Angle mode area navigation computer

Claim 2

An angle mode area navigation system comprising a first input terminal for receiving station-to-aircraft vector angle information, a second input terminal for receiving station-toaircraft vector magnitude information, a waypoint-to-aircraft vector computer coupled to said first and second input terminals, a station-to-waypoint vector generator coupled to said computer whereby said computer produces at its output an electrical signal representative of the corresponding waypoint-to-aircraft vector, a distance generator coupled to the output of said computer for developing a distance display signal from said computer output, and an angle generator coupled to the output of said computer for developing an angle display signal from said computer output, said angle generator generating a VOR video signal with information representative of the angle of said waypoint-toaircraft vector for application to a VOR converter.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1, wherein said waypoint-to-aircraft vector computer is an analog computer.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2, wherein said computer is a sine wave summation filter.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 1, wherein said VOR video signal comprises a 9,960 Hz subcarrier amplitude modulated by a 30 Hz sine wave having a phase indicative of the angle of said waypoint-to-aircraft vector.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 4, wherein said VOR video subcarrier is frequency modulated by a 30 Hz reference phase sine wave.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 1, wherein said angle generator comprises an automatic level control circuit coupled to the output of said comPuter, a combining circuit coupled to the output of said automatic level control circuit, and means coupling said combining circuit to said first input terminal.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 6, wherein said coupling means comprises a high pass filter for passing a frequency modulated VOR video subcarrier.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 7, wherein said automatic level control circuit includes automatic gain control.

Claim 10

An angle mode area navigation system comprising a VOR input terminal for receiving A vector angle information, a DME input terminal for receiving A vector magnitude information, a C vector computer coupled to said VOR and DME input terminals, a B vector signal generator coupled to said computer whereby said computer produces at its output a signal representative of the C vector corresponding to said A AND B vectors, said C vector signal having an amplitude representative of the magnitude of said C vector and a phase representative of the angle of said C vector, first means coupled to the output of said computer for developing a distance display signal proportional to the magnitude of said C vector signal, and second means coupled to the output of said computer for developing an angular display signal proportional to the phase of said C vector signal, said C vector signal comprising a 30 Hz sine wave, said second means comprising a combining circuit for combining a 30 Hz sine wave signal possessing the phase of said C vector signal with a 9,960 Hz signal having a reference phase.

Claim 11

An angle mode area navigation system comprising a VOR input terminal for receiving A vector angle information, a DME input terminal for receiving A vector magnitude information, a C vector computer coupled to said VOR and DME input terminals, a B vector signal generator coupled to said computer whereby said computer produces at its output a signal representative of the C vector corresponding to said A AND B vectors, said C vector signal having an amplitude representative of the magnitude of said C vector and a phase representative of the angle of said C vector, first means coupled to the output of said computer for developing a distance display signal proportional to the magnitude of said C vector signal, and second means coupled to the output of said computer for developing an angular display signal proportional to the phase of said C vector signal, said C vector signal comprising a 30 Hz sine wave, said second means comprising a combining circuit for combining a 30 Hz sine wave signal possessing the phase of said C vector signal with a 9,960 Hz signal having a reference phase.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 9 wherein said first means comprises a peak detector for sensing the magnitude of said 30 Hz sine wave.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 9, including means for coupling the output of said combining circuit to a VOR converter.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 9, including a VOR receiver coupled to said VOR input terminal, a DME receiver coupled to said DME input terminal, a VOR converter coupled to the output of said second means, and a digital range display coupled to the output of said first means.

Claim 15

A system according to claim 12, including an angular bearing display coupled to the output of said VOR converter.

Claim 16

A system according to claim 13, wherein said digital range display comprises a plurality of electro-optical display elements.

Claim 17

A system according to claim 14, wherein said elements are arranged in a 7-bar segment array.

Claim 18

A system according to claim 13, wherein said digital range display comprises a meter for displaying range.

Claim 19

A system according to claim 13, wherein said angular bearing display comprises a course deviation indicator.

Claim 20

A system according to claim 13, wherein said angular bearing display comprises a radio magnetic indicator.

Claim 21

An angle mode area navigation system comprising a VOR receiver, a DME receiver, a C vector computer, means coupling said receivers to the input of said computer, a way point selector coupled to the input of said computer, a VOR video signal generator coupled to the output of said computer, a VOR converter coupled to the output of said video signal generator, and a CDI coupled to the output of said converter.

Claim 22

An angle mode area navigation system comprising a VOR receiver, a DME receiver, a C vector computer, means coupling said receivers to the input of said computer, a way point selector coupled to the input of said computer, a VOR video signal generator coupled to the output of said computer, a VOR converter coupled to the output of said video signal generator, and a CDI coupled to the output of said converter.

Claim 23

A system according to claim 19, including a damping capacitor coupled across the input of said CDI.

Claim 24

A system according to claim 19, including a range indicator coupled to the output of said computer.

Claim 25

A system according to claim 21, including first switch means between said VOR receiver and said CDI for selectively bypassing said C vector computer, and second switch means between said DME receiver and said range indicator for selectively bypassing said C vector computer.

Claim 26

A system according to claim 22, wherein said first and second switch means are ganged together.

Claim 27

A system according to claim 21, including a variable resistor, and approach mode switch means carried by said range indicator for coupling said variable resistor across the input of said CDI.

Claim 28

A system according to claim 24, wherein said resistor provides a substantially constant maximum angular sensitivity for said CDI.

Claim 29

A system according to claim 25, wherein said sensitivity is approximately + or - 30*.

Claim 30

A system according to claim 21, wherein said range indicator has at least one diagnostic light for indicating loss of a signal in the system.

Claim 31

A system according to claim 27, including means coupled to said range indicator for blanking its display when said diagnostic light is energized.

Claim 32

A system according to claim 27, wherein said range indicator includes a DME signal loss light, a VOR signal loss light and a DMW overrange light.