Methods and systems for graphically displaying sources for and natures of aircraft flight control instructions

A computer-implemented method for presenting aircraft control and navigation information, comprising:

• displaying a map of a region at least proximate to an aircraft at a flight deck of the aircraft;
• displaying an aircraft indicator superimposed on the map, the aircraft indicator identifying a current location of the aircraft;
• superimposing on the map an indication of a current mode by which a flight path of the aircraft is currently being automatically controlled;
• superimposing on the map a strategic flight plan route including at least one segment to be initiated automatically when the aircraft meets a threshold condition;
• when the aircraft is not being automatically controlled to the flight plan route, displaying a current tactical route to which the aircraft is being automatically controlled and displaying an indication of where the current tactical route will transition to the strategic flight plan route if the current tactical route intersects the strategic flight plan route;
• displaying an indication of a vertical speed required to make a transition from the current route to the flight plan route;
• when the operator authorizes a directive that is not part of the strategic flight plan route, displaying a tactical route to which the aircraft will subsequently be controlled to comply with an operator-authorized directive that is not part of the strategic flight plan route;
• and
• ceasing to display the strategic flight plan route when the location of the aircraft deviates from the strategic flight plan route by at least a threshold amount.

A computer-implemented method for presenting aircraft control and navigation information, comprising:

• displaying a map of a region at least proximate to an aircraft;
• displaying at least proximate to the map an indication of which flight mode the aircraft will enter when an operator authorizes an altitude target via an input device, wherein the input device is configured to direct motion of the aircraft to a target only upon authorization from an operator;
• and
• displaying proximate to the map a textual indicator identifying an effect of authorizing the target.

A system for presenting aircraft control and navigation information, comprising:

• a computer-readable medium having contents capable of performing a method that includes:
• displaying at a display medium a map of a region at least proximate to an aircraft;
• displaying an aircraft indicator at least proximate to the map, the aircraft indicator identifying a current location of the aircraft;
• updating a location of the aircraft indicator relative to the map as the aircraft executes a flight;
• displaying at least proximate to the map an indication of a current mode, including a pitch mode, by which a flight path of the aircraft is currently being automatically controlled;
• and
• displaying an indication of an airspeed target at least proximate to the map, the airspeed target being provided by a flight plan, the flight plan including at least one flight segment to be initiated automatically when the aircraft meets a threshold condition, and wherein displaying the airspeed target includes displaying the airspeed target in a first manner when the aircraft is being controlled to the airspeed target, and displaying the airspeed target in a second manner different than the first manner when the aircraft is not being controlled to the airspeed target.

A system for presenting aircraft control and navigation information, comprising:

• a flight guidance computer including:
• a first portion configured to receive instructions for flight segments to be automatically initiated upon authorization by an operator, the first portion including an input device to receive an authorization input from the operator;
• a second portion configured to receive and store instructions for flight segments to be initiated at future times upon meeting corresponding threshold conditions;
• and
• a computer-readable medium having contents capable of:
• displaying a map of a region at least proximate to an aircraft;
• displaying at least proximate to the map an indication of which flight mode the aircraft will enter when the operator authorizes an altitude target at the input device;
• displaying a flight plan route, the flight plan route including at least one segment to be initiated automatically when the aircraft meets a threshold condition;
• when the aircraft is not being automatically controlled to the flight plan route, displaying a current route to which the aircraft is being automatically controlled;
• displaying an indication of where the current route will transition to the flight plan route;
• and
• displaying an indication of a vertical speed required to make a transition from the current route to the flight plan route.

A computer-implemented method for presenting aircraft control and navigation information, comprising:

• displaying at a display medium a map of a region at least proximate to an aircraft;
• displaying an aircraft indicator at least proximate to the map, the aircraft indicator identifying a current location of the aircraft;
• updating a location of the aircraft indicator relative to the map as the aircraft executes a flight;
• displaying at least proximate to the map an indication of a current mode by which a flight path of the aircraft is currently being automatically controlled including a pitch mode;
• and
• displaying an indication of an airspeed target at least proximate to the map, the airspeed target begin provided by a flight plan, the flight plan including at least one flight segment to be initiated automatically when the aircraft meets a threshold condition, and wherein displaying the airspeed target includes displaying the airspeed target in a first manner when the aircraft is being controlled to the airspeed target, and displaying the airspeed target in a second manner different than the first manner when the aircraft is not being controlled to the airspeed target.