Dual-Threaded Vision Display for Aircraft Low Visibility Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current enhanced vision systems (EVS) in aircraft navigation face high demands for reliability and availability in low visibility operations beyond Category I conditions, typically addressed through costly system redundancy and high design assurance levels, which are expensive to implement.
Innovation Solution
A system that combines an enhanced vision system with a synthetic vision system to detect and generate display elements of an approach lighting system, allowing simultaneous display on a cockpit display unit, enabling pilots to verify the integrity of the information provided by both systems independently without additional sensors or high-cost solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If system redundancy and high design assurance levels are implemented to meet reliability requirements for low visibility operations, then the reliability and availability of the EVS system are improved, but the cost of the system increases dramatically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines enhanced vision system (EVS) output with synthetic vision system (SVS) output on a single display unit, creating an integrated dual-threaded display. This merging allows the pilot to simultaneously view both independent information sources, enabling cross-verification without requiring separate display systems or additional redundant hardware, thus improving reliability while avoiding dramatic cost increases
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the pilot by displaying both EVS-detected elements and SVS-generated elements simultaneously, allowing the pilot to verify consistency between the two independent sources. This feedback mechanism enables the pilot to assess system integrity in real-time without requiring complex automated comparison systems or additional redundancy
2Reliability
If expensive high design assurance levels are implemented, then the integrity of the EVS system is improved, but the cost increases dramatically
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a synthetic copy of the vision information through the SVS, which generates display elements based on a database of navigation information and determined aircraft location. This synthetic copy serves as an independent verification source against the EVS detected elements, providing high integrity through information redundancy rather than expensive hardware redundancy or high design assurance levels
3Adaptability or versatility
If the approach is extended to lower altitudes in low visibility conditions, then the operational capability is improved, but the demands on system reliability and integrity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds a new dimension to the display by overlaying synthetic vision elements with enhanced vision elements on the same display unit. This dimensional integration allows the pilot to access two independent information sources simultaneously in a single view, enabling extended operational capability to lower altitudes in low visibility conditions without requiring the pilot to switch between multiple systems or interpret separate displays
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlling an image displayed on a display unit of an aircraft is shown and described. The system includes an enhanced vision system that detects elements of an approach lighting system for display on the display unit. The system also includes a synthetic vision system that uses a database of navigation information and a determined aircraft location to generate synthetic display elements representing the approach lighting system. Display electronics of the system cause the detected elements from the enhanced vision system to be simultaneously displayed on the display unit within a same scene as the generated synthetic display elements from the synthetic vision system. Advantageously, the simultaneous display allows a pilot viewing the display unit to check for whether information provided by the enhanced vision system matches information provided by the synthetic vision system.