Control and display unit for anti-missile countermeasures

A countermeasures control interface for

• use in deploying countermeasures from a frame in response to commands from a user in which the countermeasures are deployed from
• a first countermeasure dispenser that deploys a first type of countermeasure and
• a second countermeasure dispenser that deploys a second type of countermeasure that is different from the first type of countermeasure in which the first countermeasure dispenser and the second countermeasure dispenser are selectively activated by a control unit,
• the countermeasures control interface comprising:
• (a) a programmable user interface, in communication with the control unit, that receives the commands from the user regarding deployment of the countermeasures, the user interface including:
• (i) a display that shows a plurality of user-selectable image formats, in which at least one of the user-selectable image formats includes a graphic representation of a current loadout of the first countermeasure dispenser,
• a graphic representation of a current loadout of the second countermeasure dispenser and a graphic representation of a plurality of currently-available options for deploying countermeasures, wherein the display includes a screen that displays graphic representations and wherein the user input device includes a plurality of hard buttons disposed linearly along at least one edge of the screen;
• and
• (ii) a user input device that receives input regarding a countermeasure deployment choice from the user and generates a signal corresponding to the countermeasure deployment choice;
• and
• (b) an electronic circuit that controls the display so as to generate the plurality of user-selectable image formats and that receives the signal corresponding to the countermeasure deployment choice from the user interface and
• that selectively activates both the first countermeasure dispenser and the second countermeasure dispenser so as to cause deployment of the countermeasures according to the countermeasure deployment choice,
• wherein the electronic circuit is programmed to cause the screen to display a plurality of labels wherein each one of the plurality of labels is disposed adjacent to a different one of the hard buttons and is associated therewith,
• wherein the electronic circuit is further programmed to display a set of ladder soft keys underneath at least one of the hard buttons when the user presses the hard button, user input device further configured to receive a user input for selecting one of the ladder soft keys and wherein the electronic circuit is further programmed to take a specific action when one of the set of ladder soft keys is selected by the user.