Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for autonomously enabling remote operation of a vehicle such as an aircraft in response to detecting an event that may impact manual operation of the vehicle. One method autonomously detects an event with respect to manual operation of the vehicle based at least in part on output from one or more systems onboard the vehicle, identifies a hands-free functionality of a vehicle system to be activated based at least in part on a characteristic of the event, and autonomously initiates activation of the hands-free functionality of the vehicle system. A command for operating the vehicle is received from an external system via an onboard communications system and provided to the vehicle system for further implementation or execution using the hands-free functionality.

Abstract: An interface system for flight deck communications includes a chatbot configured to perform a conversation with a pilot. The conversation includes speech communications, visual communications using a display, or both. The interface system also includes a dynamic conversational graph generator. The dynamic conversational graph generator is configured to perform a set of functions including determining a flight operational procedure from the conversation with the pilot. The set of functions also include providing information associated with the flight operational procedure to the chatbot for communicating to the pilot. The set of functions also include responding to any requests received from the pilot by the chatbot during the conversation with the pilot.

Abstract: An interface system for flight deck communications includes a chatbot configured to perform a conversation with a pilot. The conversation includes speech communications, visual communications using a display, or both. The interface system also includes a dynamic conversational graph generator. The dynamic conversational graph generator is configured to perform a set of functions including determining a flight operational procedure from the conversation with the pilot. The set of functions also include providing information associated with the flight operational procedure to the chatbot for communicating to the pilot. The set of functions also include responding to any requests received from the pilot by the chatbot during the conversation with the pilot.

Abstract: A cloud-based aircraft emergency notifier (CAEN) is disclosed herein. In one or more embodiments, a system for emergency notification comprises an aircraft configured to transmit data signals. The system further comprises a notifier configured to: receive the data signals transmitted from the aircraft; determine whether the data signals comprise an emergency alert; monitor for any subsequent data signals transmitted from the aircraft for a first period of time, when the notifier determines that the data signals comprise the emergency alert or when the notifier determines that the aircraft has stopped transmitting any signals; and transmit first emergency notification messages to other aircraft located within a same airspace as the aircraft, to an air traffic control (ATC) for the airspace of the aircraft, and/or to an airline operations center (AOC) associated with an airlines of the aircraft, after the first period of time has elapsed.

Abstract: Vehicle systems and methods are provided for capturing audio during operation for subsequent presentation and analysis. One method involves obtaining a plurality of audio segments via an audio input device onboard an aircraft, classifying each audio segment of the plurality of audio segments into one or more of a plurality of topic categories based at least in part on the content of the respective audio segment, and providing a graphical user interface (GUI) display depicting the plurality of audio segments in a time-ordered sequence. The GUI display includes GUI elements for selectively removing subsets of audio segments classified into particular topic categories from the time-ordered sequence.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for autonomously enabling remote operation of a vehicle such as an aircraft in response to detecting an event that may impact manual operation of the vehicle. One method autonomously detects an event with respect to manual operation of the vehicle based at least in part on output from one or more systems onboard the vehicle, identifies a hands-free functionality of a vehicle system to be activated based at least in part on a characteristic of the event, and autonomously initiates activation of the hands-free functionality of the vehicle system. A command for operating the vehicle is received from an external system via an onboard communications system and provided to the vehicle system for further implementation or execution using the hands-free functionality.

Abstract: Vehicle systems and methods are provided for capturing audio during operation for subsequent presentation and analysis. One method involves obtaining a plurality of audio segments via an audio input device onboard an aircraft, classifying each audio segment of the plurality of audio segments into one or more of a plurality of topic categories based at least in part on the content of the respective audio segment, and providing a graphical user interface (GUI) display depicting the plurality of audio segments in a time-ordered sequence. The GUI display includes GUI elements for selectively removing subsets of audio segments classified into particular topic categories from the time-ordered sequence.

Abstract: A method and system for time-based viewing to coordinate airport collaborative decision making (A-CDM) events between a pilot and ground personnel on a cockpit display of an aircraft of generating a time scale with a list of A-CDM events of the aircraft during inbound, turnaround and outbound flight operations to an airport based sensor data contributed by aircraft systems and data of A-CDM event related to airport operations to generate a current time moving window in the time scale for identifying A-CDM events; generating a graphic user interface using the sensor data for positioning the current time moving window on the time scale; and collaboratively communicating with ground personnel decisions based on an aircraft state and a current A-CDM event identified by the positioning of the current time moving window in the time scale to expedite completion of a particular A-CDM event.

Abstract: Systems and methods for weather impact prediction are provided. The system receives current weather information and identifies a region along an intended flight path with a weather pattern of moderate or low severity. The system uses the identified region and aircraft identification to search a source of historical weather incidents to find a weather incident entry match, defined as a co-occurrence of a matching aircraft type, matching weather pattern, and matching severity rating. The match is evaluated for (i) structural damage, (ii) performance degradation, (iii) exterior damage, and (iv) inspection requirements, and a predicted weather impact report is generated for the identified region, the predicted weather impact report includes one or more of (i) structural damage, (ii) performance degradation, (iii) exterior damage, and (iv) inspection requirements. The system displays the predicted weather impact report.

