Method and system for autoflight information display

A computer-implemented method for displaying information corresponding to automatic aircraft control functions, comprising:

• displaying an aircraft speed at a first region of a display medium;
• displaying an aircraft altitude at a second region of the display medium different than the first region of the display medium;
• displaying alphanumeric autopilot mode information at at least one of a first location and a second location of the display medium, the first location being aligned with the first region of the display medium, the second location being aligned with the second region of the display medium, the alphanumeric autopilot mode information corresponding to operation of an aircraft autopilot;
• displaying alphanumeric autothrottle mode information at at least one of a third location and a fourth location of the display medium, the third location being aligned with the first region of the display medium, the fourth location being aligned with the second region of the display medium, the autothrottle mode information corresponding to operation of an aircraft autothrottle;
• if the autopilot is controlling aircraft pitch based at least in part on a target aircraft speed, displaying at least a portion of the alphanumeric autopilot mode information at the first location of the display medium, and if the autopilot is not controlling aircraft pitch based at least in part on the target aircraft speed, displaying at least a portion of the alphanumeric autopilot mode information at the second location of the display medium;
• and
• if the autothrottle is controlling an aircraft engine based at least in part on the target aircraft speed, displaying at least a portion of the alphanumeric autothrottle mode information at the third location of the display medium, and if the autothrottle is not controlling the aircraft engine based at least in part on the target aircraft speed, displaying at least a portion of the alphanumeric autothrottle mode information at the fourth location of the display medium.

A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing device to display information corresponding to the operation of an automatic aircraft control device by performing a method comprising:

• receiving information corresponding to the operation of an automatic aircraft control device;
• if the control device is controlling an aircraft function based at least in part on a target aircraft speed, displaying alphanumeric information corresponding to the operation of the automatic aircraft control device at a first location of a display medium;
• and
• if the control device is not controlling the aircraft function based at least in part on a target aircraft speed, displaying the alphanumeric information at a second location of the display medium different than the first location.

A computer system for displaying information corresponding to the operation of an automatic aircraft controller, comprising:

• a display medium capable of displaying the information;
• and
• a memory with contents capable of:
• displaying alphanumeric information corresponding to the operation of the automatic aircraft controller at a first location of the display medium when the automatic aircraft controller is controlling an aircraft function based at least in part on a target aircraft speed;
• and
• displaying the alphanumeric information at a second location of the display medium different than the first location when the automatic aircraft controller is not controlling the aircraft function based at least in part on a target aircraft speed.