Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Darin M Underwood

Valerie R Byxbe

Bernard S McCaffrey

Tony Vander Velden

Taylor Martin

Brent James Nelson

Jessica L Horaney

D Mark Fejfar

Gregory A Crawford

Daniel R Nagawiecki

Bernard S Mccaffrey

A fuel quantity indicator system (FQIS) for an aircraft or other vehicle includes memory/data storage and a fuel quantity processing unit (FQPU). A neural network trained via machine learning and running on the FQPU receives fuel quantity (FQ) inputs from fuel tank sensors, e.g., tank density, fuel volume, water presence within the tank, at or near a given measurement time. The neural network additionally receives fuel flow (FF) inputs from flow sensors at the measurement time, indicating fuel flow to engines and auxiliary power units (APU) of the vehicle. Based on the FQ inputs and the FF inputs, the neural network calculates an estimated fuel quantity (EFQ) remaining, e.g., across all fuel tanks at or near a particular measurement time.

Enhanced vehicle fuel quantity indication system

An aircraft-based synthetic vision system (SVS) is disclosed. In embodiments, the SVS includes avionics processors in communication with onboard lightning detection sensors, which provide the SVS with real-time lightning data (e.g., bearing to, and distance from, the aircraft) about proximate lightning strikes. Based on the real-time lightning data, the avionics processors generate flight deck effects (FDE) corresponding to identified areas of lightning activity (e.g., a sufficient quantity of strikes, exceeding a strike threshold, within a particular airspace during a time window), each FDE having a particular bearing to and distance from the aircraft. The FDE data is processed by a display system aboard the aircraft (e.g., a cockpit-based primary flight display (PFD) or head-worn/heads-up display (HWD/HUD)) which incorporates the generated FDEs into the SVS status display provided to the flight crew or pilot at the appropriate bearing and distance relative to the aircraft.

Real-time lightning monitor for synthetic vision systems (SVS)

An aircraft-based runway overrun awareness alerting system (ROAAS) for an aircraft primary flight display (PFD) is disclosed. In embodiments, the ROAAS is embodied aboard an aircraft and tracks trends in the aircraft position and heading. Further, the ROAAS tracks the trending energy state of the aircraft on approach to a runway. Based on the current energy state, as well as the runway parameters, the ROAAS predicts a landing point for the aircraft along the runway as a trend based on the evolving energy state and position of the aircraft. Based on the landing point trend, as well as the energy state, the ROAAS determines the current likelihood of runway excursion as an evolving trend (e.g., that the aircraft will not have sufficient runway remaining to decelerate or stop) and displays this likelihood as a dynamic graphic element not integrated into any other instruments or components displayed by the PFD.

Runway overrun awareness alerting system with trending indicator

An aircraft-based runway overrun awareness alerting system (ROAAS) for an aircraft primary flight display (PFD) is disclosed. In embodiments, the ROAAS is embodied aboard an aircraft and tracks the position and heading of the aircraft. Further, the ROAAS tracks the energy state of the aircraft as it approaches a runway for landing. Based on the current energy state, as well as the runway parameters, the ROAAS predicts a landing point for the aircraft along the runway. Based on this landing point, as well as the current energy state, the ROAAS determines the current likelihood of runway excursion (e.g., that the aircraft will not have sufficient runway remaining to decelerate or stop) and displays this likelihood as a dynamic graphic element not integrated into any other instruments or components displayed by the PFD.

Runway overrun awareness alerting system with discrete indicator

A flight display system for a cockpit of an aircraft. The flight display system includes a first plurality of flight display units configured to communicate with each other in a daisy chain network. Each of the first plurality of flight display units includes a first physical network interface configured to communicate with one of the first plurality of flight display units, a second physical network interface configured to communicate with another of the first plurality of flight display units, and a flight display circuit. The flight display circuit is configured to receive avionics data via the first physical network interface and determine whether the avionics data is destined for the flight display unit receiving the data. The flight display circuit is configured to send the avionics data to the other flight display unit of the plurality of the first plurality of flight display units via the second physical network interface.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Darin M Underwood