Optimized input adaptive control method and system

Claim 1

A CRAFT TERRAIN FOLOWING CONTROL SYSTEM COMPRISING: (A) A CLOSED LOOP, SELF-ADAPTIVE CONTROL CHANNEL, FOR MAINTAINING AN AIRCRAFT AT A PREDETERMINED HEIGHT; (B) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A DESIRED CLEARANCE HEIGHT SIGNAL; (C) A RADIO ALTIMETER, COOPERATING ADDITIVELY WITH SAID CLEARANCE HEIGHT FACTOR MEANS, FOR GENERATING A SIGNAL REPRESENTING THE PREDETERMINED HEIGHT; (D) A FORWARD LOOKING RADAR TERRAIN SENSOR FOR GENERATING SIGNALS REPRESENTING TERRAIN HEIGHT OVER A FUTURE INTERVAL ALONG THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT PATH; (E) AN EQUATION SOLVER HAVING A SIGNAL PROCESSING MODEL OF THE AIRCRAFT, INCLUDING A SET OF INTEGRATORS AND ADJUSTED GAIN DEVICES FOR PREDICTING AIRCRAFT HEIGHTS ALONG THE FUTURE FLIGHT PATH, IN REVERSE TIME, SUBSTANTIALLY FASTER THAN REAL-TIME, ON THE BASIS OF KNOWN AIRCRAFT DYNAMICS AND OPTIMIZED RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS; (F) A TRAJECTORY GENERATOR, RESPONSIVE TO SAID TERRAIN SENSOR, FOR MODIFYING THE FUTURE HEIGHT SIGNALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SELECTED HEIGHT ACCELERATION LIMITS.