Apparatus and associated methods relate to synchronization of a ground support vehicle with a taxiing aircraft, so as to provide ground support services during taxi operation. After landing, a taxiing aircraft obtains a parking destination from a ground traffic controller. A first navigational route from a first location of the taxiing aircraft to the parking destination is determined. The taxiing aircraft transmits a signal indicative of the first navigational route to the ground support vehicle. A second navigational route of the ground support vehicle is determined so as to intercept the taxiing aircraft. The ground support vehicle navigates according to the determined second navigational route, and couples to the taxiing aircraft at a coupling location common to both the first and the second navigational routes. The ground support vehicle provides ground support service during continued navigation according to a coupled portion of the first navigational route.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to ranging an object nearby an aircraft by triangulation using two simultaneously-captured images of the object. The two images are simultaneously captured from two distinct vantage points on the aircraft. Because the two images are captured from distinct vantage points, the object can be imaged at different pixel-coordinate locations in the two images. The two images are correlated with one another so as to determine the pixel-coordinate locations corresponding to the object. Range to the object is calculated based on the determined pixel-coordinate locations and the two vantage points from which the two images are captured. Only a subset of each image is used for the correlation. The subset used for correlation includes pixel data from pixels upon which spatially-patterned light that is projected onto the object by a light projector and reflected by the object.

A collapsible multi-directional signal assembly includes a signal display assembly having one or more display surface, and at least one signal indicia affixed to each display surface. A collapsible multi-directional signal assembly includes a multi-directional signal display assembly comprising a plurality of signal display panels. Each of the plurality of signal display panels comprising at least one display surface, and a plurality of signal indicia are affixed onto different ones of each of the plurality of display surfaces. A mount assembly is provided such that the collapsible multi-directional signal display assembly is disposable into a deployed orientation.

An assistance vehicle designed for supplying electrical energy to an electric taxiing device of an aircraft landing gear when the aircraft is moving over the ground. The assistance vehicle includes an autonomous energy source, a connector enabling it to be coupled to the aircraft and to electrically power the electric taxiing device. When an assistance instruction comprising the aircraft position is received, the assistance vehicle moves in an autonomous manner so as to reach the position of the aircraft, is automatically connected to the electric taxiing device when the assistance vehicle reaches the position of the aircraft and switches into freewheeling mode. When the assisted move has finished, the assistance vehicle is separated from the electric taxiing device and switches back into tractor mode. Thus, the electrical power supply system of the aircraft is simplified by externalizing the electrical supply of the electric taxiing device.

The present disclosure is drawn to systems of enhancing contrast of LED lighting, including two subsystems. A light-transmitting subsystem can include an LED light source, a first reference oscillator to receive a reference signal broadcast from a remote source, and a synchronous modulation and power system to cause a stream of modulated light-signal pulses to be emitted from the LED light source in synchronous correlation with the reference signal. A light-receiving subsystem can include a light imager to synchronously receive the stream of modulated light-signal pulses, a second reference oscillator to receive the reference signal broadcast from the remote source, and a synchronous demultiplexing system to convert the stream of modulated light-signal pulses to a stream of synchronous digital images in synchronous correlation with the reference signal. A demodulation image processor can be used to process and generate enhanced contrast display imagery.

A system for automatically updating an airport database relating to an airport includes an assembly of information sources installed on an aircraft for generating information and notably images of the airport when the aircraft is travelling over or above the airport, and units for processing this information and for correcting data from the airport database in the case where at least one difference is detected between the information generated and the data contained in the airport database, the system thus being capable of automatically updating the airport database each time that an aircraft able to generate and to collect information is taxiing over the airport and/or flying above the airport such that the data available in the airport database is recent and reliable.

A flashing lamp includes: an LED module and a light distribution unit disposed inside a housing, the light distribution unit is disposed on a light emission side of the LED module, and a light transmissive cover is disposed over an opening of the housing. The LED module includes: a plurality of LED rows; and an adjusting unit that adjusts flashing of the plurality of LED rows on a row-by-row basis. The plurality of LED rows are mounted on one surface of an LED-mounting board, each of the plurality of LED rows has a plurality of LEDs electrically connected on a row-by-row basis. When at least one LED row fails to illuminate, the adjusting unit extends a flashing time of each LED of the remaining LED rows to maintain a luminous intensity of the entire plurality of LED rows within a predetermined range.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to ranging object(s) nearby an aircraft using triangulation of pulses of linearly-patterned light projected upon and reflected by the object(s). A light projector projects the pulses of linearly-patterned light in a controllable direction onto the scene external to the aircraft. A reflected portion of the projected pulses is focused onto a selected row or column of light-sensitive pixels of a two-dimensional array, thereby forming a row or column of image data. The direction of projected light and the row or column of pixels selected are coordinated so that the portion of the projected pulses reflected by the scene is received by the camera and focused on the selected one of the rows or columns of light-sensitive pixels. Location(s) and/or range(s) of object(s) in the scene are calculated, based on a projector location, a camera location, and the row or column of image data.

Enhanced landing light systems and methods are provided. The system determines that landing lights in a landing lights assembly are on and then proceeds to identify each of the following relevant contexts: landing, taxi, and takeoff. When the aircraft is in a relevant context, the system identifies an actual travelpath and determines whether the actual travelpath matches the intended travelpath. If it does, the system generates guidance information and begins projecting the guidance information onto a landing surface. The guidance information may be digital light and comprise alphanumeric information and symbology. When the actual travelpath does not match the intended travelpath, the system generates a guidance alert and begins projecting the guidance alert onto the landing surface.

Enhanced landing light systems and methods are provided. The system determines that landing lights in a landing lights assembly are on and then proceeds to identify each of the following relevant contexts: landing, taxi, and takeoff. When the aircraft is in a relevant context, the system identifies an actual travelpath and determines whether the actual travelpath matches the intended travelpath. If it does, the system generates guidance information and begins projecting the guidance information onto a landing surface. The guidance information may be digital light and comprise alphanumeric information and symbology. When the actual travelpath does not match the intended travelpath, the system generates a guidance alert and begins projecting the guidance alert onto the landing surface.