An airfield sign that includes a dynamic display area.

A system and method for passively detecting aircraft wingtip strikes includes generating a digital base map represented by a plurality of aerodrome cells. A numeric value representative of the specific wingtip is assigned to each of the aerodrome cells. An index count array is generated that has a separate entry for each numeric value. A digital aircraft structure representative of an aircraft is generated, and is represented by a plurality of aircraft cells. A determination is made as to whether a portion of the aerodrome cells are or would be replaced with the plurality of aircraft cells. Each numeric value of the aerodrome cells that are or would be replaced is counted to determine a replacement count associated therewith and that is entered into the separate entry in the index count array for that numeric value. One or more potential aircraft wingtip strikes are detected based on the replacement counts.

An identification system and method are provided for aircraft equipped with electric taxi systems for autonomous ground movement that enables airport ground personnel and others outside the aircraft to safely and easily identify the aircraft moving on ground surfaces at an airport as equipped with a pilot-controlled electric taxi system and to distinguish these aircraft from aircraft not moved by electric taxi systems. The identification system may be mounted with nose or main landing gear drive wheels supporting the electric taxi system. The identification system includes an identifying lighting system with lighting elements of a selected number, shape, color, or arrangement positioned on at least a visible face of one or more landing gear wheels. Automatic or manual controls may actuate the identification system to identify electric taxi system-equipped aircraft when the aircraft are moved with the electric taxi system or are stopped.

Systems and methods are described that illustrate how to determine whether an image includes a travel way, and if so how to determine an angle between a longitudinal axis of a vehicle and a longitudinal axis of a travel way line, and a shortest distance between a reference point on a vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the travel way line.

A method and apparatus for building a route for moving an aircraft within an on-ground environment by identifying route elements. Input that is entered by an operator of an aircraft based on route instructions provided by a controller is received through a character input section of a graphical user interface. Route information is generated based on the input using character recognition. The route for moving the aircraft within the on-ground environment is built based on the route information.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to ranging an object nearby an aircraft by triangulation of spatially-patterned light projected upon and reflected from the object. The spatially patterned light can have a wavelength corresponding to infrared light and/or to an atmospheric absorption band. In some embodiments, images of the object are captured both with and without illumination by the spatially-patterned light. A difference between these two images can be used to isolate the spatially-patterned light. The two images can also be used to identify pixel boundaries of the object and to calculate ranges of portions of the object corresponding to pixels imaging these portions. For pixels imaging reflections of the spatially-patterned light, triangulation can be used to calculate range. For pixels not imaging reflections of the spatially-patterned light, ranges can be calculated using one or more of the calculated ranges calculated using triangulation corresponding to nearby pixels.

Systems and methods for contextual alerts during ground operations are provided. The system generates unique alerts for each type of hot-spot and commands a display system to render an image of the route, the relevant signage features, and the hot-spots. The system receives an assigned runway and references an airport features database to construct a route and travel direction for the aircraft. The system analyzes the signage features associated with the route and identifies the relevant signage features. The system processes the route with external inputs, such as notices to airmen (NOTAM), traffic data, and novel rules and data tables, from which the system identifies various kinds of hot-spots. The hot-spots include those that are aerodrome design based, those that are traffic related, and those that are temporal, based on short term closures or operational scenarios.

The disclosed embodiments describe collision warning devices, controllers, and computer readable media. A collision warning device for towing vehicles includes a housing, a scanning sensor, a display, and a controller. The housing is configured to be secured to at least one of a tow operator and a tug during aircraft towing operations. The a scanning sensor is secured to the housing and is configured to scan an aircraft and to scan an object in an environment surrounding the aircraft. The controller is mounted to the housing and is operably coupled with the scanning sensor and the display. The controller is configured to generate a three dimensional (3D) model of the aircraft and the environment based on a signal output from the scanning sensor, and to calculate potential collisions between the aircraft and the object based on the 3D model.

A method and system are described for enhancing ground situational awareness to an aircrew via an alphanumeric display of an air traffic control ground clearance, including displaying a symbol for each stage of the clearance. A crewmember may accept or change each stage via a graphical user interface within the alphanumeric display.

A system may include a display and a processor communicatively coupled to the display. The processor may be configured to: output, to the display, a synthetic vision system (SVS) taxi mode exocentric view of an aircraft while the aircraft is performing taxi operations, while the aircraft is on ground, and when the aircraft is not in a predetermined exclusion zone, the predetermined exclusion zone including portions of a runway where the aircraft is able to begin taking off; and output, to the at least one display, an SVS flight mode egocentric view from the aircraft when the aircraft is in the predetermined exclusion zone. The display may be configured to display the SVS taxi mode exocentric view until the aircraft is in the predetermined exclusion zone and display the SVS flight mode egocentric view when the aircraft is in the predetermined exclusion zone.