Abstract: A method for displaying current operating parameters of an aircraft, by substantially simultaneously displaying first, second and third icons. The first icon represents the aircraft. The second icon includes a graphical crosshair having two independently positionable portions that together form a graphical crosshair positioned proximal to the first icon. The third icon on the display represents the current track or course of the aircraft, and may be formed as an arrow pointing in the direction of the current track or course, and has a length representative of the current speed of the aircraft. The three icons are preferably located within a background that may overlay other information, such as a map, on the display, and together provide greater situational awareness to the pilot by placing important information on the display in a useful format and at the portion of the display to which the pilot devotes primary attention.

Abstract: A flat panel display system for an aircraft display includes a graphics rendering computer for rendering of anti-aliased graphical imaging data derived from aircraft sensors for full-field imaging on a cockpit display screen. A comparator processor independently generates, from the same sensor data, a selected subset or “points of light” of the display screen image and compares the points of light data to the data generated by the rendering computer for the same display screen pixel locations. The minimized processing requirements and simplified design of the comparator processor enable ready FAA certification of the comparator processor, whereas the extreme complexity and processing operations required of the rendering computer make FAA certification thereof unusually time consuming and expensive.

Abstract: A method and system for providing an easily recognizable visual feedback to a user in a multi-parameter aircraft instrument display, such as a flat panel display, of manually induced variations in individually selected manually adjustable data associated with a selected one of a plurality of displayable parameters in a simultaneous display of these parameters. The method and system provides visual confirmation of the parameter being manually varied in response to such manual variations by enlarging the display of the selected parameter, such as by zooming out the displayed image of the selected parameter to between two and four times its normal size in response to the manual variation of this parameter, and returns the image size to its original size, such as by zooming in, in response to a cessation in the manual adjustments by the user of the associated dimensional data, such as within a predetermined interval after such cessation, such as two to four seconds thereafter.

Abstract: An improved aircraft instrument flight display system employs primary and secondary video graphics processors for generating graphics video imaging information. Both the primary and secondary video graphics processors have associated potential failure threads and are preferably chosen to have different potential failure threads so that the same failure problem will not have a tendency to occur in both of the video graphics processors. The primary video graphics processor generates a graphical display of the aircraft flight information for use by the flight crew in operating the aircraft. The system also includes a video switch for switching between the primary and secondary video graphics processors under control of the integrity checking processor based on the integrity of the graphical display provided by the primary video graphics processor.

Abstract: An improvement over prior art aircraft instrument flight display systems for imaging on a bit-mapped display formed of a multiplicity of individually addressable pixels at locations throughout the display and actuatable to create images on the display, employs a common processor operatively connected between a video graphics processor and the display system input of a common set of aircraft and environmental sensor data—to provide both an integrity checking function and a graphics rendering function in which the integrity checking function can directly check the images generated by the graphics rendering function without the need for comparator hardware. Separate processors may also be employed instead of a common processor. The integrity checking function uses the input information for generating a pixel verification map for checking the display based on pixel color and location.

Abstract: An aircraft cockpit flight deck data display system for displaying, on a viewable display screen, typically anti-aliased graphical imaging data derived from aircraft sensors, generates or receives graphics processing language (GPL) commands that define the information intended for presentation on the display screen. The GPL commands are input to a video graphics processor that is operable to interpret the received GPL commands and to generate therefrom video imaging data transferable to the display screen to populate the screen with the intended information. The same GPL commands are also input to a comparator processor that is operable to interpret the received GPL commands and to generate therefrom selected “points of light”, comprising a limited subset of the video imaging data generated by the video graphics processor.

Abstract: Dynamic monitoring of the amount of fuel remaining in an aircraft fuel tank is effected by delivering a constant volume flow of an inert gas into the fuel through the respective open distal ends of a sensor conduit tube and a reference conduit tube, each of which extends from a proximal end exterior of the tank to its respective distal open end located within the fuel tank. The sensor conduit tube distal end is fixed closely proximate the bottom of the tank, and the reference conduit tube distal end is fixed proximate but at a vertical spacing h from the sensor conduit tube distal end. The pressure at which the gas is delivered into the fuel at the constant volumetric rate through each of the sensor and reference conduit tubes is monitored. The pressure difference between the monitored pressure in the sensor conduit tube and the pressure in the free space in the fuel tank above the surface of the remaining fuel is directly proportional to the weight of the fuel lying above the sensor conduit tube distal end.

Abstract: A flat panel display system for an aircraft display includes a graphics rendering computer for rendering of anti-aliased graphical imaging data derived from aircraft sensors for full-field imaging on a cockpit display screen. A comparator processor independently generates, from the same sensor data, a selected subset or “points of light” of the display screen image and compares the points of light data to the data generated by the rendering computer for the same display screen pixel locations. The minimized processing requirements and simplified design of the comparator processor enable ready FAA certification of the comparator processor, whereas the extreme complexity and processing operations required of the rendering computer make FAA certification thereof unusually time consuming and expensive.