Supersonic Aerospace International, LLC

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Other

Peter A Buck

Larry J Bialecki

Barry L Berson

John M Morgenstern

Timothy Dennis Iwanczyk

Thomas R Swift

Mark Harry Wexler

Edwin J Bresnik

Gregory Peralta

A device for monitoring the status of a plurality of subsystems includes a plurality of mutually exclusive windows on a display device. Each window includes information related to at least one of the subsystems. One or more of the windows includes a common user interface and a common display area for a subset of at least two of the windows. The common user interface includes selectable options for controlling the information displayed in the common display area, and the selectable options allow the user to display more detailed information related to the information displayed in one of the associated windows. Advisory information regarding the status of the subsystems can be included in one or more of the windows, along with a selectable option to display a checklist for the subsystem associated with each advisory message. The display system can be used to monitor operation and status of various types of systems including mobile vehicles, machines, biological organisms, and building facilities.

System and method for customizing multiple windows of information on a display

Multiple sensors capture images representing scenery outside an aircraft or other type of vehicle for use within a visual display system. A protective housing encloses the sensors. This protective housing includes a transparent aperture through which the sensor captures images. A cleaning mechanism removes obstructions from the transparent aperture in order to provide continuous images representing scenery outside the aircraft through an operator display.

System and method for mounting sensors and cleaning sensor apertures for out-the-window displays

A display system for a operating a device receives images from a first sensor and a second sensor that represent scenery outside the device. The display system is configured to detect moving objects in the images, as well as fuse the images to a single viewpoint. The fused image is transformed to a first viewpoint image from a first operator station in the device, and a second viewpoint image from a second operator station in the device. The first and second viewpoint images conform to the scenery outside the device from each operator station.

Systems and methods using enhanced vision to provide out-the-window displays for a device

A display system for a device with reduced out-the-window visibility includes a display processor that receives an image from a sensor, wherein the sensor is capable of providing a continuously updated image of an area outside the device that is obscured from view of an operator by a portion of the device's structure. The sensor image can be combined with symbols representing information regarding the operational state of the device. The combined sensor image and symbols are output to a display device that is positioned to provide a portion of the out-the-window field of view to the operator. The entire desired field of view for the operator is provided by the display device in combination with the out-the-window scene available through windows of the device.

Display system for operating a device with reduced out-the-window visibility

A system receives information regarding current flight conditions of a device such as an aircraft and determines the acoustic level of the sonic boom and/or other noise generated by the device during operation. The current acoustic level is compared to a desired level, and various cues are displayed to operators regarding corrective actions that can be taken to reduce or maintain the acoustic level at the desired level. The system also predicts future acoustic levels based on current operating conditions, and varies the urgency of the cues based on whether and how quickly the device will exceed the desired acoustic level. Options to limit maneuvers and to automatically adjust operating condition parameters can be enabled. Options to display additional information regarding past, current, and predicted acoustic levels can also be selected. Signals that can be used to automatically control the acoustic level of a device during operation can also be generated for use in devices that can operate autonomously.

System and method for controlling the acoustic signature of a device

The invention is an apparatus for releasably connecting a first structure to a second structure. In detail, the invention includes the first structure having a first cavity extending inward from a surface thereof. An inward facing circumferencial lip is mounted in the first cavity in proximity to the first surface forming a restricted opening having a first diameter. The second structure includes a second cavity extending inward from a surface of the second structure. A hollow tubular member having first and second ends is movably mounted within the second cavity, with the tubular member movable from a retracted position to an extended position. The first end of the tubular member is in the form of a collet movable between a retracted position and an expanded position in contact with the lip in the first cavity when the tubular member is in the extended position. An actuation system is provided for moving the tubular member between the retracted and extended positions wherein the collet extend past the lip of in the first cavity. A second actuation system is provided for locking the collet in the expanded position when the tubular member is in the extended position.

Apparatus for releasably connecting first and second structures together

An improved fuel tank for a lifting body re-entry vehicle having a particular external shape comprising four elongated lobes each having an external surface, each of the external surfaces having selected cylindrical and conical shapes, the lobes being selectively mateable to form a combined external configuration having a multiplicity of cylindrical and conical shapes conformable to at least a portion of the external shape of the vehicle. The cylindrical and conical shapes have variable radii at selected cross-sections thereof, such radii being selected for forming the external configuration. In a particular embodiment, the fuel tank has an initial portion, a midsection portion and a final portion and the cross-sectional shape of the initial portion of the fuel tank is that of two overlapping circles whose centers are positioned above one another, each of the circles being formed by two of the four lobes. In the midportion of the fuel tank, the cross-sectional shape is that of four overlapping circles whose centers are positioned to form a four-lobed closed arcuate figure. In the final portion of the fuel tank, the cross-sectional shape of the fuel tank is that of two overlapping circles whose centers are positioned aside one another, each of the circles being formed by two of the four lobes. When two such fuel tanks are placed side-by-side, the combined external surfaces closely approximate a large portion of the shape of the re-entry vehicle.

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Valencia, CA, United States of America

Peter A Buck