← Back to Patent Explorer
US3280781A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Auto-pilot system

Assignee: Bunker Ramo Corp
•
Filing: 1965-09-27
•
Granted: 1966-10-25
•
Expires: 1985-09-27
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

No abstract record available.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ralph J Koerner

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 03:18
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/02; G05D1/0206

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim 229 words
IN COMBINATION WITH A SHIP HAVING A RUDDER ADAPTED FOR VARIABLY TURNING IN FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM A QUIESCENT POSITION, AN AUTO-PILOT SYSTEM INCLUDING MEANS FOR DEFINING A COURSE OF TRAVEL OF SAID SHIP WITH RESPECT TO A UNDIRECTIONAL AMBIENT MAGNETIC FIELD AND FOR TURNING SAID RUDDER BY AN AMOUNT PROPORTIONAL TO DEVIATION OF THE SHIP''S HEADING FROM SAID DEFINED COURSE OF TRAVEL AND IN A DIRECTION TO TEND TO ROTATE SAID SHIP AND ALIGN THE HEADING THEREOF WITH SAID DEFINED COURSE, SAID AUTO-PILOT SYSTEM INCLUDING: MAGNETIC FIELD SENSING MEANS FOR SENSING SAID UNIDIRECTIONAL AMBIENT MAGNETIC FIELD AND PRODUCING FIRST SIGNALS WHOSE CHARACTERISTICS ARE A FUNCTION OF THE DEGREE AND DIRECTION OF ANGULAR DEVIATION OF SAID MAGNETIC FIELD SENSING MEANS FROM A QUIESCENT PREDETERMINED ORIENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID AMBIENT MAGNETIC FIELD; MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID MAGNETIC FIELD SENSING MEANS ON SAID SHIP TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED IN A QUIESCENT PREDETERMINED ORIENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID AMBIENT MAGNETIC FIELD WHEN THE HEADING OF SAID SHIP IS ALIGNED WITH SAID DEFINED COURSE OF TRAVEL SO THAT SAID FIRST SIGNALS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO ZERO; FEED BACK MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF SAID RUDDER IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM SAID QUIESCENT POSITION FOR PROVIDING RUDDER POSITION FEEDBACK SIGNALS WHOSE CHARACTERISTICS ARE RELATED TO THE POSITIONS OF SAID RUDDER; AND
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 229 words
IN COMBINATION WITH A SHIP HAVING A RUDDER ADAPTED FOR VARIABLY TURNING IN FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM A QUIESCENT POSITION, AN AUTO-PILOT SYSTEM INCLUDING MEANS FOR DEFINING A COURSE OF TRAVEL OF SAID SHIP WITH RESPECT TO A UNDIRECTIONAL AMBIENT MAGNETIC FIELD AND FOR TURNING SAID RUDDER BY AN AMOUNT PROPORTIONAL TO DEVIATION OF THE SHIP''S HEADING FROM SAID DEFINED COURSE OF TRAVEL AND IN A DIRECTION TO TEND TO ROTATE SAID SHIP AND ALIGN THE HEADING THEREOF WITH SAID DEFINED COURSE, SAID AUTO-PILOT SYSTEM INCLUDING: MAGNETIC FIELD SENSING MEANS FOR SENSING SAID UNIDIRECTIONAL AMBIENT MAGNETIC FIELD AND PRODUCING FIRST SIGNALS WHOSE CHARACTERISTICS ARE A FUNCTION OF THE DEGREE AND DIRECTION OF ANGULAR DEVIATION OF SAID MAGNETIC FIELD SENSING MEANS FROM A QUIESCENT PREDETERMINED ORIENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID AMBIENT MAGNETIC FIELD; MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID MAGNETIC FIELD SENSING MEANS ON SAID SHIP TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED IN A QUIESCENT PREDETERMINED ORIENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID AMBIENT MAGNETIC FIELD WHEN THE HEADING OF SAID SHIP IS ALIGNED WITH SAID DEFINED COURSE OF TRAVEL SO THAT SAID FIRST SIGNALS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO ZERO; FEED BACK MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF SAID RUDDER IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM SAID QUIESCENT POSITION FOR PROVIDING RUDDER POSITION FEEDBACK SIGNALS WHOSE CHARACTERISTICS ARE RELATED TO THE POSITIONS OF SAID RUDDER; AND

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2403669A Cited
US3040748A Cited
US3167698A Cited
US3129686A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1969-10-24 1970-04-25 1970-10-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1973-10-24 1974-04-25 1974-10-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1977-10-24 1978-04-25 1978-10-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag