초록 ▼

A smart translator “SMARTX” box provides an aircraft outfitted with an analog AGM-65 (“Maverick”) interface with the same “look and feel” and capability to use a store outfitted with a digital MIL-STD-1760 interface as if the aircraft was fully 1760 complian

A smart translator “SMARTX” box provides an aircraft outfitted with an analog AGM-65 (“Maverick”) interface with the same “look and feel” and capability to use a store outfitted with a digital MIL-STD-1760 interface as if the aircraft was fully 1760 compliant without any modifications to the electronics or software of either the aircraft or store.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A smart translator box for integrating existing aircraft electronics and software having an aircraft AGM-65 analog interface with a store having a MIL-STD-1760 digital interface, said smart translator box comprising: a store AGM-65 analog interface including AC and DC power lines, a plu

I claim: 1. A smart translator box for integrating existing aircraft electronics and software having an aircraft AGM-65 analog interface with a store having a MIL-STD-1760 digital interface, said smart translator box comprising: a store AGM-65 analog interface including AC and DC power lines, a plurality of discrete input signal lines, a plurality of analog input signal lines, a plurality of discrete output signal lines and a video output signal line to communicate signals with the aircraft AGM-65 analog interface; an aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface including AC and DC power lines, signal lines including a 1760-compatible digital data bus and discrete lines to communicate control signals and data with the store MIL-STD-1760 digital interface; a channel to pass AC and DC power from the AC and DC power lines at the store AGM-65 analog interface to the AC and DC power lines at the aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface to power the store and to power the smart translator box electronics; a discrete-to-digital converter that converts signals on the discrete input signal lines at the store AGM-65 interface to aircraft digital signals, said signals being responsive to aircraft software and aircrew menu selection of a displayed video signal to authorize the smart translator box to operate, to initiate a launch sequence of the store or to communicate a menu selection; an analog-to digital converter that converts signals on the analog signal lines at the store AGM-65 to aircraft digital signals, said signals being in response to aircrew manipulation of a control mechanism to scroll the menu or to increment or decrement the value of selected data fields on the menu; a processor configured to process the aircraft digital signals and the store control signals and data including store status and situational awareness to generate text and graphics digital signals, first control and data digital signals output on the 1760-compatible digital data bus and second and third control digital signals; a text and graphics video generator that processes the text and graphics digital signals and generates a video signal on the store AGM-65 interface video output, said video signal being displayed to the aircrew in the aircraft cockpit; a digital-to-discrete converter that processes the second control digital signals to generate signals on the discrete output signal lines at the store AGM-65 interface, said signals communicating to the aircraft software that an approved store is attached and providing its operational status; and a bi-directional digital-to-discrete converter that processes the third control digital signals to generate release consent and interlock signals on the discrete lines at the aircraft MIL-STD-1760 compliant interface and processes a discrete interlock return signal to generate a digital interlock return signal communicated to the processor. 2. The smart translator box of claim 1, further comprising: an AGM-65 mating connector wired to the store AGM-65 analog interface for connection to the AGM-65 analog interface on an aircraft; and a MIL-STD-1760 mating connector wired to the aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface for connection to the MIL-STD-1760 digital interface on the store. 3. The smart translator box of claim 2, wherein the smart translator box communicates with the aircraft AGM-65 interface with signals specified by its interface control document (ICD) without modification to the aircraft's electronics or software and communicates with the store MIL-STD-1760 interface with signals specified by its interface control document (ICD) without modification to the store's electronics and software. 4. The smart translator box of claim 1, wherein the MIL-STD-1760 compatible digital data bus comprises at least one of a MIL-STD-1553 compatible data bus and a fibre channel. 5. The smart translator box of claim 1, wherein the video signal includes the status and situational awareness data that is uploaded from the store. 6. The smart translator box of claim 5, wherein the video signal includes a mission status display that shows a launch acceptability region. 7. The smart translator box of claim 1, wherein said aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface further includes high or low bandwidth lines to receive the video signal from the store, said box further comprising a video switch having a first input coupled to said low and high bandwidth lines and a second input coupled to the text and graphics video generator and an output coupled to the video output signal line, said processor configured to recognize stores that generate the video signal and control the video switch to port the video signal directly from the store to the aircraft. 8. The smart translator box of claim 1, further comprising a GPS navigation system that tracks the position, velocity and attitude of the aircraft. 