US3752420A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Augmented washout circuit for use in automatic pilots
Assignee: Honeywell Inc
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Filing: 1971-01-04
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Granted: 1973-08-14
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Expires: 1991-01-04
Abstract
Abstract The invention is used in automatic pilots for navigable craft and comprises a washout circuit responsive to the signals from a body mounted pitch rate sensor and to the pitch rate signals from a vertically referenced sensor. The washout circuit comprises an algebraic summation circuit with an integrator in shunt therewith. The signals from the body mounted sensor are applied to an input of the summation circuit and the signals from the vertically referenced sensor are applied to an input to the integrator in subtractive fashion. Thus, the washout circuit provides wide bandwidth pitch rate stabilizing signals while washing out the undesirable azimuth rate coupling component of the feedback signal from the body mounted pitch rate sensor.
Inventors
- 👤 S Osder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 23:21
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/08; G05D1/0808; G05D1/0816; G05D1/0841
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
In an automatic pilot for navigable craft including body mounted first sensor means for providing a first feedback signal having desirable and undesirable low frequency and steady state components representing motion of said craft about an axis thereof, comprising second sensor means for providing a second feedback signal having said desirable components representing said motion of said craft about said axis, and washout circuit means responsive to said first and second feedback signals for attenuating said low frequency and steady state components of said first feedback signal that are not included in said second feedback signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
96 words
In an automatic pilot for navigable craft including body mounted first sensor means for providing a first feedback signal having desirable and undesirable low frequency and steady state components representing motion of said craft about an axis thereof, comprising second sensor means for providing a second feedback signal having said desirable components representing said motion of said craft about said axis, and washout circuit means responsive to said first and second feedback signals for attenuating said low frequency and steady state components of said first feedback signal that are not included in said second feedback signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
90 words
In the apparatus of claim 1 in which said washout circuit means comprises algebraic summation means, and integrator means, the output of said summation means being coupled to an input of said integrator means and the output of said integrator means being connected to an input of said summation means, said summation means being responsive to said first feedback signal and said integrator means being coupled to receive said second feedback signal for attenuating said components of said first feedback signal that are not included in said second feedback signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
In the apparatus of claim 1 in which said axis comprises the pitch axis of said craft, said desirable signal components comprise pitch axis stabilizing signals, and said undesirable signal components comprise signals resulting from said craft executing banked turn maneuvers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
In the apparatus of claim 1 in which said second sensor means comprises vertically referenced sensor means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
69 words
In the apparatus of claim 4 in which said first sensor means comprises rate sensor means for providing said first feedback signal representing the rate of said craft about said axis in craft coordinates, and said second sensor means further includes rate network means coupled to said vertically referenced sensor means for providing said second feedback signal representing the rate of said craft about said axis in stabilized coordinates.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
113 words
In an automatic pilot for navigable craft including body mounted first rate sensor means for providing a first feedback signal representing rates of said craft about the pitch axis thereof, said first feedback signal comprising low frequency and steady state pitch axis stabilizing signal components and undesirable signal components resulting from said craft executing banked turn maneuvers, comprising second rate sensor means for providing a second feedback signal having said stabilizing signal components representing said rates of said craft about said pitch axis, and washout circuit means responsive to said first and second feedback signals for attenuating said components of said first feedback signals that are not included in said second feedback signals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
113 words
In an automatic pilot for navigable craft including body mounted first rate sensor means for providing a first feedback signal representing rates of said craft about the pitch axis thereof, said first feedback signal comprising low frequency and steady state pitch axis stabilizing signal components and undesirable signal components resulting from said craft executing banked turn maneuvers, comprising second rate sensor means for providing a second feedback signal having said stabilizing signal components representing said rates of said craft about said pitch axis, and washout circuit means responsive to said first and second feedback signals for attenuating said components of said first feedback signals that are not included in said second feedback signals.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
132 words
In the apparatus of claim 6 in which said washout circuit means comprises first algebraic summation means having first and second inputs and an output, said first feedback signal being applied to said first input of said first summation means, and integrator means having first and second inputs and an output, said output of said summation means being applied to said first input of said integrator means, said second feedback signal being applied to said second input of said integrator means in subtractive relation to said first input thereof, said output of said integrator means being applied to said second input of said first summation means in subtractive relation to said first input thereof, thereby attenuating said components of said first feedback signal that are not included in said second feedback signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
76 words
In the apparatus of claim 7 in which said first rate sensor means comprises pitch rate gyro means for providing said first feedback signal representing the rate of said craft about said pitch axis in craft coordinates, and said second rate sensor means comprises stabilized platform means and rate network means coupled to said stabilized platform means for providing said second feedback signal representing the rate of said craft about said pitch axis in stabilized coordinates.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
65 words
In the apparaus of claim 8 in which said pitch rate gyro means is mounted to the body of said craft to provide further stabilizing signal components of said first feedback signal representative of elastic mode motions of said craft about said pitch axis, and further including elastic mode circuit means responsive to said first feedback signal for providing said elastic mode stabilizing signal components.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
75 words
In the apparatus of claim 8 in which said automatic pilot further includes a source of command signal, second algebraic summation means responsive to said command signal and said output of said first algebraic summation means for providing the error signal of said automatic pilot, control law means responsive to said error signal, and servo means coupled to said control law means to position the elevator of said craft in response to said error signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
111 words
In the apparatus of claim 10 further including failure detector means coupled to said stabilized platform means for providing a signal representative of failure of said platform, first switching means for disconnecting said command signal from said second algebraic summation means and for connecting said command signal to said servo means in response to said failure signal, and second switching means for disconnecting said second feedback signal from said integrator means in respone to said failure signal, said integrator means including means for reducing the gain thereof in response to said failure signal, and said control law means including means for reducing the gain thereof in response to said failure signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
66 words
In the apparatus of claim 6 in which said second rate sensor means comprises vertically referenced sensor means for providing pitch and roll signals representative of the pitch and roll angles of said craft, respectively, in stabilized coordinates, and rate network means responsive to said pitch signal for providing said second feedback signal representing the rate of said craft about said pitch axis in stabilized coordinates.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
61 words
In the apparatus of claim 12 further including monitor means comprising simulating means responsive to said second feedback signal and said roll signal for generating a simulating signal normally equivalent to said first feedback signal, and comparison means responsive to said simulating signal and said first feedback signal for providing a failure signal when the difference therebetween exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
72 words
In the apparatus of claim 13 in which said craft includes a source of signals representative of the velocity thereof and in which said simulating means comprises function generator means responsive to said roll and velocity signals for generating a function signal normally equivalent to said undesirable signal components, and summation means responsive to said function signal and said second feedback signal for providing the sum thereof thereby generating said simulating signal.
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) | 1976-08-13 | 1977-02-12 | 1977-08-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-13 | 1981-02-12 | 1981-08-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-13 | 1985-02-12 | 1985-08-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |