Abstract: Whenever an avionics computer system receives a flight plan, the avionics computer system performs rules-based conformity checks with respect to a predefine set of rules/thresholds. The rules may be general aviation best practices (no rate of elevation change beyond some threshold, no single change in direction beyond some threshold, etc.) or specific to the aircraft (no violation of an operational ceiling, no violation of some defined fuel reserve, etc.). Violations of the rules and criteria are communicated to crew members via visual indicia of such violations, including the relative severity.

Abstract: A system and method for offloading Future Air Navigation System (FANS) and Automated Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) functionality from the flight management system (FMS) to an aircraft-based communications management unit (CMU) receives intent data outputs from the FMS, each intent data output including aircraft state and trajectory intent data. Based on the received intent data outputs, the CMU generates a dynamic route representation approximating the aircraft route, inferring and connecting waypoints without otherwise querying the FMS or the pilot for additional data. The CMU receives inbound messages related to ADS-C contracts established with the aircraft by air traffic control (ATC) ground stations and, based on the dynamic route, generates and transmits any necessary ADS-C reports to the ATC ground stations. Further, the CMU queries aircraft-based absolute and relative navigational systems to verify navigational system availability and accuracy status with each ADS-C report.

Abstract: Neutron single effect events are mitigated using gadolinium. Layers of gadolinium are fully encapsulated as part of an airborne electronic hardware, in circuit boards, in heat sinks, and as part of the device packaging. The gadolinium layers are designed to shield semiconductor chips from neutrons. Shielding the semiconductor chips from the neutrons reduces the upset rate of device packages using the semiconductor ships.

Abstract: A system may include at least one processor configured to: obtain data of an aircraft, the data including and/or associated a flight path vector (FPV) and/or a flight path predictor (FPP); obtain image sensor data output; identify features associated with a runway; determine that the identified features are indicative of the runway; determine a touch down zone on the runway; determine whether the FPV and/or the FPP is in the touch down zone when the aircraft is at a decision altitude and/or is predicted to be in the touch down zone when the aircraft will be at the decision altitude; and (i) output a notification to proceed with a landing procedure, (ii) perform an operation configured to cause the aircraft to proceed with the landing procedure, (iii) output a notification to perform a go-around procedure, and/or (iv) perform an operation configured to cause the aircraft to perform the go-around procedure.

Abstract: A remote avionics display device connected to a source graphics generator device receives image data from the source device and presents an avionics display via a touch-sensitive display surface. The avionics display includes a set of display windows, each display window having a size and function defined by window context data. Touch sensors detect user contact points on the display surface. The remote ADD translates the sensed contact points into potential command/control gestures by correlating the contact points with window context data to determine which display window each contact is located and to which gesture each contact or set of contacts corresponds based on the window context data and current touch data structures for the appropriate display window. The remote ADD sends sensed contact points and the corresponding potential gesture data back to the source graphics generator.

Abstract: A system for displaying carbon savings to a user is disclosed. The system may include one or more carbon savings input devices. The one or more carbon savings input devices may include at least one of a flight management system, a fuel system, an air data system, and an engine control system. The system may include one or more user interface devices including one or more displays. The system may include one or more controllers including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to: receive one or more carbon savings inputs from the carbon savings input devices; calculate a carbon savings value based on the received carbon savings inputs; and generate one or more control signals configured to cause the display of the user interface device to display the calculated carbon savings value to the user.

Abstract: Whenever an avionics computer system receives a flight plan, the avionics computer system performs rules-based conformity checks with respect to a predefine set of rules/thresholds. The rules may be general aviation best practices (no rate of elevation change beyond some threshold, no single change in direction beyond some threshold, etc.) or specific to the aircraft (no violation of an operational ceiling, no violation of some defined fuel reserve, etc.). Violations of the rules and criteria are communicated to crew members via visual indicia of such violations, including the relative severity.

Abstract: A system for displaying carbon savings to a user is disclosed. The system may include one or more carbon savings input devices. The one or more carbon savings input devices may include at least one of a flight management system, a fuel system, an air data system, and an engine control system. The system may include one or more user interface devices including one or more displays. The system may include one or more controllers including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to: receive one or more carbon savings inputs from the carbon savings input devices; calculate a carbon savings value based on the received carbon savings inputs; and generate one or more control signals configured to cause the display of the user interface device to display the calculated carbon savings value to the user.

Abstract: A system and method for offloading Future Air Navigation System (FANS) and Automated Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) functionality from the flight management system (FMS) to an aircraft-based communications management unit (CMU) receives intent data outputs from the FMS, each intent data output including aircraft state and trajectory intent data. Based on the received intent data outputs, the CMU generates a dynamic route representation approximating the aircraft route, inferring and connecting waypoints without otherwise querying the FMS or the pilot for additional data. The CMU receives inbound messages related to ADS-C contracts established with the aircraft by air traffic control (ATC) ground stations and, based on the dynamic route, generates and transmits any necessary ADS-C reports to the ATC ground stations. Further, the CMU queries aircraft-based absolute and relative navigational systems to verify navigational system availability and accuracy status with each ADS-C report.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for design of a suite of multispectral (MS) sensors and processing of enhanced data streams produced by the sensors for autonomous aircraft flight. The onboard suite of MS sensors is specifically configured to sense and use a MS variety of sensor-tuned objects, either strategically placed objects and/or surveyed and sensor significant existing objects to determine a position and verify position accuracy. The received MS sensor data enables an autonomous aircraft object identification and positioning system to correlate MS sensor data output with a-priori information stored onboard to determine and verify position and trajectory of the autonomous aircraft. Once position and trajectory are known, the object identification and positioning system commands the autonomous aircraft flight management system and autopilot control of the autonomous aircraft.

