Wireless Precision Avionics Kit

Abstract

A wireless precision avionics kit is provided for retrofitting aircraft to facilitate communication between the cockpit and modern military stores without hardware or software modifications to the aircraft. The store includes an electrical interface that requires data and possibly power from the aircraft and provides for communication via a message set. The kit may be used with any aircraft that provides a rack or pylon for mounting the store and the capability to release the store. The kit may be used with aircraft having no existing capability to communicate with smart stores, with aircraft having an incompatible interface for modern stores or even with aircraft that have a compatible hardware interface for which the software is outdated.

1 . A wireless precision avionics kit for integration of stores with aircraft, said store including an electrical interface that provides for communication via a message set, said kit comprising:
 a wireless aircraft module adapted for mounting in the cockpit of the aircraft, said module comprising,
 a power supply; 
 a wireless transmitter and antenna; 
 a display; 
 means for pilot input; 
 an emulator that emulates the message set in response to pilot input and to interact with the display; and 
 a wireless codec that encodes messages into a wireless protocol; and 
   a wireless store module adapted for mounting on the store, comprising,
 a battery; 
 a wireless receiver and antenna; and 
 a store controller including a wireless codec that decodes messages from the wireless protocol and a compatible electrical interface configured for hardwiring to the electrical interface of the store. 
   
     
     
         2 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the power supply comprised of a battery, the display, the means for pilot input and the emulator are integrated into a self-contained package for mounting in the cockpit that operates autonomously from the aircraft. 
     
     
         3 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the store module further comprises a transmitter for transmitting data messages from the store and wherein the aircraft module further comprises a receiver for receiving data messages, said wireless codecs both encoding and decoding messages to and from the wireless protocol, said emulator emulating the message set in response to the data messages from the store to interact with the display. 
     
     
         4 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the emulator comprises one or more computer processors configured to implement a sequence of instructions to emulate the message set for communication with the store interface and to interact with the display. 
     
     
         5 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the sequence of instructions emulate the full message set and full functionality supported by the store interface. 
     
     
         6 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the sequence of instructions emulate a minimal message set and minimal functionality required to fire the store, said minimal message set comprising store initiated built-in test (IBIT) and launch acceptability region (LAR) messages sent from the store to the aircraft and power and target data messages sent from the aircraft to the store. 
     
     
         7 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the sequence of instructions emulate a customized message set and customized functionality selected from the full message set and full functionality supported by the store interface. 
     
     
         8 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the kit is adapted for use with an aircraft having a pre-existing electrical interface that is incompatible with the store's electrical interface, wherein the sequence of instructions provide text and graphics to the display that emulate the pre-existing electrical interface. 
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the sequence of instructions provide text and graphics to the display that emulate the display of an aircraft electrical interface compatible with the store's electrical interface. 
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the sequence of instructions provide customized text and graphics to the display. 
     
     
         11 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the sequence of instructions are customized for the store's particular electrical interface. 
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the sequence of instructions support a generic message set for all types of store electrical interfaces, wherein said store module's store controller further comprises a translator that translates between the generic message set and the particular message set for the store's particular electrical interface. 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the compatible electrical interface comprises a power interface coupled to the battery for supplying in response to received control messages at least one voltage to the one or more power lines on the store, a discrete interface coupled to the battery for supplying in response to received control messages at least one voltage to the one or more discrete lines on the store and a digital data interface for communication of data messages with the one or more digital data lines on the store, said store controller further comprising a message set controller that routes received control messages to the appropriate power or discrete interface and the data messages to the digital data interface. 
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the store comprises an internal battery, wherein the compatible electrical interface comprises a discrete interface coupled to the battery for supplying in response to received control messages at least one voltage to the one or more discrete lines on the store to fire its internal battery and a digital data interface for communication of data messages with the one or more digital data lines on the store, said store controller further comprising a message set controller that routes received control messages to the discrete interface and the data messages to the digital data interface. 
     
     
         15 . The kit of  claim 14 , wherein data messages from the aircraft module are transmitted and data stored in memory in the store controller, upon firing the store's internal battery, said data being transferred from memory to the store via the digital data interface. 
     
     
         16 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the store comprises an internal battery and the store's electrical interface comprises a discrete interface and a data interface, said data interface configured to receive target data pre-flight through a data port that is not hardwired to the store module, wherein the compatible electrical interface comprises a discrete interface coupled to the battery for supplying in response to a received control message at least one voltage to the one or more discrete lines on the store to fire the store's internal battery 
     
     
         17 . A wireless precision avionics kit for integration of stores with aircraft, said store including an electrical interface including power, discrete and digital data lines that provides for communication via a message set, said kit comprising:
 a wireless aircraft module adapted for mounting in the cockpit of the aircraft, said module comprising,
 a power supply; 
 a wireless transceiver and antenna; 
 a display; 
 means for pilot input; 
 an emulator that emulates the message set to send wireless control and data messages in response to pilot input, receive wireless data messages and to interact with the display; 
 a wireless codec to encode and decode messages to and from a wireless transmission protocol, and 
   a wireless store module adapted for mounting on the store, comprising,
 a battery; 
 a wireless transceiver and antenna coupled to the battery; and 
 a store controller comprising,
 a wireless codec to encode and decode messages to and from a wireless transmission protocol; 
 a compatible electrical interface configured for hardwiring to the electrical interface of the store, said interface comprising,
 a power interface coupled to the battery for supplying in response to received control messages at least one voltage to the one or more power lines on the store; 
 a discrete interface coupled to the battery for supplying in response to received control messages at least one voltage to the one or more discrete lines on the store; and 
 a digital data interface for bi-directional communication of data messages with the one or more digital data lines on the store; and 
 
 a message set controller that routes received control messages to the appropriate power or discrete interface and the data messages to the digital data interface. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . The kit of  claim 17 , wherein the power supply comprised of a battery, the display, the means for pilot input and the emulator are integrated into a self-contained package for mounting in the cockpit that operates autonomously from the aircraft. 
     
     
         19 . A wireless precision avionics kit for integration of stores with aircraft, comprising:
 a store including an electrical interface that provides for communication via a message set;   a wireless aircraft module adapted for mounting in the cockpit of the aircraft, said module comprising,
 an autonomous self-contained smart display including a display, means for pilot input, a battery, a processor configured to emulate the message set in response to pilot input and to interact with the display and a wireless codec that encodes messages into a wireless protocol; and 
 a wireless transmitter and antenna coupled to the self-contained smart display, and 
   a wireless store module mounted on the store, comprising,
 a battery; 
 a wireless receiver and antenna; and 
 a store controller including a wireless codec that decodes messages from the wireless protocol, a compatible electrical interface configured for hardwiring to the electrical interface of the store for bi-directional communication of data and a message set controller that routes received messages to the compatible electrical interface for the store. 
   
     
     
         20 . The kit of  claim 19 , wherein the store module further comprises a transmitter for transmitting data messages from the store and wherein the aircraft module further comprises a receiver for receiving data messages, said wireless codecs both encoding and decoding messages to and from the wireless protocol, said emulator emulating the message set in response to the data messages from the store to interact with the display. 
     
     
         21 . The kit of  claim 19 , wherein the compatible electrical interface comprises a power interface coupled to the battery for supplying in response to received control messages at least one voltage to the one or more power lines on the store, a discrete interface coupled to the battery for supplying in response to received control messages at least one voltage to the one or more discrete lines on the store and a digital data interface for communication of data messages with the one or more digital data lines on the store, said store controller further comprising a message set controller that routes received control messages to the appropriate power or discrete interface and the data messages to the digital data interface.