1. A fascia and mounting bracket combination for a blind, comprising:
a) a mounting bracket having a firs locking element;
b) a fascia having a face portion and an extended leg, the extended leg having a proximal end adjacent the face portion and a distal end opposite the proximal end;
c) a second locking element formed on the fascia adjacent the distal end, the second locking element configured to mate with the first locking element;
d) a release member mounted to the mounting bracket adjacent the first locking element, the release member movable between a locked position wherein the release member is clear of the second locking element, and a release position wherein the release member bears against the second locking element sufficiently to disengage the second locking element from the first locking element.
2. The fascia and mounting bracket combination of claim 1 wherein the release member comprises a screw.
3. The fascia and mounting bracket combination of claim 1 wherein the bracket has an extended arm portion with a first mounting element positioned on an end thereof, the fascia having a second mounting element adjacent the face portion, the second mounting element configured to mate with the first mounting element, the arm of the bracket and the leg of the fascia being dimensioned such that the first and second mounting elements are coupled together when the first and second locking elements are mated together.
4. The fascia and mounting bracket combination of claim 3 wherein the second mounting element is positioned adjacent the proximal end of the leg.
5. The fascia and mounting bracket combination of claim 2 wherein the bracket has an extended arm portion with a first mounting element positioned on an end thereof, the fascia having a second mounting element adjacent the face portion, the second mounting element configured to mate with the first mounting element, the arm of the bracket and the leg of the fascia being dimensioned such that the first and second mounting elements are coupled together when the first and second locking elements are mated together.
6. The fascia and mounting bracket combination of claim 5 wherein the second mounting element is positioned adjacent the proximal end of the leg.
7. The fascia and mounting bracket combination of claim 1 further comprising a spring for biasing the second locking element towards the first locking element.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method, implemented as a set of instructions stored in memory and executed by a processing unit, comprising:
sensing aircraft operating environment information including weather data pertaining to the aircraft;
encapsulating the aircraft operating environment information in at least one sensor object;
including traffic data in the at least one sensor object, wherein the traffic data includes surrounding aircraft identity information, range to the surrounding aircraft information, range change rate to the surrounding aircraft information, altitude of the surrounding aircraft information, altitude change rate of the surrounding aircraft information, threat status of the surrounding aircraft information, and aircraft type of the surrounding aircraft information;
processing the at least one sensor object;
calculating a four-dimensional trajectory solution for the aircraft over time to determine a path between the aircraft and a destination taking the weather data into consideration; and
presenting the trajectory solution to a user.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor object processing system is located remotely from the aircraft.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting the trajectory solution to the user comprises displaying the trajectory solution on a flight deck system display.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting the trajectory solution to the user comprises audio instructions or audio cues.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather data includes weather cell location, weather cell intensity, weather cell turbulence level, a horizontal and a vertical extent for the weather cell, hail content for the weather cell, and growth or collapse of the weather cell.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of obtaining meta data describing the aircraft operating environment information and including the meta data in the at least one sensor object.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of including navigation data in the at least one sensor object, wherein the navigation data includes position, velocity, and acceleration of the aircraft.
8. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote location comprises a second vehicle, a land based stationary facility, or a satellite.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the four-dimensional trajectory for the aircraft further comprises the steps of:
determining that a weather cell is located in the path between the aircraft and the destination at the time the aircraft reaches the weather cell; and
recalculating the trajectory solution to divert the aircraft around the weather cell.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the four-dimensional trajectory for the aircraft further comprises the steps of:
determining that a weather cell is presently located in the path between the aircraft and the destination; and
determining the weather cell will not be located in the path between the aircraft and the destination at the time the aircraft reaches the weather cell.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of including terrain data in the at least one sensor object, the terrain data comprising terrain elevation, terrain type, and aircraft threat risk.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of including communication data in the at least one sensor object, the communication data comprising uplinked clearance for the aircraft and a procedure definition for communications available to the aircraft.
13. A method, implemented as a set of instructions stored in memory and executed by a processing unit, comprising:
sensing aircraft operating environment information;
wherein the operating environment information comprises navigation data including position, velocity, and acceleration of the aircraft;
wherein the operating environment information further comprises terrain data including terrain elevation, terrain type, and aircraft threat risk;
wherein the operating environment information further comprises traffic data including surrounding aircraft identity information, range to the surrounding aircraft information, range change rate to the surrounding aircraft information, altitude of the surrounding aircraft information, altitude change rate of the surrounding aircraft information, threat status of the surrounding aircraft information, and aircraft type of the surrounding aircraft information;
obtaining meta data describing the operating environment information;
encapsulating the aircraft operating environment information and the meta data in at least one sensor object;
processing the at least one sensor object; and
presenting the operating environment information to a user.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of including communication data in the at least one sensor object, wherein the communication data comprises uplinked clearance for the aircraft and a procedure definition for communications available to the aircraft.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of including weather data in the at least one sensor object, wherein the weather data comprises weather cell location, weather cell intensity, weather cell turbulence level, a horizontal and a vertical extent for the weather cell, hail content for the weather cell, and growth or collapse of the weather cell.
16. A method, implemented as a set of instructions stored in memory and executed by a processing unit, comprising:
sensing aircraft operating environment information;
wherein the operating environment information comprises weather data including weather cell location, weather cell intensity, weather cell turbulence level, a horizontal and a vertical extent for the weather cell, hail content for the weather cell, and growth or collapse of the weather cell;
wherein the operating environment information further comprises communication data including uplinked clearance of user’s aircraft and a procedure definition for communications available to user’s aircraft;
wherein the operating environment information comprises navigation data including position, velocity, and acceleration of the aircraft;
wherein the operating environment information further comprises traffic data including surrounding aircraft identity information, range to the surrounding aircraft information, range change rate to the surrounding aircraft information, altitude of the surrounding aircraft information, altitude change rate of the surrounding aircraft information, threat status of the surrounding aircraft information, and aircraft type of the surrounding aircraft information;
wherein the operating environment information further comprises terrain data terrain elevation, terrain subtype, and aircraft threat risk;
obtaining meta data describing the operating environment information;
encapsulating the aircraft operating environment information and the meta data in at least one sensor object;
processing the at least one sensor object; and
presenting the operating environment information to a user.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:
calculating a four-dimensional trajectory solution for the aircraft over time to determine a path between the aircraft and a destination taking the weather cell into consideration;
determining that the weather cell may be located in the path between the aircraft and the destination when the aircraft reaches the weather cell;
recalculating the trajectory to divert the aircraft around the weather cell; and
presenting the recalculated trajectory solution to a user.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:
calculating a four-dimensional trajectory solution for the aircraft over time to determine a path between the aircraft and a destination taking the weather cell into consideration;
determining that the weather cell is presently located in the path between the aircraft and the destination;
determining that the weather cell will not be located in the path between the aircraft and the destination at the time the aircraft reaches the weather cell; and
presenting the trajectory solution to a user.