Patent US3715752A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3715752A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Structure for and method of aircraft guidance
Assignee: Ohio University
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Filing: 1970-01-26
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Granted: 1973-02-06
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Expires: 1990-01-26
Abstract
Abstract A vertical guidance system for providing a glide-path for aircraft. An aircraft slant-range signal from a known distancemeasuring equipment interrogator is divided by an aircraft altitude signal from known altitude-measuring equipment to provide a true aircraft glide angle, and the true aircraft glide angle is subtracted from a reference aircraft glide angle which determines a reference glidepath to provide an aircraft glide angle error signal in degrees. The glide angle error signal is then multiplied by the slant-range signal to provide a vertical lineal distance error indication of the position of the aircraft relative to the reference glidepath. Structure is also disclosed for electronically compensating for offsetting the usual distance-measuring equipment from a desired aircraft touchdown point. The altitude signal is compensated for variations in field altitude and barometric pressures and in one modification may be synchronized with the pilot''s altimeter. Aircraft arrival at a letdown-initiation point is visually indicated by the disclosed guidance system.
Inventors
- 👤 P Garrett
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 17:30
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S13/00; G01S13/88; G01S13/91; G01S13/913
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
128 words
Aircraft vertical guidance structure comprising means for providing a signal representing the slant-range distance of an aircraft from a reference point, barometric means for providing a signal representing the altitude of the aircraft from the reference point, means for directly dividing the distance signal into the altitude signal to provide a true glidepath angle signal, means for supplying a reference glidepath angle signal, means for subtracting the reference glidepath angle signal from the true glidepath angle signal to provide a glidepath angle error signal, and means for multiplying the glidepath angle error signal by the slant-range distance signal to provide a distance deviation from a predetermined glidepath error signal and means for displaying at least one of the glidepath angle error signal and the distance deviation error signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
128 words
Aircraft vertical guidance structure comprising means for providing a signal representing the slant-range distance of an aircraft from a reference point, barometric means for providing a signal representing the altitude of the aircraft from the reference point, means for directly dividing the distance signal into the altitude signal to provide a true glidepath angle signal, means for supplying a reference glidepath angle signal, means for subtracting the reference glidepath angle signal from the true glidepath angle signal to provide a glidepath angle error signal, and means for multiplying the glidepath angle error signal by the slant-range distance signal to provide a distance deviation from a predetermined glidepath error signal and means for displaying at least one of the glidepath angle error signal and the distance deviation error signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
128 words
Aircraft vertical guidance structure comprising means for providing a signal representing the slant-range distance of an aircraft from a reference point, barometric means for providing a signal representing the altitude of the aircraft from the reference point, means for directly dividing the distance signal into the altitude signal to provide a true glidepath angle signal, means for supplying a reference glidepath angle signal, means for subtracting the reference glidepath angle signal from the true glidepath angle signal to provide a glidepath angle error signal, and means for multiplying the glidepath angle error signal by the slant-range distance signal to provide a distance deviation from a predetermined glidepath error signal and means for displaying at least one of the glidepath angle error signal and the distance deviation error signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
128 words
Aircraft vertical guidance structure comprising means for providing a signal representing the slant-range distance of an aircraft from a reference point, barometric means for providing a signal representing the altitude of the aircraft from the reference point, means for directly dividing the distance signal into the altitude signal to provide a true glidepath angle signal, means for supplying a reference glidepath angle signal, means for subtracting the reference glidepath angle signal from the true glidepath angle signal to provide a glidepath angle error signal, and means for multiplying the glidepath angle error signal by the slant-range distance signal to provide a distance deviation from a predetermined glidepath error signal and means for displaying at least one of the glidepath angle error signal and the distance deviation error signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
65 words
Structure as set forth in claim 1 and further including means operably connected to the means for providing a signal representing the slant-range distance, the means for providing an altitude signal and to the indicating means for providing an automatic indication of aircraft arrival at a letdown-initiation point visually and for automatically actuating the indicating means on arrival of the aircraft at the letdown-initiation point.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
