Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Max G Taylor

Peter J Flugstad

Matthew Jacob Cunnien

Michael J Armstrong

Scott E Schultz

Shawn M Spencer

Ryan J Olson

Roy Allen Rhodes

Jennifer A Myren

Christopher M Boggs

Daniel J Henry

Mitchell A Riley

Brian S Rach

Donald E Glass

Patrick Gomez

Abdul A Khan

Charles Adams

James A Marek

Vladislav Gavrilets

Joshua R Bertram

Raymond Knoff

Thomas Schnell

Roger K Shultz

Joel J Fuster

Brian J Davis

David Ray Hershman

Vadislav Gavrilets

A high availability aircraft network architecture incorporating smart points of presence (SPoP) is disclosed. In embodiments, the network architecture divides the aircraft into districts, or physical subdivisions. Each district includes one or more mission systems (MS) smart network access point (SNAP) devices for connecting MS components and devices located within its district to the MS network. Similarly, each district includes one or more air vehicle systems (AVS) SNAP devices for connecting AVS components and devices within the district to the AVS network. The AVS network may remain in a star or hub-and-spoke topology, while the MS network may be configured in a ring or mesh topology. Selected MS and AVS SNAP devices may be connected to each other via guarded network bridges to securely interconnect the MS and AVS networks.

Smart point of presence (SPOP) aircraft-based high availability edge network architecture

A smart network access point (SNAP) device is disclosed. In embodiments, the SNAP device includes trunk ports for accepting a network trunk cable (e.g., fiber optic trunk) and thereby connecting the SNAP device to an aircraft-based network of SNAP devices. The SNAP device includes switch ports for incorporating physical connections to mission systems (MS) or air vehicle systems (AVS) components and devices, providing a local smart point of presence (SPoP) throughout a physical subdivision (e.g., network district) of an aircraft. The SNAP device is configured for monitoring data exchanges between local MS/AVS components and the aircraft network. The SNAP device includes a cybersecurity module for connecting to local security components (e.g., data guards and multiple levels of security (MLS) encryption/decryption) or for providing built-in data guard and encryption/decryption services. The SNAP device includes power control components for managing power distribution to the connected local network components.

Smart point of presence (SPOP) devices for aircraft-based high availability edge network architecture

A method for occupancy map synchronization in multi-vehicle networks may include receiving three-dimensional perception sensor (3DPS) data. The method may include generating a data message including an occupancy map (OM) octree. The OM octree may be generated from an occupancy map constructed from the 3DPS data. The method may include reducing at least one of a messaging time or a messaging size of the data message including the OM octree. The method may include transmitting the data message including the OM octree via a leader vehicle controller communicatively coupled to a leader vehicle. The method may include receiving the data message comprising the OM octree via a follower vehicle controller communicatively coupled to the follower vehicle. The method may include generating a local occupancy map from the data message comprising the OM octree via the follower vehicle controller.

Occupancy map synchronization in multi-vehicle networks

A system may include a follower aircraft including a processor configured to: determine a follower aircraft location at a time t; receive a real-time kinematics (RTK) update from a lead aircraft, the RTK update including information associated with: a lead aircraft location at the time t, the lead aircraft location at a time trelative to the lead aircraft location at the time t, and an object location at the time trelative to the lead aircraft location at the time t; perform RTK processing to determine the follower aircraft location at the time trelative to the lead aircraft location at a time t; determine the follower aircraft location at a time trelative to the follower aircraft location at the time tby utilizing time relative navigation (TRN); and determine the object location at time trelative to the follower aircraft location at the time t.

Lead and follower aircraft navigation system

Avionics display with icon

Avionics display screen with transitional icon set

Present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for enhancing a three-dimensional synthetic image are disclosed. The image generating system is comprised of a first image data source, a second image data source, an image processing unit ('IPU'), and a display system. The IPU may be configured to receive first image data of a first image of a first external scene produced from object data; receive second image data of a second image of a second external scene produced from point cloud data acquired by one or more image capturing devices or object data augmented with point cloud data; combine the first image data with the second image data to produce third image data of a third image of the first external scene; and provide the third image data set to the display system. Fourth image data could be received and included in the production of the three image data.

Synthetic image enhancing system, device, and method

A system is disclosed which utilizes a three-dimensional (3D) display system, in combination with an avionics Synthetic Vision System (SVIS), to provide 3D synthetic images of scenes around an aircraft where the systems are dynamically modified to meet particular needs of a flight crew, depending upon variable characteristics of the aircraft and environment including: phase of flight of the aircraft; attitude of the aircraft; proximity of the aircraft to Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) conditions; whether the 3D display system is an head-down display (HDD) or an immersive head-mounted display (HMD); and whether the 3D display system is an head-up display (HUD) or an HMD with a transparent visor.

Dual simultaneous image presentation for a three-dimensional aviation display

An aviation display system includes an input source configured to provide a left eye input channel including a first band and an input source configured to provide a right eye input channel having a second band different from the first band. A processor is coupled with the input sources and with a non-transitory processor readable medium storing processor executable code, which causes the processor to receive data indicative of the left eye and right eye input channels from the input sources and to generate a left eye output channel and a right eye output channel. A display is configured to receive the left and right eye output channels from the processor and to provide an image indicative of the left eye output channel to a left eye of a user, and an image indicative of the right eye output channel to a right eye of the user.

Aviation display system and method

A present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for generating surface information presentable on a display unit is disclosed, where the surface information may be presented to draw a viewer's attention to the presence of threatening object(s). An image generator ('IG') may be configured to receive navigation data; retrieve object data representative of vertical measurements of objects; and generate an image data set representative of an image comprised of object highlighting band(s) capable of highlighting object(s) which meet object highlighting band criteria, where such criteria could include an object reference. In one embodiment, the object highlighting band could be horizontally-disposed, where the object reference may be a horizontal measurement referenced to aircraft position to which the retrieval of the object data may be limited. In another embodiment, an object highlighting band could be vertically-disposed, where the object reference may be a vertical measurement referenced to aircraft position.

Surface information generating system, device, and method

A secure deterministic fabric includes switches that segregate data traffic requiring disparate levels of authentication or having different safety levels. Data may be segregated physically, utilizing different hardware; or virtually, by allocating certain assets such as memory blocks exclusively for certain levels of authentication. The secure deterministic fabric may include elements for safety monitoring and multi-level security monitoring.

Secure deterministic fabric for safe and secure product design

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Max G Taylor