9. The smart translator box of claim 8, wherein said processor processes the position, velocity and attitude to generate GPS navigation data that is provided to the store, said store returning the situational awareness data that is integrated into the text and graphics digital signals in the video signal. 10. The smart translator box of claim 8, wherein the aircraft is not GPS equipped, said box providing GPS navigation including a moving map display in said video signal. 11. The smart translator box of claim 1, wherein no store is attached to the aircraft. 12. The smart translator box of claim 1, wherein the aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface is Universal Armament Interface (UAI). 13. A smart translator box for integrating existing aircraft electronics and software having an aircraft AGM-65 analog interface with a store having a MIL-STD-1760 digital interface, said smart translator box comprising: a store AGM-65 analog interface including AC and DC power lines, a plurality of discrete input signal lines, a plurality of analog input signal lines, a plurality of discrete output signal lines and a video output signal line to communicate signals with the aircraft AGM-65 analog interface; an aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface including AC and DC power lines, signal lines including a 1760-compatible digital data bus and discrete lines to communicate control signals and data with the store MIL-STD-1760 digital interface; a channel to pass AC and DC power from the AC and DC power lines at the store AGM-65 analog interface to the AC and DC power lines at the aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface to power the store and to power the smart translator box electronics; a discrete-to-digital converter that converts signals on the discrete input signal lines at the store AGM-65 interface to aircraft digital signals; an analog-to digital converter that converts signals on the analog signal lines at the store AGM-65 to aircraft digital signals; a processor configured to process the aircraft digital signals and the store control signals and data to generate text and graphics digital signals, first control and data digital signals output on the 1760-compatible digital data bus and second and third control digital signals; a text and graphics video generator that processes the text and graphics digital signals and generates a video signal on the store AGM-65 interface video output; a digital-to-discrete converter that processes the second control digital signals to generate signals on the discrete output signal lines at the store AGM-65 interface; and a bi-directional digital-to-discrete converter that processes the third control digital signals to generate signals on the discrete lines at the aircraft MIL-STD-1760 compliant interface and processes a discrete return signal to generate a digital return signal communicated to the processor. 14. The smart translator box of claim 13, wherein the smart translator box communicates with the aircraft AGM-65 interface with signals specified by its interface control document (ICD) without modification to the aircraft's electronics or software and communicates with the store MIL-STD-1760 interface with signals specified by its interface control document (ICD) without modification to the store's electronics and software. 15. A smart translator box for integrating existing aircraft electronics and software having an aircraft. AGM-65 analog interface with a store having a MIL-STD-1760 digital interface, said smart translator box comprising: a store AGM-65 analog interface including AC and DC power lines, a plurality of discrete input signal lines, a plurality of analog input signal lines, a plurality of discrete output signal lines and a video output signal line to communicate signals with the aircraft AGM-65 analog interface; an aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface including AC and DC power lines, signal lines including a 1760-compatible digital data bus and discrete lines to communicate control signals and data with the store MIL-STD-1760 digital interface; means to pass AC and DC power from the AC and DC power lines at the store AGM-65 analog interface to the AC and DC power lines at the aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface to power the store and to power the smart translator box electronics; and processor and I/O means to communicate with the aircraft AGM-65 interface with signals specified by its interface control document (ICD) without modification to the aircraft's electronics or software and communicates with the store MIL-STD-1760 interface with signals and data specified by its interface control document (ICD) without modification to the store's electronics and software to allow the aircraft to exploit the full capability of the store. 16. The smart translator box of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to: reinterpret the aircraft's AGM-65 analog interface standard signal package on the discrete and analog input signal lines and use them to transmit discrete signals responsive to aircraft software and aircrew menu selection of a displayed video signal to authorize the smart translator box to operate, to initiate a launch sequence of the store or to communicate a menu selection and analog signals response to aircrew manipulation of a control mechanism to scroll the menu or to increment or decrement the value of selected data fields on the menu; process these commands and status and situational awareness data from the store to produce a video signal of text and graphics via the store AGM-65 analog interface that is displayed to the aircrew in the cockpit to emulate the standard MIL-STD-1760 store functionality; generate discrete signals via the store AGM-65 analog interface that communicate to the aircraft software that an approved store is attached and provide its operational status; and generate digital data and discrete signals at the aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface that are used to enable and control the store.