Abstract: A system and related method operates to receive autopilot selection and monitor aircraft systems to control which autopilot is actively flying the aircraft. During certain flight operations in which a single autopilot is in use, the system reverts to the next available autopilot should the active and selected autopilot disconnect for any reason (e.g., faults and/or failures). The system maintains a redundant ability for pilot use of each pilot selectable mode of each autopilot channel including altitude hold, speed hold, heading hold, etc. For an indication to a pilot or remote operator that the system has reverted to a second autopilot, the system commands a momentary aural warning and a visual message/lights. For failures resulting in timely but necessary maneuver requirements, the system maintains autopilot control laws, control authority and roll authority.

Abstract: A system may include a display and a processor. The display may be configured to present images to a user, the display in an ownship. The processor may be communicatively coupled to the display and in the ownship. The processor may be configured to: receive aircraft traffic data and ownship data; at least one of determine or adjust a threshold range based at least on the aircraft traffic data and the ownship data, the threshold range representing a time or distance threshold to designated traffic; generate and update a graphical threshold indicator, the threshold indicator representing a time or distance from the threshold range to the designated traffic; and output the graphical threshold indicator as graphical data to the display. The display may be configured to display the graphical threshold indicator to the user.

Abstract: A system may include a display and a processor. The processor may be configured to: receive aircraft traffic data and ownship data; generate and update a linear map based on the aircraft traffic data and the ownship data; and output the linear map as graphical data to the display. The display may be configured to display the linear map to a user. The linear map may depict a one-dimensional relationship between an ownship and designated traffic. The linear map may convey a range between the ownship and the designated traffic and may convey a closure rate between the ownship and the designated traffic. The linear map may include: a graphical threshold indicator; a graphical ownship indicator; a graphical scale; and a graphical designated traffic indicator.

Abstract: A federated display system includes multiple head down displays (HDD) driven by two or more display processing computers (DPC). Each DPC includes two or more display nodes independently managing display processing, graphics generation, and I/O functionality (either within a single processing unit or a multiprocessor environment). Each display node is linked to a mezzanine control plane (MCP) independent of the display nodes, which MCP includes dedicated optical channels to each member HDD of the system and a switching fabric to control the routing of graphical signals from the graphics generators of each node to the optical channel connected to the desired target HDD. The switching fabric includes a master selector for designating any node of a DPC as a master node capable of controlling the switching fabric via its processing control or graphics generation functions.

Abstract: A federated display system includes multiple head down displays (HDD) driven by two or more display processing computers (DPC). Each DPC includes two or more display nodes independently managing display processing, graphics generation, and I/O functionality (either within a single processing unit or a multiprocessor environment). Each display node is linked to a mezzanine control plane (MCP) independent of the display nodes, which MCP includes dedicated optical channels to each member HDD of the system and a switching fabric to control the routing of graphical signals from the graphics generators of each node to the optical channel connected to the desired target HDD. The switching fabric includes a master selector for designating any node of a DPC as a master node capable of controlling the switching fabric via its processing control or graphics generation functions.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for design of a suite of multispectral (MS) sensors and processing of enhanced data streams produced by the sensors for autonomous aircraft flight. The onboard suite of MS sensors is specifically configured to sense and use a MS variety of sensor-tuned objects, either strategically placed objects and/or surveyed and sensor significant existing objects to determine a position and verify position accuracy. The received MS sensor data enables an autonomous aircraft object identification and positioning system to correlate MS sensor data output with a-priori information stored onboard to determine and verify position and trajectory of the autonomous aircraft. Once position and trajectory are known, the object identification and positioning system commands the autonomous aircraft flight management system and autopilot control of the autonomous aircraft.

Abstract: An LCD is described. The LCD includes an LCD panel and a backlight. The LCD panel includes a plurality of LCD elements arranged in an array, each element configured to change its light transmission based on a voltage applied to the LCD element. The backlight is configured to provide light to the LCD elements of the LCD panel. The backlight includes one or more visible light elements providing visible light to the LCD panel, and includes one or more non-visible light elements, different from the visible light elements, providing non-visible light to the LCD panel at a wavelength such that the non-visible light increases the photoconductivity of the LCD elements.

Abstract: An aircraft computer system includes segregated processing elements, each executing an autonomous agent. Each autonomous agent receives a set of data pertaining to aircraft events and processes the data to identify a set of instructions for resolving the event. Each autonomous agent then compares all competing solutions to determine if each autonomous agent agrees; if so, the solution is implemented, if not, the disparity is resolved either automatically via a voting algorithm or with the intervention of a human decision maker.

Abstract: Transparently executing applications among cores in a multi-processor system includes monitoring elements associated with each processor which align execution of threads within corresponding cores of the processors. Alignment is accomplished by monitoring system resource utilization by each core, comparing process counters associated with corresponding cores, and comparing data sets in and out during application frame switching. In a further aspect, inputs are coordinated by a synchronization element. Likewise, outputs for corresponding cores are compared to ensure no corrupted data is propagated.

Abstract: A decentralized Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architecture configured for onboard avionics processing eliminates centralized computing cabinets and distributes avionics processing capabilities to a network of smart switching devices positioned throughout the aircraft, each smart switch including a multicore processing environment (MCPE) for generalized application hosting in addition to the switching elements. The smart switching network can be scaled up or down for smaller or larger aircraft, or organically grown by adding more processing components. Additional real-time multicore processors may be located in smart remote data concentrators (RDC) for handling I/O and routing of network data between external remote units and aircraft systems and the hosted applications on the smart switches. The real-time environments executing on the smart RDCs may be reserved for low-latency closed-loop functions, or may host additional general-purpose avionics processing.