Electronic checklist system

Claim 1

A computer-based method for accessing, and displaying normal and non-normal checklists that are associated with airplane flight operations, each of said normal checklists including a plurality of checklist line items that define a checklist procedure for use during routine operation of an airplane, each of said non-normal checklists including a plurality of checklist line items that define a checklist procedure for use following an indication of a condition not within the routine operation of said airplane, wherein said normal and non-normal checklists each include one or more open loop line items whose completion must be indicated manually and at least one closed loop line item whose completion is automatically detected by reading an aircraft data bus and wherein said non-normal checklists include one or more checklists associated with crew alert messages that are generated by an airplane crew alert system, said method comprising: establishing a plurality of normal checklists, wherein each normal checklist is associated with a predetermined procedure to be executed by a pilot during the normal operational sequence of said airplane; establishing a first plurality of non-normal checklists, wherein each non-normal checklist is associated with a predetermined procedure to be executed by the pilot during non-normal operation of the airplane, each checklist of said first plurality of non-normal checklists corresponding to a different one of said crew alert messages; establishing an associated series of one or more attributes for each said normal checklist and for each said non-normal checklist, each said series of attributes including a checklist status indicator representative of whether the checklist associated with that particular series of attributes has not been accessed and displayed, has been accessed and displayed without being completed, or has been accessed, displayed, and completed; accessing and displaying said open loop and closed loop line items of said normal and non-normal checklists on a display unit; determining when the pilot has executed the normal and non-normal checklist by reading an aircraft data bus to determine when the pilot has executed a closed loop action item and reading a signal from the pilot that an open loop action item has been completed; and providing a visual indication to the pilot on the display unit confirming that the open loop and closed loop line items have been completed.