Spatially modulated and temporally sequenced multi-stream vision system

An apparatus for managing images displayed via a display unit of an aircraft, comprising:

• at least one electromagnetic (EM) sensor of an aircraft, the at least one EM sensor configured to sense EM radiation corresponding to a first visual field associated with a first portion of an environment proximate to the aircraft;
• an enhanced vision system (EVS) coupled to the at least one EM sensor, the EVS including at least one first processor configured to generate at least one image stream based on the sensed EM radiation;
• a synthetic vision system (SVS) coupled to at least one position sensor of the aircraft, the SVS including at least one navigation database, the SVS including at least one second processor configured to generate:
• at least one synthetic image based on at least one of a) a position of the aircraft determined by the at least one position sensor and b) the at least one navigation database, the at least one synthetic image 1) corresponding to a second visual field associated with a second portion of the environment and 2) indicative of at least one of the aircraft, an airfield feature, a manmade feature, a natural feature;
• and
• at least one masking layer defining a third portion of the environment and corresponding to one or more segments of the at least one synthetic image where such one or more segments correspond to features that are mandatorily visible via EVS based on a phase of flight;
• display electronics coupled to the EVS and to the SVS, the display electronics including at least one third processor configured to generate at least one combined vision stream, the at least one combined vision stream including the at least one image stream, the at least one masking layer, and the at least one synthetic image, such that the segments of the synthetic image corresponding to the third portion are excluded from the combined visual stream;
• and
• at least one display unit of the aircraft, the at least one display unit coupled to the display electronics and configured to display the at least one combined vision stream.

A method for managing images displayed via a display unit of an aircraft, the method comprising:

• sensing, via at least one electromagnetic (EM) sensor of an aircraft, EM radiation corresponding to a first visual field associated with a first portion of an environment proximate to the aircraft;
• generating, via an enhanced vision system (EVS) of an aircraft, at least one image stream based on the sensed EM radiation;
• generating, via a synthetic vision system (SVS) of the aircraft, at least one synthetic image based on at least one of a database of the aircraft and a position of the aircraft, the at least one synthetic image 1) corresponding to a second visual field associated with a second portion of the environment and 2) indicative of at least one of the aircraft, an airfield feature, a manmade feature, and a natural feature;
• generating, via the synthetic vision system (SVS) of the aircraft, at least one masking layer defining a third portion of the environment and corresponding to one or more segments of the at least one synthetic image where such one or more segments correspond to features that are mandatorily visible via EVS based on a phase of flight;
• generating, via display electronics of the aircraft, at least one combined visual channel by combining the at least one image stream, the at least one masking layer, and the at least one synthetic image such that the segments of the synthetic image corresponding to the third portion are excluded from the combined visual channel;
• and
• displaying, via a display unit of the aircraft, the at least one combined visual channel.