Abstract: Control station audio and data recording systems are provided. The audio recording system comprises an audio packetizer processing unit in a control station and in operative communication with audio sources. The packetizer processing unit generates audio packet information for vehicles in communication with the control station. An audio storage unit communicates with the packetizer processing unit. The audio storage unit stores audio packet information, and provides audio indexing and metadata. An audio playback unit provides access to the stored audio packet information. The data recording system comprises a data processing unit located a the control station. The data processing unit communicates with onboard vehicle data recorders and with other data sources. The data processing unit generates data packet information for the vehicles. A data storage unit communicates with the data processing unit and stores the data packet information.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a computing device, from a remote sensor, a low-resolution version of data and receiving, by the computing device, user inputs for annotating the low-resolution version of the data. In some examples, the method also includes determining, by the computing device, based on the user inputs, one or more annotations to the low-resolution version of the data. In some examples, the method further includes receiving, by the computing device, from the remote sensor, a high-resolution version of the data and automatically applying, by the computing device, the one or more annotations to the high-resolution version of the data.

Abstract: A system and method for developing and maintaining temperature-compensated altitude information are disclosed. One method includes receiving a message including an outside air temperature value for a prospective geographic position of a vehicle, and an altitude value and a barometric corrected altitude value for a current geographic position of the vehicle. The method determines if the outside air temperature value for the prospective geographic position of the vehicle is not equal to a current outside air temperature value, and updates the outside air temperature value for the prospective geographic position of the vehicle with the current outside air temperature value if the outside air temperature value for the prospective geographic position of the vehicle is not equal to the current outside air temperature value.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for monitoring the completion of a workflow checklist task. The apparatus comprises multiple sensors located in different points of an operational field space that is subject to the workflow checklist task. A synthetic sensing board that receives inputs from the plurality of sensors relating to the workflow checklist task. The synthetic sensing board has a core sensing circuit that processes the inputs and generates first order inferences about completion of the checklist task. It also assigns weighted values to each of the inputs and generates a second order inference about completion of the tasks based on summation of the weighted values of each input. A communications gateway transmits the first order and second order inferences about completion of the workflow checklist task to a display device.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a computing device, from a remote sensor, a low-resolution version of data and receiving, by the computing device, user inputs for annotating the low-resolution version of the data. In some examples, the method also includes determining, by the computing device, based on the user inputs, one or more annotations to the low-resolution version of the data. In some examples, the method further includes receiving, by the computing device, from the remote sensor, a high-resolution version of the data and automatically applying, by the computing device, the one or more annotations to the high-resolution version of the data.

Abstract: Control station audio and data recording systems are provided. The audio recording system comprises an audio packetizer processing unit in a control station and in operative communication with audio sources. The packetizer processing unit generates audio packet information for vehicles in communication with the control station. An audio storage unit communicates with the packetizer processing unit. The audio storage unit stores audio packet information, and provides audio indexing and metadata. An audio playback unit provides access to the stored audio packet information. The data recording system comprises a data processing unit located a the control station. The data processing unit communicates with onboard vehicle data recorders and with other data sources. The data processing unit generates data packet information for the vehicles. A data storage unit communicates with the data processing unit and stores the data packet information.

Abstract: A method for controlling an interactive display is provided. The method receives a set of voice input data, via a voice input device communicatively coupled to the interactive display; interprets, by at least one processor, the set of voice input data to produce an interpreted result, wherein the at least one processor is communicatively coupled to the voice input device and the interactive display; presents, by the interactive display, a text representation of the interpreted result coupled to a user-controlled cursor; receives, by a user interface, a user input selection of a textual or graphical element presented by the interactive display, wherein the user interface is communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and the interactive display; and performs, by the at least one processor, an operation associated with the interpreted result and the user input selection.

Abstract: A method for displaying received radio voice messages onboard an aircraft is provided. The method post-processes, by at least one processor onboard the aircraft, a set of speech recognition (SR) hypothetical data to increase accuracy of an associated SR system, by: obtaining, by the at least one processor, secondary source data from a plurality of secondary sources; comparing, by the at least one processor, the set of SR hypothetical data to the secondary source data; and identifying, by the at least one processor, an aircraft tail number using the set of SR hypothetical data and the secondary source data; identifies, by the at least one processor, a subset of the received radio voice messages including the tail number; and presents, via a display device onboard the aircraft, the subset using distinguishing visual characteristics.

Abstract: Integrated controller-pilot datalink communication (CPDLC) systems and methods for operating the same are disclosed. In one implementation, an integrated CPDLC system includes a plurality of CPDLC-enabled avionics devices and a CPDLC context manager coupled with each of the plurality of CPDLC-enabled avionics devices. The CPDLC system further includes a shared CPDLC context memory coupled with the CPDLC context manager and a CPDLC message in/out buffer coupled with the CPDLC context manager.

Abstract: A method for displaying received radio voice messages onboard an aircraft is provided. The method post-processes, by at least one processor onboard the aircraft, a set of speech recognition (SR) hypothetical data to increase accuracy of an associated SR system, by: obtaining, by the at least one processor, secondary source data from a plurality of secondary sources; comparing, by the at least one processor, the set of SR hypothetical data to the secondary source data; and identifying, by the at least one processor, an aircraft tail number using the set of SR hypothetical data and the secondary source data; identifies, by the at least one processor, a subset of the received radio voice messages including the tail number; and presents, via a display device onboard the aircraft, the subset using distinguishing visual characteristics.

Abstract: A method for controlling an interactive display is provided. The method receives a set of voice input data, via a voice input device communicatively coupled to the interactive display; interprets, by at least one processor, the set of voice input data to produce an interpreted result, wherein the at least one processor is communicatively coupled to the voice input device and the interactive display; presents, by the interactive display, a text representation of the interpreted result coupled to a user-controlled cursor; receives, by a user interface, a user input selection of a textual or graphical element presented by the interactive display, wherein the user interface is communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and the interactive display; and performs, by the at least one processor, an operation associated with the interpreted result and the user input selection.