Patent US3659291A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3659291A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Aircraft navigation computer
Assignee: STATISTICAL SERVICES Inc
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Filing: 1969-08-18
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Granted: 1972-04-25
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Expires: 1989-08-18
Abstract
Abstract An all-electronic solid-state airborne analog computer, utilizing the navigation signals available from a VOR receiver and a DME receiver to develop linear coordinate signals continuously indicating the aircraft position and direction of movement relative to a ground station or to an arbitrarily selected waypoint within the operating range of the ground station.
Inventors
- 👤 Myron L Anthony
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:59
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K5/00; H03K5/01; H03K5/08; H03K5/082; G; G01; G01S; G01S1/00; G01S1/02; G06; G06G; G06G7/00; G06G7/12; G06G7/22; G06G7/26; G06G7/28; H03K3/00; H03K3/02; H03K3/26; H03K4/00; H03K4/06; H03K4/066
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
In an aircraft navigation system including receiver means for developing first and second data signals of given frequency varying in phase angle phi relative to each other, in accordance with one position parameter, and a third data signal representative of another position parameter, relative to a ground station transmitter, an all-electronic solid state analog position computer comprising: means utilizing said first data signal to generate a first intermediate signal, at said given frequency, of substantially rectangular wave form; modulating means for amplitude modulating said second data signal in accordance with said third data signal to generate a second intermediate signal of amplitude R, at said given frequency, having a substantially sinusoidal wave form; a first product detector for multiplying said intermediate signals together to generate a first ground station coordinate signal R cos phi ; and a second product detector for multiplying said intermediate signals together, with one intermediate signal shifted 90* in phase, to generate a second ground station coordinate signal R sin phi .
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
166 words
In an aircraft navigation system including receiver means for developing first and second data signals of given frequency varying in phase angle phi relative to each other, in accordance with one position parameter, and a third data signal representative of another position parameter, relative to a ground station transmitter, an all-electronic solid state analog position computer comprising: means utilizing said first data signal to generate a first intermediate signal, at said given frequency, of substantially rectangular wave form; modulating means for amplitude modulating said second data signal in accordance with said third data signal to generate a second intermediate signal of amplitude R, at said given frequency, having a substantially sinusoidal wave form; a first product detector for multiplying said intermediate signals together to generate a first ground station coordinate signal R cos phi ; and a second product detector for multiplying said intermediate signals together, with one intermediate signal shifted 90* in phase, to generate a second ground station coordinate signal R sin phi .
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
75 words
An aircraft navigation position computer according to claim 1 in which said modulating means comprises a square wave signal generator, driven by said second data signal to control the frequency and phase of its output and driven by said third data signal to control the amplitude of its output, and two successive integrator stages coupled to the output of said square wave signal generator to convert its square wave output to said second intermediate signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
An aircraft navigation position computer according to claim 2 in which said square wave signal generator includes a zero crossing detector actuated by said second data signal and a gated chopper circuit having its chopping rate controlled by the output of said zero crossing detector and further having its amplitude controlled by said third data signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
105 words
An aircraft navigation position computer according to claim 1 in which said modulating means for generating said second intermediate signal comprises, in series, a zero crossing detector, driven by said second data signal, for generating a square wave signal corresponding in frequency and phase to said second data signal; a constant slew rate filter for converting said square wave signal to a signal of triangular wave form; a sine wave synthesizer for converting said signal of triangular wave form to a sinusoidal signal of constant amplitude; and a variable output circuit for said sine wave synthesizer, continuously varied in accordance with said third data signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
80 words
An aircraft navigation position computer according to claim 1 in which said means for generating said first intermediate signal is a zero crossing detector actuated by said first data signal, said computer further including phase shifting means comprising a constant slew rate filter drivEn by said first intermediate signal and a zero crossing detector actuated by the output of said filter to afford a phase shift of 90* in said first intermediate signal for utilization in said second product detector.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
