Abstract: An apparatus and method for illuminating a projection display which includes multiple light sources which are integrated through a multi-input ported light pipe disposed between the multiple lamps and the remainder of the projection display.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for displaying Flight Management System (FMS) and other information whereby menu options are selected by merely clicking a mouse, cursor or other type of button and advancing through the available menu options in a cyclical manner, such that no cursor movement is required to select among the various menu options.

Abstract: An adaptive radar scanning system for an aircraft includes a radar antenna that is angularly movable to scan across a full scan range. A control system operates the radar antenna to scan in an adjusted scan range based on information related to a heading of the aircraft. As a result, the radar system is able to provide more weather information in the direction of a turn, by truncating the scan range of the radar antenna in the direction away from the turn.

Abstract: An in-flight entertainment system provides live video/audio programming to passengers and operators over an aircraft video/audio distribution system. The programming signals are derived from satellite broadcast signals that may be in either circular polarized form or linear polarized form. The broadcast signals are collected by two probes and extracted as right and left circular polarized signals. The right and left circular polarized signals are converted into either circular or linear polarized IF signals, and the IF signals are processed by a receiver/decoder unit to produce the live video/audio programming signals.

Abstract: A high-isolation polarization diverse circular waveguide orthomode feed apparatus capable of supporting any arbitrary linear, right-hand circular, left-hand circular or elliptically polarized electromagnetic wave with desirable performance over a broad range of frequencies and small size is disclosed. The waveguide feed employs the combination of a circular waveguide segment, stepped septum polarizer, and a novel arrangement of diametrically opposed electric field probes in the bifurcated region of the circular waveguide segment to achieve low crosspolarization when operating in arbitrary linear mode and high-isolation for rejection of undesired cross-polarization components when operating in circular or elliptical polarization mode. This apparatus is an elegant, simple, compact, rugged, and cost effective design that is applicable to a broad family of microwave antennas, but in particular those required to meet minimal radome swept volume requirements.

Abstract: A method and system for managing communication resources between nodes in a network, and more particularly to a dynamic distributed multi-channel time division multiple access (TDMA) slot assignment method is presented. The method and apparatus include a set of higher level heuristics that enable the wireless channel access scheme to address predetermined characteristics of the wireless channel access system. These predetermined heuristics include using bootstrap slots, adaptive broadcast cycles, channelized neighborhoods, standby slots, speculation slots, neighbor segregation, hard circuits, and soft circuits.

Abstract: An air traffic control system in which an airborne GPS receiver on a trans-oceanic flight is provided pseudo range correction data and satellite integrity information from a group of terrestrial HF transmitters, transmitting on a common set of frequencies and using a time division multiplexing scheme.

Abstract: System software that enable a passenger entertainment system on a vehicle. The passenger entertainment system is configured and operated using the system software to provide passenger entertainment services including audio and video on-demand, information dissemination, product and service order processing, video teleconferencing and data communication services between passengers on-board the vehicle using a local networks, and between passengers and people and computers off-board the vehicle using a communications link. The system software is used to route and process passenger transactions (requests for services) from requesting computer processors and dispatch appropriate resources to fulfill the transactions. To achieve this, a passenger transaction is transmitted from a passenger-controlled component to a message processor. The message processor decodes the passenger transaction and generating a request in a predetermined format. The request is transmitted to a transaction dispatcher for routing.

Abstract: A tiled projection display for use in an aviation environment which has fail operational capabilities without providing for fully redundant spare projectors. The system includes optics for redirecting light from one projector to a central position between an adjacent projector and involves the methods of switching light from one projector to project images for an additional adjacent projector in the event of a projector failure.

Abstract: A method of backlighting a flat panel display over an expanded dimming range includes providing a backlight including multiple cold cathode fluorescent lamps positionable directly behind a diffuser. Each of multiple drive circuits is adapted to independently adjust arc current of at least one of the multiple cold cathode fluorescent lamps in order to change the luminance output of the at least one of the cold cathode fluorescent lamps. Control signals are provided to each of the multiple drive circuits to separately control luminance output of different cold cathode fluorescent lamps such that at the same instant the different cold cathode fluorescent lamps are driven to substantially different luminance intensities, thereby allowing a reduction of an overall minimum luminance provided by the backlight and expanding the dimmable range of the backlight. A backlight implementing the methods of the invention is also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for measuring a velocity and/or position of a body includes a magnetometer and a measurement unit. The magnetometer is configured to sense a magnetic flux to which the body is exposed. The measurement unit includes a sensor sensing one of an acceleration and a velocity of the body. The measurement unit also includes a processor coupled to the magnetometer and to the measurement unit and configured to determine one on a velocity value and a position value for the body based on the sensed magnetic flux and based or one of the sensed acceleration and the sensed velocity of the body.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of deriving a ground speed of an aircraft on a descent along a flight path. A vertical speed signal is produced as a function of an altitude signal and a vertical acceleration signal. The vertical speed signal is transformed to a nominal ground speed signal based upon a glide slope defined by a glide slope beam. A correction is produced based on a glide slope deviation rate representative of deviation of the aircraft from the glide slope. The nominal ground speed signal is corrected with the correction to produce a corrected ground speed signal. The corrected ground speed signal is filtered with a horizontal acceleration signal and a runway heading signal to produce a smoothed ground speed signal.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for processing and encoding audio information. An audio transducer receives audio information, preferably continuously, and converts the audio information into a signal representative of the audio information. A digital processing system receives the signal and electronically processes the audio signal. An optical processing system operatively couples with the digital processing system and performs a signal processing algorithm on the signal whereby the signal is encoded. The encoded signal is optimized for transmission over a very low bandwidth transmission channel. The encoded signal may be received and decoded with a system that may include a second optical processing and/or memory system.

Abstract: A method and system for managing communication resources between nodes in a network, and more particularly to a dynamic distributed multi-channel time division multiple access (TDMA) slot assignment method is presented. The method and apparatus include a set of higher level heuristics that enable the wireless channel access scheme to address predetermined characteristics of the wireless channel access system. These predetermined heuristics include using bootstrap slots, adaptive broadcast cycles, channelized neighborhoods, standby slots, speculation slots, neighbor segregation, hard circuits, and soft circuits.

Abstract: A method of excising one or more narrow-band interfering signals in a direct sequence spread spectrum receiver that performs a magnitude spectral analysis on baseband signals in a detection channel to determine which frequency bins in the spectral analysis output contain the interfering narrow-band signals by comparing the magnitude of the signals in the frequency bins to a threshold. The corrupted frequency bins are determined by the signal magnitudes exceeding the threshold and band reject filters excise the narrow-band signals in the signal channel in accordance with the corrupted frequency bins.

Abstract: A radio transceiver includes an alternate channel searching algorithm that reduces alternate channel search times. The alternate channel search algorithm determines the actual availability of alternate channels by receiving squitter messages. The alternate channels are ranked according to signal-to-noise ratios and displayed for selection by an operator. The squitter messages are received while the radio is not communicating on the main channel.

Abstract: A step attenuator for use in attenuating an electromagnetic signal. The step attenuator includes a first path having a plurality of attenuator structures provided therein, each attenuator structure being selectively actuated to permit the signal to pass therethrough. A second path is disposed in parallel with the first path, the second path permitting the signal to selectively bypass the first path. A third path is disposed in series with the first and second paths and includes at least one attenuator structure that is selectively actuated to permit the signal to pass therethrough.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for illuminating a tiled projection display which includes a first polarizing beam splitting prism which separates incident light into two beams of orthogonally polarized light, where one of the beams is directed to a first LCD, and the other is caused to cross over to and illuminate an adjacent LCD.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for displaying flight information on a multi-functional avionics display where the display is divided into quadrants and a pop-up menu of available instrument functions to be displayed is provided within and for each of the quadrants, and the size of the display of the instrument functions is dynamically changed in response to manual and automatic stimuli.

Abstract: A lighting system is disclosed. The lighting system includes a first selectively actuated light module that emits light having a first polarization orientation. A second selectively actuated light module emits light having a second polarization orientation that is orthogonal to the first polarization orientation. A first combining element combines and directs light from the first and second light modules into an optical path. A first polarization alignment element aligns the polarization of light from the first combining element to a predetermined polarization orientation. The first and second light modules are selectively actuated to ensure that light having the predetermined polarization orientation is substantially constantly emitted when desired.