Structure as set forth in claim 1 and further including means operably associated with the slant-range distance signal providing means for compensating the distance signal to permit variable placement of ground based equipment in mutually perpendicular directions for producing the distance signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
Structure as set forth in claim 1 and further including means operably associated with the altitude signal providing means for compensating the altitude signal for barometric pressure changes and the altitude of the reference point.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
116 words
The method of determining vertical angle deviation from a reference glidepath angle comprising producing a signal representing the slant-range distance of an aircraft from a predetermined point, producing a signal representing the altitude of the aircraft from the predetermined point, directly dividing the altitude signal by the distance signal to provide a true glidepath angle signal, providing a reference glidepath angle signal, subtracting the reference glidepath angle signal from the true glidepath angle signal to provide a glidepath angle error signal, multiplying the glidepath angle error signal by the slant-range distance signal to provide a vertical distance error signal and displaying at least one of the glidepath angle error signal and the vertical distance error signal.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
116 words
The method of determining vertical angle deviation from a reference glidepath angle comprising producing a signal representing the slant-range distance of an aircraft from a predetermined point, producing a signal representing the altitude of the aircraft from the predetermined point, directly dividing the altitude signal by the distance signal to provide a true glidepath angle signal, providing a reference glidepath angle signal, subtracting the reference glidepath angle signal from the true glidepath angle signal to provide a glidepath angle error signal, multiplying the glidepath angle error signal by the slant-range distance signal to provide a vertical distance error signal and displaying at least one of the glidepath angle error signal and the vertical distance error signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as set forth in claim 5 and further including automatically indicating the arrival of the aircraft at a letdown-initiation point.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as set forth in claim 5 and further including compensating the slant-range distance signal for offsetting distance measuring equipment in mutually perpendicular directions from the predetermined point.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as set forth in claim 5 and further including compensating the altitude signal for barometric pressure change and the altitude of the predetermined point.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
143 words
Aircraft vertical guidance structure comprising means for providing a signal representing the slant-range distance of an aircraft from a reference point, means operably associated with the slant-range distance signal providing means for compensating the distance signal to permit variable placement of ground based equipment in mutually perpendicular directions for producing the distance signal, means for providing a signal representing the altitude of the aircraft from the reference point including means for compensating the altitude signal for barometric pressure changes and the altitude of the reference point, means for directly dividing the distance signal into the altitude signal to provide a true glidepath angle signal, means for supplying a reference glidepath angle signal and means for subtracting the reference glidepath angle signal from the true glidepath angle signal to provide a glidepath angle error signal and means for displaying the glidepath angle error signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
143 words
Aircraft vertical guidance structure comprising means for providing a signal representing the slant-range distance of an aircraft from a reference point, means operably associated with the slant-range distance signal providing means for compensating the distance signal to permit variable placement of ground based equipment in mutually perpendicular directions for producing the distance signal, means for providing a signal representing the altitude of the aircraft from the reference point including means for compensating the altitude signal for barometric pressure changes and the altitude of the reference point, means for directly dividing the distance signal into the altitude signal to provide a true glidepath angle signal, means for supplying a reference glidepath angle signal and means for subtracting the reference glidepath angle signal from the true glidepath angle signal to provide a glidepath angle error signal and means for displaying the glidepath angle error signal.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
103 words
The method of determining vertical angle deviation from a reference glidepath angle comprising producing a signal representing the slant-range distance of an aircraft from a predetermined point, producing a signal representing the altitude of the aircraft from the predetermined point, compensating the altitUde signal for barometric pressure changes and the altitude of the predetermined point, directly dividing the altitude signal by the distance signal to provide a true glidepath angle signal, providing a reference glidepath angle signal and subtracting the reference glidepath angle signal from the true glidepath angle signal to provide a glidepath angle error signal and indicating the glidepath angle error.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
103 words