114 words
An aircraft navigation position computer according to claim 1 and further comprising: a waypoint selector for generating first and second waypoint coordinate signals P cos theta and P sin theta representative of the location of a selected waypoint relative to the ground station; a first summing amplifier for algebraically combining said first ground station coordinate signal and said first waypoint coordinate signal to develop a first linear coordinate position signal R cos phi + P cos theta ; and a second summing amplifier for algebraically combining said second ground station coordinate signal and said second waypoint coordinate signal to develop a second linear coordinate position signal R sin phi + P sin theta .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
86 words
An aircraft navigation position computer according to claim 6 in which said waypoint selector is actuated by a carrier signal from a local oscillator and develops waypoint coordinate signals of sinusoidal waveform at a given low carrier frequency; said computer comprising sine modulating means and cosine modulating means for modulating said ground station coordinate signals with said carrier signal to produce ground station coordinate signals of sinusoidal waveform prior to combination of said ground station coordinate signals with said waypoint coordinate signals in said summing amplifiers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
73 words
An aircraft navigation position computer according to claim 7 in which said carrier signal, as applied to said sine and cosine modulating means, is of rectangular wave form, in which said further modulating means includes two signal channels, each comprising an amplitude modulator for modulating said square wave carrier signal with one of said ground station coordinate signals, followed by two successive integrators for developing said ground station coordinate signals of sinusoidal waveform.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
133 words
The method of generating a continuous, precise trigonometric function signal based upon data signals of given frequency having a phase displacement phi , relative to each other, that is representative of the function angle, comprising: processing one data signal to develop a first intermediate signal, at said given frequency, of relatively pure sinusoidal waveform; squaring the other data signal to develop a second intermediate signal, at said given frequency, having a fast rise-time waveform of essentially rectangular configuration; chopping the first intermediate signal with the second intermediate signal to produce a pulsating DC signal having an amplitude proportional to the cosine of the phase angle between said data signals; and filtering said pulsating DC signal to develop a steady DC output signal having an amplitude continuously representative of said phase angle phi .
Claim 11
Independent Claim
133 words
The method of generating a continuous, precise trigonometric function signal based upon data signals of given frequency having a phase displacement phi , relative to each other, that is representative of the function angle, comprising: processing one data signal to develop a first intermediate signal, at said given frequency, of relatively pure sinusoidal waveform; squaring the other data signal to develop a second intermediate signal, at said given frequency, having a fast rise-time waveform of essentially rectangular configuration; chopping the first intermediate signal with the second intermediate signal to produce a pulsating DC signal having an amplitude proportional to the cosine of the phase angle between said data signals; and filtering said pulsating DC signal to develop a steady DC output signal having an amplitude continuously representative of said phase angle phi .
Claim 12
Independent Claim
215 words
The method of generating a pair of continuous, precise sine and cosine function signals based upon first and second data signals of given frequency having a phase displacement phi , relative to each other, that is representative of a function angle, comprising: processing the first data signal to develop a first intermediate signal, at said given frequency, of relatively pure sinusoidal waveform; squaring the second data signal to develop a second intermediate signal, at said given frequency, having a fast rise-time waveform of essentially rectangular configuration; shifting the phase of the second intermediate signal by 90* and re-squaring to develop a third intermediate signal, at said given frequency, having a fast rise-time waveform of essentially rectangular configuration and in phase quadrature with said second intermediate signal; chopping the first intermediate signal with the second intermediate signal and the third intermediate signal, in separate chopping circuits, to produce two pulsating DC signals, one having an amplitude proportional to the cosine of the phase angle between the first and second data signals and the other being an amplitude proportional to the sine of the phase angle between data signals; and filtering said pulsating DC signals to develop steady DC output signals having amplitudes continuously representative of the cosine and sine, respectively, of said phase angle phi .
