Alerting system

Claim 2

An airborne high speed altitude alerting system for rapidly substantially simultaneously indicating the relationships of a digital input signal to a digital reference level and to a permissible digital deviation therefrom in either direction defining a corridor centered on the reference level, comprising: first and second digital selector means for selecting respectively a predetermined reference level and a predetermined permissible deviation and providing respective outputs indicative thereof; first digital comparator means adapted to receive the input signal and connected to receive said first selector means output for providing a binary sign output indicative of the greater thereof and a difference output indicative of the magnitude of the difference between the input signal and said first selector means output; second digital comparator means connected to receive said second selector means output and said first comparator means difference output for providing a binary sign output indicative of the greater thereof concurrently with provision of said output of said first digital comparator; and first logic means responsive to said first and second comparator means sign outputs for substantially simultaneously providing respective output signals indicative of whether the input signal is above, below or within the corridor.

Claim 3

An alerting system according to claim 1 further comprising: said first selector means output being in a complement form; and said first comparator means including binary adder means adapted to receive the input signal and first selector means output for addition thereof to provide said sign output as the most significant carry of said adder means and said difference output in complement form.

Claim 4

An alerting system according to claim 2 wherein: said first selector means output and said first comparator means difference output are in two''s complement form.

Claim 5

An alerting system according to claim 3 further comprising: said second selector means connected to receive said first comparator means sign output for providing said second selector means output in true form when said first comparator means sign output is in one state and in complement form when said first comparator means output is in the other state; and said second comparator means including adding means connected to receive said first comparator Means difference output for addition thereof to provide said second comparator means sign output as the most significant carry of said second comparator means adder means.

Claim 6

An alerting system according to claim 4 further comprising: said first comparator means sign output being in the high state when the input signal is greater than said first selector means output; said second selector means providing the complement form of said output in response to a high said first comparator means sign output; and said first logic means including first, second and third gate means each operatively connected to receive said first and second comparator means sign outputs, said first gate means providing a decrease signal indicative of coincidence of high first and second comparator means sign outputs, said second gate means providing a confirm signal indicative of a high condition for only one of said first and second comparator means sign outputs, and said third gate means providing an increase signal indicative of coincidence of low first and second comparator means sign outputs.

Claim 7

An alerting system according to claim 1 further comprising: third digital selector means for selecting a predetermined proximity range on both sides of said corridor and providing an output indicative thereof; said second comparator means further providing a difference output indicative of the magnitude of the difference between said first comparator means difference output and said second selector means output; third comparator means connected to receive said second comparator means difference output and said third selector means output for producing a binary sign output indicative of the greater thereof; and second logic means responsive to said third comparator means sign output for providing a proximity output signal indicative of whether the input signal is adjacent said corridor and within said proximity range substantially simultaneously with provision of said other output signals.

Claim 8

An alerting system according to claim 4 further comprising: third digital selector means for establishing a proximity range on both sides of said corridor and providing an output indicative thereof, said third digital selector means output being in true form when said first comparator means sign output is in one state and in complement form when said first comparator means sign output is in the other state; third comparator means including binary adder means operatively connected to receive said second comparator means difference output and said third selector means output for producing a binary sign output indicative of the greater thereof; and second logic means responsive to said third comparator means sign output for providing a proximity output signal indicative of whether the input signal is adjacent said corridor and within said proximity range.

Claim 9

An airborne high speed altitude alerting system for rapidly substantially simultaneously indicating (1) the level of a BCD input signal relative to a selected predetermined reference level, (2) a permissible deviation therefrom in either direction defining a corridor, and (3) a proximity range immediately above and below the corridor, comprising: first digital selector means for selecting the predetermined reference level and providing a BCD output in complement form indicative thereof and representing three decimal digits; first binary full parallel adder means adapted to receive the input signal and connected to receive said first selector means output for providing a binary sign output indicative of the greater thereof as a most significant carry, and a sum output, and including means for adding a binary ''''one'''' to said sum output for conversion thereof to binary two''s complement form; first compensator means connected to receive said first adder means sum output for correction thereof to provide a valid BCD output; second digital selector means connectEd to receive said first adder means sign output for determining the permissible deviation from the reference level to define the corridor and providing a BCD output indicative thereof representing two decimal digits, said second selector means output being in true form when said first adder means sign output is in one state and in complement form when said first adder means sign output is in the other state; second binary full parallel adder means connected to receive said first compensator means output, said second selector means output and said first adder means sign output for adding said first adder means sign output to each bit of a portion of said first compensator means output representing a most significant decimal digit and for adding a corresponding portion of said first compensator means output to said second selector means output to provide a sign output as a most significant carry indicative of whether said first compensator means output is greater than said second selector means output; and first logic means including first, second and third gate means each operatively connected to receive substantially simultaneously said first and second adder means sign outputs, said first gate means providing without appreciable delay a decrease signal indicative of coincidence of first and second adder means sign outputs in one state, said second gate means providing, without appreciable delay, a confirm signal indicative of said first and second adder means sign outputs having opposite states, and said third gate means providing, without appreciable delay, an increase signal indicative of coincidence of said first and second adder means outputs in the other state said signals being provided substantially simultaneously.

Claim 10

An airborne high speed altitude alerting system for rapidly substantially simultaneously indicating (1) the level of a BCD input signal relative to a selected predetermined reference level, (2) a permissible deviation therefrom in either direction defining a corridor, and (3) a proximity range immediately above and below the corridor, comprising: first digital selector means for selecting the predetermined reference level and providing a BCD output in complement form indicative thereof and representing three decimal digits; first binary full parallel adder means adapted to receive the input signal and connected to receive said first selector means output for providing a binary sign output indicative of the greater thereof as a most significant carry, and a sum output, and including means for adding a binary ''''one'''' to said sum output for conversion thereof to binary two''s complement form; first compensator means connected to receive said first adder means sum output for correction thereof to provide a valid BCD output; second digital selector means connectEd to receive said first adder means sign output for determining the permissible deviation from the reference level to define the corridor and providing a BCD output indicative thereof representing two decimal digits, said second selector means output being in true form when said first adder means sign output is in one state and in complement form when said first adder means sign output is in the other state; second binary full parallel adder means connected to receive said first compensator means output, said second selector means output and said first adder means sign output for adding said first adder means sign output to each bit of a portion of said first compensator means output representing a most significant decimal digit and for adding a corresponding portion of said first compensator means output to said second selector means output to provide a sign output as a most significant carry indicative of whether said first compensator means output is greater than said second selector means output; and first logic means including first, second and third gate means each operatively connected to receive substantially simultaneously said first and second adder means sign outputs, said first gate means providing without appreciable delay a decrease signal indicative of coincidence of first and second adder means sign outputs in one state, said second gate means providing, without appreciable delay, a confirm signal indicative of said first and second adder means sign outputs having opposite states, and said third gate means providing, without appreciable delay, an increase signal indicative of coincidence of said first and second adder means outputs in the other state said signals being provided substantially simultaneously.

Claim 11

An alerting system according to claim 8 further comprising: said second adder means further providing a sum output; second compensator means connected to receive a portion of said second adder means sum output representing a least significant decimal digit for correction thereof to yield a valid BCD output; third digital selection means connected to receive said first adder means sign output for determining a proximity range immediately above and below the corridor and providing a BCD output indicative thereof representing a decimal digit, said third selector means output being in true form when said first adder means sign output is in one state and in complement form when said first adder means sign output is in the other state; third binary full adder means connected to receive said second compensator means output and said third selector means output for providing a sign output indicative of the greater thereof; and second logic means including a pair of gate means each operatively connected to receive said third adder means sign output and a portion of said second adder means output excluding said portion representing said least significant decimal digit, one of said gate means providing an output indicative of coincidence of one state for said third adder means sign output and said portion of said second adder means output and the other said gate means providing an output indicative of coincidence of the other state for said third adder means sign output and said portion of said second adder means sum output, said second logic means further including OR means operatively receiving said pair of gate means outputs for providing a proximity output signal when either thereof is in one state.

Claim 12

An alerting system according to claim 9 further including: third logic means including OR means operatively receiving said first logic means second gate means output and said second logic means OR means output for providing a composite confirm/proximity output signal when either thereof is in one state.

Claim 13

An alerting system according to claim 9 further comprising: inhibit means adapted to receive a signal indicative of a negative value for the input signal and operatively connected to said firsT and second logic means for inhibiting said first logic means first and second gate means outputs and said second logic means OR means output and activating said first logic means third gate means increase output.

Claim 14

An alerting system according to claim 9 further comprising: said first, second and third selector means being BCD thumbwheel switches.