An aircraft instrument for providing a pictorial display of a vertical plane position of an aircraft, helicopter or other space operated vehicle in flight in relation to radio navigation aids or other selected reference points on the ground or in space. The instrument utilizes a computing device to establish the location of the references with respect to the vehicle in flight and the vertical pictorial display portrays the vehicle as a moving symbol, such as a red dot of light or other indicator means, positioned on a grid in a manner that shows the actual vehicle altitude above or below the reference point, distance of the vehicle from a reference point, and the vertical plane angle which would lead directly to the reference point. The instrument also includes means to provide a display of a selected or computed angular path to the same reference point so that an observer may readily determine whether the vehicle is following a proper flight path or whether it is possible to follow the proper path from the vehicle's present position in flight. Additional means are also provided in the instrument to display the relative vertical plane position of another reference point, on the ground or in space in relation to the same vertical plane by portraying the second reference point at another symbol, such as a blue dot of light or other suitable indicator means on the same grid. In the aforenoted instrument the relationships between the elements of the display is established so as to correspond to a mental image such as may be usually maintained by the pilot of the vehicle as he operates the vehicle in flight. In such manner the display serves to correlate and update the pilot's mental image with a minimum of confusion or interruptive mental action as the vehicle may rise or descend using vertical aimpoints or references.
A display unit has a transparent front panel one surface of which carries reflective markings that are illuminated by internal reflection in the panel from edge-mounted bulbs. Behind the panel are located light-emitting display devices such as provided by LED's. Illumination from the bulbs is controlled by manually adjusting a rheostat 36. The brightness of the display devices is controlled by means of two photodiodes. One photodiode responds to the level of ambient light falling on the front panel; the other photodiode is shielded from ambient light and responds to light from an additional bulb connected in parallel with the edge-mounted bulbs and having the same illumination characteristics. The brightness of the display devices is thereby automatically decreased when ambient light levels fall and increased when the markings are brightly illuminated, so that they are not masked by bright markings.
Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for indicating aircraft height relative to an obstruction in a terrain awareness warning system. The method includes receiving data indicative of geographic features of an obstruction, lateral distance of the geographic feature from an aircraft, height and flight path of the aircraft, calculating a projected height of the aircraft at the location of the obstruction using the data, generating a result signal, and displaying a colored indication on a display screen based on the result signal. The apparatus includes inputs for signals from instruments measuring height, flight path, and location of an aircraft, as well as an input for an instrument providing information about geographic features of terrain surrounding the aircraft. The apparatus includes a means for employing the signals to calculate an effective height of the aircraft relative to the terrain, and a screen display for graphically displaying the results of the calculation.
A combination directional gyro and navigation radio indicator instrument for use in aircraft which provides a display of compass card, selected course pointer, course deviation indicator, to-from indicator, and glide slope indicator in a unique presentation. The compass card is directly driven by the directional gyro, and the selected course pointer normally rotates with the compass card when it rotates, but can be de-clutched for selection of a new course. The selected course signal is obtained by attenuating, amplifying, and phase shifting the reference signal from a navigation radio such that it can be sent to the rotor of a control transformer which is geared to the compass card. The resulting stator signal is then amplified and sent to the rotor of a differential resolver which is geared to the course selector pointer. The control transformer and the differential transformer rotors turn in opposite directions such that the reference signal does not change when the compass card and the course selector pointer move together, but does change when the course selector is de-clutched and moves independently of the compass card. The resulting signal from the stator of the differential transformer is therefore an electrical representation of the selected course. This signal is then sent back to the navigation radio where it is compared to the signal representing the actual course of the aircraft that is received from a stationary navigation radio transmitter (VORTAC).
Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for indicating aircraft height relative to an obstruction in a terrain awareness warning system. The method includes receiving data indicative of geographic features of an obstruction, lateral distance of the geographic feature from an aircraft, height and flight path of the aircraft, calculating a projected height of the aircraft at the location of the obstruction using the data, generating a result signal, and displaying a colored indication on a display screen based on the result signal. The apparatus includes inputs for signals from instruments measuring height, flight path, and location of an aircraft, as well as an input for an instrument providing information about geographic features of terrain surrounding the aircraft. The apparatus includes a means for employing the signals to calculate an effective height of the aircraft relative to the terrain, and a screen display for graphically displaying the results of the calculation.
A computer-based system is disclosed for monitoring and controlling the takeoff and landing of aircraft from an airport that is large enough to require the services that are routinely associated with operations at a control tower. Individual air traffic controllers continue to have the responsibility for monitoring aircraft that are within the operations zone of their tower. But when responsibility for a given aircraft is to be transferred from one controller to another, an icon in each of two separate arrays on a computer screen is sequentially selected by the transferring controller. The first selected icon represents the aircraft; the second selected icon represents the new controller. Other icons give certain control functions (e.g., turning on or turning off certain runway lights) to an air traffic controller, as well as providing additional data to that controller, including information about an aircraft that is not continuously displayed on the controllers screen but is in memory, ready for immediate recall. The computer-based system replaces the manual handling of flight progress strips that are routinely handed from one controller to another--to effect transfer of responsibility.
