Artificial horizon altitude warning system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsDavid E. Stevens, Leonard A. Temme
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An artificial horizon altitude warning system is provided for helping to prevent a controlled flight of an aircraft into the ground. The artificial horizon altitude warning system comprises an altimeter for gathering altitude information about the aircraft and generating an altitude signal; a laser assembly for producing a light in a cockpit of the aircraft; and a controller for receiving the altitude signal and for positioning the light in the cockpit to form an artificial line based on the altitude signal, the artificial line being positioned so as to be disposed along tin arcuate length corresponding to the location of an actual horizon as viewed by a pilot of the aircraft.
Claims18
An artificial horizon warning system for an aircraft containing an altitude measuring and or ground proximity devices which provides a warning when a controlled flight of the aircraft will result in a collision with the ground, said system comprising:
- means for gathering altitude information about said aircraft from said altitude and proximity measuring device and generating an altitude signal;
- laser light generating means for producing at least one ray of laser light in a cockpit of said aircraft;
- and
- control means for receiving said altitude signal and for positioning one ray of said light in said cockpit to form an artificial line based on said altitude signal, said artificial line being positioned so as to be disposed along an arcuate length corresponding to the location of an actual horizon as viewed by a pilot of said aircraft wherein said artificial line is disposed at the intersection of said one ray of said light and said cockpit, said one ray of light being defined by a visual horizon, angle, said visual horizon angle being defined by:
- ##EQU3## where, x is said visual horizon angle, R is the radius of the earth, and A is the altitude of said aircraft, said visual horizon angle being measured from a line extending from a pilot's eye to the horizon and from said pilot's eye to the center of the earth.
An artificial horizon warning system for an aircraft which provides a warning when a controlled flight of the aircraft will result in a collision with the ground, said system comprising:
- means for gathering altitude information about said aircraft;
- means for gathering attitude information about said aircraft, said attitude information comprising at least pitch and roll information;
- light generating means for producing at least one ray of light in a cockpit of said aircraft;
- and
- control means for receiving said altitude and attitude information and for positioning said light in said cockpit to form an artificial line based on said altitude and attitude information, said artificial line being positioned so as to be disposed along an arcuate length in said cockpit, wherein said artificial line is disposed at the intersection of a ray of said light and said cockpit, said ray being defined by a visual horizon angle, said visual horizon angle being defined by:
- ##EQU4## where, x is said visual horizon angle, R is the radius of the earth, and A is the altitude of said aircraft, said visual horizon angle being measured from a line extending from a pilot's eye to the horizon and from said pilot's eye to the center of the earth.
A method for providing a warning when a controlled flight of an aircraft will result in a collision with the ground, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating a signal indicative of an altitude of said aircraft;
- (b) projecting a ray of laser light from a light source on a cockpit so that said light source forms an artificial line based on said altitude signal, said artificial line being positioned so as to be disposed along an arcuate length corresponding to the location of an actual horizon as viewed by a pilot of said aircraft;
- and
- (c) dynamically adjusting said artificial line so as to be disposed at the intersection of a ray and said cockpit, said ray being defined by a visual horizon angle, said visual horizon angle being defined by:
- ##EQU5## where, x is said visual horizon angle, R is the radius of the earth, and A is the altitude of said aircraft, said visual horizon angle being measured from a line extending from a pilot's eye to the actual horizon and from said pilot's eye to the center of the earth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.