Claim 13
Independent Claim
215 words
The method of generating a pair of continuous, precise sine and cosine function signals based upon first and second data signals of given frequency having a phase displacement phi , relative to each other, that is representative of a function angle, comprising: processing the first data signal to develop a first intermediate signal, at said given frequency, of relatively pure sinusoidal waveform; squaring the second data signal to develop a second intermediate signal, at said given frequency, having a fast rise-time waveform of essentially rectangular configuration; shifting the phase of the second intermediate signal by 90* and re-squaring to develop a third intermediate signal, at said given frequency, having a fast rise-time waveform of essentially rectangular configuration and in phase quadrature with said second intermediate signal; chopping the first intermediate signal with the second intermediate signal and the third intermediate signal, in separate chopping circuits, to produce two pulsating DC signals, one having an amplitude proportional to the cosine of the phase angle between the first and second data signals and the other being an amplitude proportional to the sine of the phase angle between data signals; and filtering said pulsating DC signals to develop steady DC output signals having amplitudes continuously representative of the cosine and sine, respectively, of said phase angle phi .
Claim 14
Independent Claim
183 words
The method aircraft navigation, entailing conversion of navigation data from polar to rectilinear coordinates, using first and second AC data signals of given frequency having a phase displacement phi , relative to each other, that is representative of the polar coordinate angle, and a third data signal comprising a DC signal having an amplitude R proportional to the polar coordinate vector length, comprising: squaring the first data signal; chopping the third data signal with the squared first data signal to produce a variable amplitude signal of amplitude R, at said given frequency, of essentially rectangular waveform; filtering the variable amplitude signal to develop a first intermediate signal, at said given frequency, of relatively pure sinusoidal waveform; squaring the second data signal to develop a second intermediate signal, at said given frequency, having a fast rise-time waveform of essentially rectangular configuration; chopping the first intermediate signal with the second intermediate signal to produce a pulsating DC signal having an amplitude proportional to R cos phi : and filtering said pulsating DC signal to develop a steady DC coordinate signal Y R cos phi .
Claim 15
Independent Claim
183 words
The method aircraft navigation, entailing conversion of navigation data from polar to rectilinear coordinates, using first and second AC data signals of given frequency having a phase displacement phi , relative to each other, that is representative of the polar coordinate angle, and a third data signal comprising a DC signal having an amplitude R proportional to the polar coordinate vector length, comprising: squaring the first data signal; chopping the third data signal with the squared first data signal to produce a variable amplitude signal of amplitude R, at said given frequency, of essentially rectangular waveform; filtering the variable amplitude signal to develop a first intermediate signal, at said given frequency, of relatively pure sinusoidal waveform; squaring the second data signal to develop a second intermediate signal, at said given frequency, having a fast rise-time waveform of essentially rectangular configuration; chopping the first intermediate signal with the second intermediate signal to produce a pulsating DC signal having an amplitude proportional to R cos phi : and filtering said pulsating DC signal to develop a steady DC coordinate signal Y R cos phi .
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
88 words
The method of aircraft navigation, according to claim 11, and further comprising: phase-shifting the second data signal, and then re-squaring, to develop a third intermediate signal, at said given frequency, of essentially rectangular waveform, in phase guadrature to said second intermediate signal; chopping the first intermediate signal with the third intermediate signal to produce a second pulsating DC signal having an amplitude proportional to R sin phi ; and filtering said second pulsating DC signal to develop a second steady DC coordinate signal X R sin phi .
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
76 words
The method of aircraft navigation according to claim 12, and further comprising: generating waypoint coordinate signals X'' P sin theta and Y'' P cos theta representative of the position of a waypoint relative to the source of said data signals; and summing said waypoint coordinate signals with said steady DC coordinate signals to develop rectilinear coordinate position signals X'''' R sin phi + P sin theta and Y'''' R cos phi + P cos theta .
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of aircraft navigation according to claim 13, and further comprising: rotating said rectilinear coordinate position signals to resolve cross track and along track signal information for instrument display.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-04-25 | 1975-10-25 | 1976-04-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-04-25 | 1979-10-25 | 1980-04-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-04-25 | 1983-10-25 | 1984-04-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |