Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring aircraft to mitigate potential loss of communication scenarios. One exemplary method involves monitoring a plurality of communications channels using an onboard communications system, maintaining associations between respective communications channel assignments and respective operational contexts based on the plurality of clearance communications, and in response to detecting a change in an operational context of the aircraft, providing indication of a recommended communications channel based on an association between the recommended communications channel and one of the plurality of different operational contexts corresponding to a current operational context of the aircraft.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assisting operation of a vehicle using speech recognition. One method involves automatically identifying an input element based at least in part on an audio communication with respect to the vehicle, identifying one or more constraints associated with the input element, obtaining a limited command vocabulary for the input element using the one or more constraints, and automatically constructing a contextual speech recognition graph for the input element prior to user selection of the input element using the limited command vocabulary. Thereafter, subsequently received audio input is recognized using the contextual speech recognition graph that was automatically and prospectively generated.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assisting operation of a vehicle using speech recognition and transcription to provide a conversation log graphical user interface (GUI) display that consolidates communications with respect to the vehicle. One method involves receiving a data message from a system onboard the vehicle and generating a graphical representation of the data message within the conversation log GUI display, wherein the graphical representation of the data message includes a selectable element and is displayed on the conversation log GUI display concurrently with a graphical representation of a transcription of an audio communication with respect to the vehicle. The depicted data message and transcription are chronologically positioned with respect to one another in accordance with a timestamp associated with the data message. The conversation log GUI display dynamically updates in response to selection of the selectable element.

Abstract: Methods and systems for speech recognition in an aircraft are disclosed. Methods and systems include executing an air traffic control transcription application using first acoustic and language models and executing a command and control speech recognition application using second acoustic and language models. Flight context data is processed to identify additional words not included in training of the second acoustic and language model but included in training of the first acoustic and language models. Acoustic and language model parameters are extracted corresponding to the additional words from the first acoustic and language models. The extracted acoustic and language model parameters are added to the second acoustic and language models. An aircraft control command is generated that encapsulates at least one of the additional words using the command and control speech recognition application.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a searchlight mounted to an aerial vehicle. The systems and methods receive angular data representing a directional angle of a beam of the searchlight and location data representing a global location of the aerial vehicle from a sensor system of the aerial vehicle. The systems and methods determine coverage of the beam of the searchlight on ground based on the angular data and the location data. Based on the coverage of the beam, the aerial vehicle is controlled to change the global location, the display is controlled to depict the coverage of the beam on a map including historical coverage of the beam, and/or the searchlight actuator is controlled to adjust the direction of the beam.

Abstract: Systems and methods for defining a custom fix via a graphical user interface (GUI) for operation of an aircraft. The method includes uniquely sized and arranged custom fix dialog GUI windows that are displayed on an active avionic display, the custom fix dialog windows having preprogrammed arrangements of GUI objects. The GUI objects allow a user to select between custom airports or custom runways, and to select between create, edit, and store custom fix functions. The method decodes and sequences user input, as related to the displayed GUI objects. Embodiments keep track of required data fields for respective custom fixes, and store custom fix data in a custom database that is compatible with the navigation database and avionic display systems.

Abstract: An aircraft search and rescue mission effectiveness system includes a display device, a searchlight assembly, and a searchlight processing system. The searchlight assembly emits a light beam toward, and thus illuminates, a point of interest, and supplies beam data that includes at least light beam orientation and distance from the searchlight assembly to the point of interest. The searchlight processing system receives aircraft data and is configured to: process the aircraft data and the beam data to generate and supply geographic coordinate data for the point of interest, command the display device to render an image that includes at least a graphical representation of the point of interest and the geographic coordinate data for the point of interest, receive a user input command, and in response to receiving the user input command, to transmit the geographic coordinate data to one or more aircraft avionics systems.

Abstract: Systems and methods for converting voice to text messages in an aircraft. The systems and methods transcribe voice messages between a member of the flight crew and Air Traffic Control (ATC) to provide ATC text messages, transcribe a voice-automatic terminal information service report (voice-ATIS) to provide an ATIS text report, determine flight context data based at least on an analysis of the ATC text messages, determine relevant ATIS data from the ATIS text report using the flight context data, and render a visual User Interface (UI) including at least some of the ATC text messages and at least some of the relevant ATIS data on the same ATC transcription page.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assisting operation of a vehicle using speech recognition. One method involves recognizing an audio input as an input voice command including a commanded value for an operational subject, automatically identifying an expected value for the operational subject that is different from the commanded value, providing a graphical representation of the input voice command on a graphical user interface (GUI) display and providing a selectable GUI element associated with the expected value for the operational subject on the GUI display. After selection of the selectable GUI element, a destination system associated with the vehicle is commanded to execute a command corresponding to the input voice command using the expected value for the operational subject.

Abstract: Systems and methods to identify a query parameter in an incoming flight voice or data communication to respond to a request. A processing system configured to: in response to receipt of a clearance message, decode the clearance message to determine whether the clearance message contains a command instruction or clearance data for a flight, and to present the command instruction to a pilot as notice to execute the command instruction or if available, obtain at least one query parameter from the clearance data to configure in a query operation to present in response to a pilot question about the command instruction. In response to receipt of the voice or data communication, determine further an intent within the voice or data communication of a question or instruction voiced by applying an acoustic model for tagging identified parts about the question or instruction voiced with query parameters in response to the pilot.

