US4910674A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Navigation of aircraft by correlation
Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
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Filing: 1988-06-28
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Granted: 1990-03-20
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Expires: 2008-06-28
Abstract
Abstract A method of navigation and serial guidance under utilization of elevational data correlation, wherein a correlator compares terrain specific elevational reference data, with actually acquired and processed altitude data, is improved by using a millimeter wave sensor operating in the atmospheric window of about 94 gigahertz; and being operated during cruising by back and forth scanning in a substantially vertical down direction across a prescribed flight path; occasionally the sensor is pivoted about a horizontal axis, for scanning in the forward direction in a forward search mode for purposes of target acquisition.
Inventors
- 👤 Horst-Dieter Lerche
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 19:58
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C21/00; G01C21/005; F; F41; F41G; F41G7/00; F41G7/34; F41G7/343
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
In a method of navigation and aerial guidance under utilization of elevational data correlation, wherein a correlator compares terrain specific elevational reference data, with actually acquired and processed altitude data, the improvement comprising: using a millimeter wave sensor operating in the atmospheric window of about 94 gigahertz for acquiring the altitude data to be fed to and to be used by the correlator; operating the millimeter sensor during cruising and overflight by back and forth scanning and in a substantially vertical down direction across a prescribed flight path to obtain the acquired altitude data; and occasionally pivoting the sensor about a horizontal axis, for scanning in the forward direction for purposes of searching for particular targets to be tracked subsequently of said altitude to the acquiring data.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
In a method of navigation and aerial guidance under utilization of elevational data correlation, wherein a correlator compares terrain specific elevational reference data, with actually acquired and processed altitude data, the improvement comprising: using a millimeter wave sensor operating in the atmospheric window of about 94 gigahertz for acquiring the altitude data to be fed to and to be used by the correlator; operating the millimeter sensor during cruising and overflight by back and forth scanning and in a substantially vertical down direction across a prescribed flight path to obtain the acquired altitude data; and occasionally pivoting the sensor about a horizontal axis, for scanning in the forward direction for purposes of searching for particular targets to be tracked subsequently of said altitude to the acquiring data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
Method as in claim 1, said sensor having an image beam defined by tight bundling and strong side lobe attenuation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
Method as in claim 1, using and standardized reference data as stored to replace the terrain specific elevational reference data, in the correlation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method as in claim 1, further using contrasts as defined by elevational jumps as said reference data for the correlation as well.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-03-19 | 1993-09-18 | 1994-03-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-03-19 | 1997-09-18 | 1998-03-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-03-19 | 2001-09-18 | 2002-03-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |