An insulated glazing unit includes a first laminated pane including two glass sheets, each no more than 2 mm thick, that are bonded to one another by an intermediate adhesive layer, a second structural laminated pane providing the mechanical strength required for the flight conditions of an airplane, in particular resistance to bird strike and control of glazing unit deformation under pressure difference conditions during a flight on either side of the insulated glazing unit, and a gas gap between the first and second laminated panes, the first laminated pane being provided with a heating system.

A vision-based aircraft cabin light monitoring/control system is used to maintain the light intensity level within the aircraft cabin at a desired level. The system uses video cameras to continuously monitor the ambient light entering the passenger cabin windows, analyzes the video stream/feed to identify the light intensity level within the cabin, identifies the window whose state should be controlled, and generates commands to control the window through central cabin controllers. The system further compensates for light sources internal to the cabin and monitors the phase of flight to ensure compliance to specific light conditions within the aircraft cabin.

A unitary electro-optic window assembly includes a window element. A first substantially transparent substrate defines a first surface, a second surface, and a first peripheral edge. A second substantially transparent substrate defines a third surface, a fourth surface, and a second peripheral edge. The first and second substantially transparent substrates define a cavity therebetween. An electro-optic medium at least partially fills the cavity and is configured to reduce light transmissivity of the window element. A controller is adjacent to the window element and is in electrical communication therewith. The controller is configured to change a voltage applied to the electro-optic medium to change the light transmissivity of the window element. An interface is in electrical communication with the controller. A transparent dust cover is positioned over the window element, the controller, and the interface.

A windshield wiper system includes a three-phase motor, the three-phase inverter, a brake circuit, and a controller. The controller transmits commutation signals to the three-phase inverter to drive the motor according to an inboard-to-outboard speed profile and to drive the motor according to an outboard-to-inboard speed profile. The controller activates the brake circuit based on the inboard-to outboard speed profile, or the outboard-to-inboard speed profile, and a direct current bus voltage.

A network system for monitoring and storing data of aircraft intelligent windows or windshields to provide useable life of, provide real life performance of, and/or measure characteristics and/or properties of, the windshields forwards the data from sensors mounting the windshield to a window sensing hub having a microprocessor programed to receive and process the data to determine the performance of the windshield and formatting the data in accordance to a preset program, wherein the program includes providing data from the sensors that measures characteristics and properties of the windshield that are active during the period in which the data is taken. An aircraft central maintenance system connected to the window sensing hub receives the formatted information from the window sensing hub and unfiltered or unformatted information, wherein the unfiltered information from the windshield is acted on by the central maintenance system to provide an estimated useable life of the windshield.

A pane assembly (2) for a window (8) arranged in the outer wall (4) of an aircraft (6) in a window plane (10) contains a transparent cover pane (12) in a cover plane (14), a switching film (16) in a scattering plane (18), which is switchable between a transparent state (ZT) and a diffuse state (ZD), a luminous film (20) in a light plane (22) having LEDs (24), wherein a spacing (A) between each two LEDs (24) in relation to one another is at least five times their transverse extension (Q), wherein the pane assembly (2) is arranged in front of the window (8) in an installed state (M), so that scattering plane (18), light plane (22), and window plane (10) extend in parallel to one another and the luminous film (20) is arranged between the window (8) and the switching film (16), and window (8), switching film (16), and luminous film (20) are located aligned one behind another on the line of sight (26).

A window assembly (40) contains the window (8) and the pane assembly (2) arranged in front of it in the installed state (M).

A sidewall assembly for an aircraft and an aircraft are provided. In one example, the sidewall assembly includes a window. A sidewall portion has an inner-facing side and at least partially surrounds the window. The sidewall portion and the window have a curved contour. A transparent display panel is coupled to the sidewall portion and covers the inner-facing side of the sidewall portion including the window. The transparent display panel includes a display screen configured to display information to a passenger. The transparent display panel including the display screen have a curved contour that substantially matches the curved contour of the sidewall portion and the window. A display controller is in communication with the transparent display panel to communicate a video/audio signal providing the information to the display screen.

An aircraft fuselage body is constructed of an upper body section having a curved cross-section configuration and a lower body section having a curved cross-section configuration. The upper body section and the lower body section are joined together to form an aircraft fuselage body by splice straps that are secured, end to end along interior surfaces of the upper body section and the lower body section. The aircraft fuselage body being constructed of an upper body section and a lower body section enables installation of systems separately into the upper body section and the lower body section prior to the upper body section and lower body section being joined together.

A method of improving optical characteristics of an optical window operating in a flow of fluid and having first and second panes of optically transmissive material—each having an edge adjacent to, parallel with, and at least partially coextensive with each other—is described herein. The method includes inserting a thermally conductive blade between two adjacent edges of the first and second panes of optically transmissive material; and lifting an adverse flow stagnation zone forward of the optical window by protruding the thermally conductive blade into the flow of fluid from an outer surface of the panes of the optical window.

A window assembly for an aircraft includes a window frame being arranged bordering a window opening in a hull of the aircraft, a window seal being attached to the window frame, a window being supported by the window frame and sealed to the window frame by the window seal, a window retainer covering the window seal and the window frame from the inside of the aircraft, and a transparent vapor barrier being supported by the window retainer and covering the window from the inside of the aircraft such that an air gap is formed between the window and the transparent vapor barrier.