Abstract: Systems and methods for contextual alerts during ground operations are provided. The system generates unique alerts for each type of hot-spot and commands a display system to render an image of the route, the relevant signage features, and the hot-spots. The system receives an assigned runway and references an airport features database to construct a route and travel direction for the aircraft. The system analyzes the signage features associated with the route and identifies the relevant signage features. The system processes the route with external inputs, such as notices to airmen (NOTAM), traffic data, and novel rules and data tables, from which the system identifies various kinds of hot-spots. The hot-spots include those that are aerodrome design based, those that are traffic related, and those that are temporal, based on short term closures or operational scenarios.

Abstract: A system for predicting the timing for ownship clearance instructions is provided. The system is configured to: collect communications between air traffic control (ATC) and other aerial vehicles; group the collected communications; derive an average time between successive instructions from ATC to an aerial vehicle; derive an average time for a following instruction in a specific time interval; generate a clearance instruction prediction model that is configured to predict a time by which an ownship will receive a subsequence clearance instruction, based on the average time between successive instructions from ATC to an aerial vehicle, the average time for a following instruction in a specific time interval, and the clearances provided by ATC to other aerial vehicles; predict, using the clearance instruction prediction model, an expected time for a next clearance instruction from ATC; and cause the predicted time for the next clearance instruction to be displayed on a display device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for indicating communication effectiveness with air traffic control (ATC) are disclosed. The method includes: receiving a transcribed message containing a plurality of words used by an ownship flight crew member in a communication directed to ATC; determining a message intent of the transcribed message from the words used in the communication; identifying a plurality of ideal words that should be used for an ideal message having the same message intent as the transcribed message; comparing the words used in the communication with the words that should have been used in the ideal message; determining based on the comparing whether the words used in the communication conformed to ATC standard phraseology (e.g., ICAO Pilot communication vocabulary); generating an indicator for flight crew that indicates whether the words used in the communication conformed to ATC standard phraseology; and signaling an aircraft display device to display the indicator.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein provide one or more processors configured to execute program instructions to cause the one or more processors to receive camera images of a scene including a portion being lit by the searchlight, receive terrain data from a terrain database, generate an augmented/virtual reality scene based on the camera images and the terrain data, display, via a headset display, the augmented/virtual reality scene, track gaze and head movement using headset sensors, output tracking data based on tracked gaze and head movement, and output instructions for controlling at least one function of the searchlight based on the tracking data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a user interface (UI) between an air traffic control transcription (ATCT) page on a portable device and a destination avionics system. The method includes parsing ATC messages into a target avionic system and respective avionic data, mapping the target avionic system to a destination avionic system, and rendering a target UI button on the ATCT page. The method displays a data preview window with the respective avionic data and a GUI object representing each of one or more destination avionic systems, which, when selected, causes the avionic data to be sent to the selected destination avionic system. The method also enables user activity on a cockpit display page to update the ATCT page with relevant updates.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assisting operation of a vehicle using speech recognition and transcription to provide a conversation log graphical user interface (GUI) display that consolidates communications with respect to the vehicle. One method involves receiving a data message from a system onboard the vehicle and generating a graphical representation of the data message within the conversation log GUI display, wherein the graphical representation of the data message includes a selectable element and is displayed on the conversation log GUI display concurrently with a graphical representation of a transcription of an audio communication with respect to the vehicle. The depicted data message and transcription are chronologically positioned with respect to one another in accordance with a timestamp associated with the data message. The conversation log GUI display dynamically updates in response to selection of the selectable element.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assisting operation of a vehicle using speech recognition and transcription using text-to-speech for transcription playback with variable emphasis. One method involves analyzing a transcription of an audio communication with respect to the vehicle to identify an operational term pertaining to a current operational context of the vehicle within the transcription, creating an indicator identifying the operational term within the transcription for emphasis when the operational term pertains to the current operational context of the vehicle, identifying a user-configured playback rate; and generating an audio reproduction of the transcription of the audio communication in accordance with the user-configured playback rate, wherein the operational term is selectively emphasized within the audio reproduction based on the indicator.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assisting operation of a vehicle using speech recognition and transcription. One method involves identifying an operational objective for an audio communication with respect to the vehicle, determining an expected clearance communication for the vehicle based at least in part on the operational objective, identifying a discrepancy between a transcription of the audio communication and the expected clearance communication, augmenting the transcription of the audio communication using a current operational context to reduce the discrepancy, and providing a graphical indication influenced by the augmented transcription.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing alerts in an aircraft. The methods and systems receive a flight plan and conditions data providing information on flight conditions along the flight plan including meteorological data. The conditions data is analyzed in flying regions along the flight plan to determine flight rules information. An alert is output to flight crew of the aircraft. The alert predicts when and where a change between type of flight rules will occur based on the flight rules information.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assisting operation of a vehicle using speech recognition. One method involves automatically identifying a parameter value for an operational subject based at least in part on a preceding audio communication with respect to the vehicle and thereafter recognizing an audio input as an input command, determining a second operational subject associated with the input command, and automatically commanding a vehicle system to implement the parameter value for the operational subject when the second operational subject maps or otherwise corresponds to the operational subject associated with the parameter value. In this regard, the second operational subject may be conveyed by a user enunciating placeholder terminology that maps to the operational subject as part of the input command.