Automatic landing system

Claim 2

In an aircraft equipped with a throttle, a glide slope beam receiver and an automatic speed control system which controls the speed of said aircraft through operation of the longitudinal control surfaces of said aircraft, an automatic landing system comprising a common logic system, altitude mode control means comprising altitude hold mode sensor means which generates a first signal proportional to the altitude of said aircraft, altitude selection means which generates a second signal proportional to the desired altitude of said aircraft means to combine said first and second signals to produce an error signal to be applied to said logic system to produce an output displacement command in response to said error signal, said output displacement command being nonproportional to said eRror signal, actuating means responsive to said displacement command to effect a displacement of said throttle; a glide slope mode control means, said glide slope control means comprising said glide slope receiver which produces a third signal indicative of the angular displacement of the aircraft from the glide slope beam of the airport, said third signal comprising an error signal to be applied to said logic system to cause displacement of said throttle; flare mode control means comprising a height sensor which generates a fourth signal proportional to the height of said aircraft above the runway, means for differentiating said fourth signal, means for generating a fifth signal indicative of the desired rate of change of the height of said aircraft, the value of said fifth signal being preprogrammed to linearly reduce the rate of change of height of said aircraft until the desired rate of change of height at touchdown is achieved, means for combining said fourth and fifth signals to generate an error signal to form the input to said logic system to cause a displacement of said throttle, means for generating a sixth signal indicative of a desired touchdown speed of the aircraft, said sixth signal to be applied to the input of said aircraft speed control means; and mode selection means to connect each of said mode control means successively.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 in which said logic system comprises means for differentiating said error signal input, means to form a signal proportional to the predicted controlled quantity change at a future time, means for producing predicted error signal by combining said error signal and said predicted controlled quantity change signal, amplifying means which amplifies said predicted error signal to form said output displacement command.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 in which the gain of said amplifying means is responsive to changes in the relative magnitude of said error signal and said predicted error signal.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 in which said actuating means are operatively connected to said throttle through clutch means to permit manual override of said automatic landing system.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1 in which said mode selection means comprises manually operated switch means to connect the error signal from said altitude hold mode sensor means to said logic system and to connect the error signal from said glide slope mode control means to said logic system when that mode of operation is desired; and switching means to automatically connect the error signal from said flare control height sensor to said logic means when said aircraft reaches a predetermined height.

Claim 7

In an aircraft equipped with a throttle, a glide slope beam receiver and an automatic speed control system which controls the speed of said aircraft through operation of the longitudinal control surfaces of said aircraft, an automatic landing system comprising a common logic system, altitude mode control means comprising altitude hold mode sensor means which generates a first signal proportional to the altitude of said aircraft, altitude selection means which generates a second signal proportional to the desired altitude of said aircraft, means to combine said first and second signals to produce an error signal, said common logic system comprising means for differentiating said error signal input to said logic system, means to form a signal proportional to the predicted controlled quantity change at a future time, means for producing a predicted controlled quantity change signal by combining said error signal and said predicted controlled quantity change signal, amplifying means which amplifies said predicted signal to form an output displacement command signal, the gain of said amplifier being controlled by changes in the relative magnitudes of said error signal and said predicted signal, actuating means responsive to said output displacement command signal to effect a displacement of said throttle, said actuating means operatively connected to said throttle through Clutch means to permit manual override of said automatic landing system; a glide slope mode control means comprising said glide slope receiver which produces a third signal proportional to the angular displacement of the aircraft from the glide slope beam of the airport, said third signal comprising the error signal to be applied to said logic system to cause displacement of said throttle; a flare mode control means comprising a height sensor which generates a fourth signal proportional to the height of said aircraft above the runway, means for differentiating said fourth signal, means for generating a fifth signal proportional to the desired rate of change of the height of said aircraft above said runway, the value of said fifth signal being programmed to linearly reduce the rate of change of height until the desired rate of change of height at touchdown is achieved, means for combining said fourth and fifth signals to generate an error signal to be applied to said logic system to cause a displacement in the throttle, means for generating a sixth signal indicative of the desired speed of said aircraft at touchdown, said sixth signal to be applied automatically to the input of said aircraft speed control means when said aircraft reaches a predetermined height above the runway; and mode selection means comprising manually operated switch means to connect the error signal from said altitude hold mode sensor to said logic system and to connect the error signal from said glide slope control mode sensor means to said logic system when that mode of operation is desired, and switching means to automatically connect the error signal from said flare control mode means to said logic system when said aircraft reaches a predetermined height above the runway.

Claim 8

In an aircraft equipped with a throttle, a glide slope beam receiver and an automatic speed control system which controls the speed of said aircraft through operation of the longitudinal control surfaces of said aircraft, an automatic landing system comprising a common logic system, altitude mode control means comprising altitude hold mode sensor means which generates a first signal proportional to the altitude of said aircraft, altitude selection means which generates a second signal proportional to the desired altitude of said aircraft, means to combine said first and second signals to produce an error signal, said common logic system comprising means for differentiating said error signal input to said logic system, means to form a signal proportional to the predicted controlled quantity change at a future time, means for producing a predicted controlled quantity change signal by combining said error signal and said predicted controlled quantity change signal, amplifying means which amplifies said predicted signal to form an output displacement command signal, the gain of said amplifier being controlled by changes in the relative magnitudes of said error signal and said predicted signal, actuating means responsive to said output displacement command signal to effect a displacement of said throttle, said actuating means operatively connected to said throttle through Clutch means to permit manual override of said automatic landing system; a glide slope mode control means comprising said glide slope receiver which produces a third signal proportional to the angular displacement of the aircraft from the glide slope beam of the airport, said third signal comprising the error signal to be applied to said logic system to cause displacement of said throttle; a flare mode control means comprising a height sensor which generates a fourth signal proportional to the height of said aircraft above the runway, means for differentiating said fourth signal, means for generating a fifth signal proportional to the desired rate of change of the height of said aircraft above said runway, the value of said fifth signal being programmed to linearly reduce the rate of change of height until the desired rate of change of height at touchdown is achieved, means for combining said fourth and fifth signals to generate an error signal to be applied to said logic system to cause a displacement in the throttle, means for generating a sixth signal indicative of the desired speed of said aircraft at touchdown, said sixth signal to be applied automatically to the input of said aircraft speed control means when said aircraft reaches a predetermined height above the runway; and mode selection means comprising manually operated switch means to connect the error signal from said altitude hold mode sensor to said logic system and to connect the error signal from said glide slope control mode sensor means to said logic system when that mode of operation is desired, and switching means to automatically connect the error signal from said flare control mode means to said logic system when said aircraft reaches a predetermined height above the runway.