Visual landing and surface guidance apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for projecting a beam of illumination containing guidance information, comprising: a housing means; an optical system at least partially disposed within said housing means for directing a beam of illumination along an optical path, said system including a source of illumination, filter means disposed in said optical path to divide said beam of illumination into at least two optically distinguishable beam segments, means to project said beam of said illumination along said optical path; and means adjustably mounting said filter means for selective rotational movement between at least two predetermined positions of said filter means with respect to said beam to selectively rotate the orientation of said beam segments with respect to a certain reference datum of said optical path.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said filter means is mounted for selective rotational movement on an axis coincident with the axis along which said beam of illumination is projected.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2, comprising stop means cooperatively disposed with said filter means to limit the extent of said rotational movement of said filter means to rotation between said predetermined positions.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said rotatable filter means comprises a plurality of optically distinguishable filter segments serially disposed across said filter means in a direction substantially normal to said optical path to provide a rotatable filter segment array producing said beam segments which are selectively rotatable with respect to the axis along which said beam is projected.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said movably mounted filter means comprises a plurality of optically distinct filter segments serially disposed across said filter means to provide a filter segment array which is assymetrical with respect to the axis of the beam.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein: said optical system includes a barrel member having an internal passage aligned with the beam axis to permit said beam of illumination to pass therethrough; said filter means being attached to said barrel means; a support member connected with said housing means in position to retain said barrel member in predetermined position; and at least two connection means disposed on said barrel member for enabling said retention on said support member; one of said connection means being disposed at a radial position relative to the beam axis which is dissimilar to such relative radial position of the other said connection means.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising: mounting support means selectively pivotally interconnected with said housing means so that the optical path of the projected beam of illumination is selectively angularly adjustable relative to said mounting support means; first index member mounted with said support means; second index member mounted with said housing means in position defining an angular indicating relation with said first index member which varies in correspondence with said adjustment of the beam of illumination relative to said support means; one of said index members having an indicium disposed thereon in alignment with said pivotal interconnection and parallel to said optical path; the other of said index members having a plurality of indicia disposed thereon in diverging relation from said pivotal interconnection, said plurality of indicia corresponding to selected predetermined angular relationships of the beam of illumination relative to said support means; and said other index member having an aperture formed therein in position to interrupt each of said plural indicia and to expose to view said indicium of said one index member to permit selective alignment of said one index member as a continuation of any of said interrupted indicia in response to movement about said pivotal interconnection.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein: each of said plurality of indicia on said other index member has an aperture interrupting the corresponding indicium and extending into said other index member; each said aperture interrupting said plurality of indicia having certain and unique spacing apart from said pivotal interconnection; and said indicium on said one index member being interrupted by a plurality of apertures corresponding to said firstmentioned plurality of apertures in number and in said certain and unique spacing apart from said pivotal interconnection, so that the selective alignment of said indicium of said one index member with any of said other indicia causes and is indicated by alignment of one said aperture interrupting said other indicia with the correspondingly-spaced one of said apertures interrupting said indicium of said one index member.

Claim 10

System providing guidance information for the operator of a vehicle, comprising: first means disposed to direct a first beam of illumination containing information indicating a nominal path of travel for a vehicle; said first beam of illumination presenting a first color at locations along said nominal path of travel and presenting at least one other color optically distinguishable from said first color at locations which are laterally displaced at least a certain distance from said nominal path of travel; second means disposed at a location laterally spaced from said nominal path of travel to direct a second beam of illumination having a color pattern optically distinguishable from said first beam of illumination in a direction to intersect said first beam of illumination at substantialy a right angle therewith; and reflective means mounted on a vehicle intended for travel along said nominal path, said reflective means positioned on said vehicle at a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle to intercept said second beam of illumination and to direct said intercepted second beam of illumination toward the location occupied by an operator of the vehicle while leaving said first beam of illumination substantially unaffected.

Claim 11

System providing guidance information for the operator of a vehicle, comprising: first means disposed to direct a first beam of illumination containing information indicating a nominal path of travel for a vehicle; said first beam of illumination presenting a first color at locations along said nominal path of travel and presenting at least one other color optically distinguishable from said first color at locations which are laterally displaced at least a certain distance from said nominal path of travel; second means disposed at a location laterally spaced from said nominal path of travel to direct a second beam of illumination having a color pattern optically distinguishable from said first beam of illumination in a direction to intersect said first beam of illumination at substantialy a right angle therewith; and reflective means mounted on a vehicle intended for travel along said nominal path, said reflective means positioned on said vehicle at a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle to intercept said second beam of illumination and to direct said intercepted second beam of illumination toward the location occupied by an operator of the vehicle while leaving said first beam of illumination substantially unaffected.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said second means is operative to provide said second beam of illumination presenting a substantially vertical plane of entry to a vehicle approaching said second beam along the nominal path of travel.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said second means is operative to direct said second beam of illumination comprising a cautionary beam portion and an instructional beam portion to intersect said nominal path of travel, said cautionary and instructional beam portions being optically distinguishable from each other and being contiguous one to the other along and comprising said substantially vertical plane of entry.

Claim 14

Apparatus as in claim 10, wherein: said reflective means is mounted in said vehicle to occupy a position which is in a vertical plane nominally occupied by the line of sight of the vehicle operator; and said reflective means is positioned on said vertical plane at a position which does not substantially obscure said first beam of illumination.

Claim 15

System as in claim 9, wherein one of said first and second illumination means provides an illumination beam having a flashing operating mode, and the other of said illumination means provides an illumination beam having an operating mode visually distinguishable from the first illumination beam.