The method of determining vertical angle deviation from a reference glidepath angle comprising producing a signal representing the slant-range distance of an aircraft from a predetermined point, producing a signal representing the altitude of the aircraft from the predetermined point, compensating the altitUde signal for barometric pressure changes and the altitude of the predetermined point, directly dividing the altitude signal by the distance signal to provide a true glidepath angle signal, providing a reference glidepath angle signal and subtracting the reference glidepath angle signal from the true glidepath angle signal to provide a glidepath angle error signal and indicating the glidepath angle error.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
305 words
Structure for providing an aircraft vertical glidepath angle error signal using an altitude signal and a slant-range signal from distance-measuring equipment offset along the glidepath and perpendicular thereto on the ground comprising means for dividing the slant-range distance from the offset, offset distance-measuring equipment position to the aircraft by the offset distance of the distance-measuring equipment perpendicular to the aircraft glidepath to provide a signal representative of the co-sine of the angle between the slant-range distance and the perpendicular offset distance, means for multiplying the co-sine signal by itself to provide an output co-sine square signal, means for subtracting the co-sine square signal from a signal having a 1-value to provide a signal representing 1 minus the co-sine squared signal, means for taking the square root of the 1 minus the co-sine squared signal to provide a signal representing the sine of the angle, means for multiplying the signal representing the sine of the angle with the slant-range distance signal to provide an output signal substantially representing the distance between the aircraft and the offset, offset distance-measuring equipment on the glidepath of the aircraft, means for subtracting a signal representing the offset distance of the distance-measuring equipment along the glidepath from the signal substantially representing the distance between the aircraft and the offset, offset position of the distance-measuring equipment on the glidepath of the aircraft to provide a signal substantially equal to the distance between the aircraft and the original position of the distance-measuring equipment on the aircraft glidepath, means for dividing the last-mentioned signal by the altitude of the aircraft to provide a true aircraft glidepath angle signal, means for subtracting a reference aircraft glidepath angle signal from the true aircraft glidepath angle signal to provide an aircraft glidepath error signal and means for displaying the aircraft glidepath error signal all connected in series.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
305 words
Structure for providing an aircraft vertical glidepath angle error signal using an altitude signal and a slant-range signal from distance-measuring equipment offset along the glidepath and perpendicular thereto on the ground comprising means for dividing the slant-range distance from the offset, offset distance-measuring equipment position to the aircraft by the offset distance of the distance-measuring equipment perpendicular to the aircraft glidepath to provide a signal representative of the co-sine of the angle between the slant-range distance and the perpendicular offset distance, means for multiplying the co-sine signal by itself to provide an output co-sine square signal, means for subtracting the co-sine square signal from a signal having a 1-value to provide a signal representing 1 minus the co-sine squared signal, means for taking the square root of the 1 minus the co-sine squared signal to provide a signal representing the sine of the angle, means for multiplying the signal representing the sine of the angle with the slant-range distance signal to provide an output signal substantially representing the distance between the aircraft and the offset, offset distance-measuring equipment on the glidepath of the aircraft, means for subtracting a signal representing the offset distance of the distance-measuring equipment along the glidepath from the signal substantially representing the distance between the aircraft and the offset, offset position of the distance-measuring equipment on the glidepath of the aircraft to provide a signal substantially equal to the distance between the aircraft and the original position of the distance-measuring equipment on the aircraft glidepath, means for dividing the last-mentioned signal by the altitude of the aircraft to provide a true aircraft glidepath angle signal, means for subtracting a reference aircraft glidepath angle signal from the true aircraft glidepath angle signal to provide an aircraft glidepath error signal and means for displaying the aircraft glidepath error signal all connected in series.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
Structure as set forth in claim 11 and further including means for multiplying the glidepath angle error signal by the slant-range distance signal to provide a distance deviation from a predetermined glidepath error signal and means for displaying the distance deviation error signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
65 words
Structure as set forth in claim 11 and further including means operably connected to the means for providing a signal representing the slant-range distance, the means for providing an altitude signal and to the indicating means for providing an automatic indication of aircraft arrival at a letdown-initiation point visually and for automatically actuating the indicating means on arrival of the aircraft at the letdown-initiation point.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-02-06 | 1976-08-07 | 1977-02-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-02-06 | 1980-08-07 | 1981-02-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-02-06 | 1984-08-07 | 1985-02-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |