of the location to be computer.

These 'X' and 'Y' co-ordinates are compared in the computer with the co-ordinates of the displayed legends 'PLN', 'NAV' and 'RAD', to determine which of the legends has been selected. The computer reacts accordingly to display the required class of information, in this case the flight plan list shown in Figure 2.

Four destinations are shown (01,02,03,04) together with their ground position co-ordin ates. Also displayed is a marker symbol 27 whereby a particular destination can be selected, and three key-board legends whereby several operations can be initiated. These com prise 'STR' - steer to a destination, 'ALT' alter the co-ordinates of a destination, and 'IDX' - return to index page.

In this example the operator wishes to alter the co-ordinates of destination number 03 and so presses his finger over the displayed marker symbol 27, and moves it to a position adjacent the number 03, the computer being arranged to cause the marker symbol 27 to follow the movement of the operator's finger and to correlate information regarding the co-ordinates of the marker and the positions of the flight plan numbers so as to operate on the particular flight plan number adjacent the displayed marker in subsequent operations.

The operator then presses his finger over the appropriate legand, 'ALT' in this case, as he wishes to alter the co-ordinates of the selected flight plan destination. Alternatively the operator could select 'STR' to cause the aircraft to steer to the selected destination, or select the 'IDX' legend to return to the index page.

Upon pressing the 'ALT' legend, the computer reacts accordingly to produce the display format shown in Figure 3 which includes a numeric keyboard and an indicator marker 28. The operator selects the appropriate one of the co-ordinates, say latitude (LAT) by pressing his finger over the indicator marker 28 and moving it to a position adjacent the 'LAT' legend displayed. The new latitude coordinate, say 41, is then selected using the numeric keyboard by pressing the '4' and then the '1'. After satisfactorily completing the alteration, pressing the 'ENT' legend enters the new destination into the computer and the format returns to that shown in Figure 2 but showing the new latitude co-ordinate.

The operator may then choose either to return the display to the index 'page' by pressing his finger over the 'IDX' legend, to alter other flight plan destinations by pressing the 'ALT' legend, or to cause the aircraft to steer under the control of the computer to a selected destination by moving the marker 27 to the appropriate destination number and pressing the 'STR' legend.

It will be seen that with systems in accordance with the invention the operator can react directly with the information displayed to gain access to the stored information. The appropriate keyboard functions, relating specifically to the information displayed are presented on the display with the information.

The operator does not have to look up and down between the display and a separate keyboard in order to select the appropriate 'key' and is not required to select from a large number keys irrelevant to a particular operatio In a modification of the system described the panel 1 can be switched to a different mode of operation in which it is used to control the position of an electronic marker on a second display, showing for example, a navigational or radar map, in response to changes in the position of the operator's finger on the panel 1. In this different mode of operation the display portion of the panel may be arranged to display a reference marker providing an indication of the position of the electronic marker on the second display screen. The manner in which the positional control of an electronic marker on a display screen can be implemented using a flat position transducer panel is described in our co-pending British Patent Application No. 10492/76.

(Serial No. 1560791) The position transducer is implemented by capacitive means using an array of discrete capacitive elements responsive to the presence of the operator's finger. More particularly, the capacitive elements comprises the elements of an electroluminescent display panel, the drive conductors of which also act as detectors for sensing changes in the capacitance of the associated elements when an object is placed on the display surface. An indication of the position of the object can thus be obtained by applying suitable addressing potentials to the drive conductors.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An information access and display system comprising an information store, an electroluminescent display screen arranged for presenting information stored in said store, and circuit means responsive to changes in capacitance of elements of said display screen caused by an object, e.g. an operator's finger, being placed on or adjacent the surface of said display screen, said circuit means being arranged to detect the co-ordinates of said object.

2. An information access and display system as claimed in Claim 1, including circuit means arranged to compare the co-ordinates of said object on the display screen with co-ordinates of identifying information presented on the display screen to enable an operator to gain access to stored information identified by the information displayed and selected by appropriate positioning of the object.

3. An information access and display system as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the information stored in the store includes an index of items of information stored in the store, and an item of information can be selected for presentation on the display screen by appropriate positioning of said object while said index is being presented on the display screen.

4. An information access and display system as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the index is divided into classes of information, and a particular class of information can be selected for presentation by appropriate positioning of said object on the part of the index relating to the selected class while the part of the index including the selected class is being presented on the display screen.

5. An information access and display system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the information stored in said store can be modified by appropriate positioning of the object while the information to be modified is being presented on the display screen.

6. An information access and display system as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the presentation on the display screen of the information to be modified is accompanied by the presentation of a keyboard by which information can be entered into the information store by positioning the object over the appropriate key or keys of the keyboard.

7. An information access and display system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the display screen includes a layer of luminescent material and two sets of spaced parallel electrical conductors arranged perpendicular to one another to provide a two dimensional cross-point array of electroluminescent elements, each independently excitable by applying electrical potentials to an appropriate conductor of each set.

8. An information access and display system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. control of an electronic marker on a display screen can be implemented using a flat position transducer panel is described in our co-pending British Patent Application No. 10492/76. (Serial No. 1560791) The position transducer is implemented by capacitive means using an array of discrete capacitive elements responsive to the presence of the operator's finger. More particularly, the capacitive elements comprises the elements of an electroluminescent display panel, the drive conductors of which also act as detectors for sensing changes in the capacitance of the associated elements when an object is placed on the display surface. An indication of the position of the object can thus be obtained by applying suitable addressing potentials to the drive conductors. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An information access and display system comprising an information store, an electroluminescent display screen arranged for presenting information stored in said store, and circuit means responsive to changes in capacitance of elements of said display screen caused by an object, e.g. an operator's finger, being placed on or adjacent the surface of said display screen, said circuit means being arranged to detect the co-ordinates of said object.

2. An information access and display system as claimed in Claim 1, including circuit means arranged to compare the co-ordinates of said object on the display screen with co-ordinates of identifying information presented on the display screen to enable an operator to gain access to stored information identified by the information displayed and selected by appropriate positioning of the object.

3. An information access and display system as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the information stored in the store includes an index of items of information stored in the store, and an item of information can be selected for presentation on the display screen by appropriate positioning of said object while said index is being presented on the display screen.

4. An information access and display system as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the index is divided into classes of information, and a particular class of information can be selected for presentation by appropriate positioning of said object on the part of the index relating to the selected class while the part of the index including the selected class is being presented on the display screen.

5. An information access and display system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the information stored in said store can be modified by appropriate positioning of the object while the information to be modified is being presented on the display screen.

6. An information access and display system as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the presentation on the display screen of the information to be modified is accompanied by the presentation of a keyboard by which information can be entered into the information store by positioning the object over the appropriate key or keys of the keyboard.

7. An information access and display system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the display screen includes a layer of luminescent material and two sets of spaced parallel electrical conductors arranged perpendicular to one another to provide a two dimensional cross-point array of electroluminescent elements, each independently excitable by applying electrical potentials to an appropriate conductor of each set.

8. An information access and display system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.