Airbus has patented a "windowless cockpit" it said will actually increase the field of view of pilots and improve pilot visibility.

This counterintuitive cockpit concept will replace the array of glass windows in the traditional cockpit with a virtual cockpit display viewed on huge 3D monitors. It will also relocate the cockpit to the nose of the aircraft, which designers claim is the ideal location for a cockpit.

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The Airbus patent reveals a windowless cockpit that either does away with glass windows altogether or reduces the windows to small vision slits.

Inside the new, windowless cockpit, the pilots' view of the sky and the outside world will be provided by 3D displays whose virtual images will be created by back projection lasers, holograms or OLED imaging systems.

The windowless 3D system should widen the pilots' field of view and provide more flexibility about what images are displayed and how it's displayed.

Images projected onto the 3D display will come from an array of cameras located on the fuselage. Augmented reality technology will be used to highlight weather conditions, air routes, hazards and other critical pilot information.

There will be holographic displays of a globe displaying navigation and weather data. In addition, there will be stereo cameras for taxiing and parking.

The patent application said the revolutionary design will reduce the weight of future Airbus aircraft, contributing to better fuel efficiency.

Security for the pilots will be increased since the cabin can be made more "hardened."

A windowless cockpit will also transform the front end of the jet into a smooth aluminum cone. Airbus, however, argues passenger aircraft with windowless cockpits could be the airliner of the future.