Spatial disorientation detector
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsD. W. Repperger, W. B. Albery
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spatial disorientation detector system capable of warning a pilot of potentially disorienting flight conditions in response to Kalman filter modeling of human response characteristics. The Kalman filter models are representative of human semicircular canal and otolith responses and are capable of more accurate prediction of actual pilot disorientation conditions than are systems which respond with simple magnitude measurement of disorientation stress. Examples of disorienting environments are also disclosed.
Claims12
Airborne spatial disorientation apparatus for protecting an aircrew member from the effects of aircraft maneuvering related spatial disorientation, said apparatus comprising the combination of:
- first means for computing electrical signals representing true position and orientation of said aircraft with respect to an earth reference;
- second means, inclusive of dead zone and noise tolerant mathematical models for a plurality of human position and orientation perceiving functions, for computing electrical signals representing aircrew member perceived position and orientation of said aircraft;
- means for comparing differences between said true position and perceived position and said true orientation and perceived orientation electrical signals with predetermined difference magnitude limits therefor;
- and
- means for informing said aircrew member of instances when said predetermined difference magnitude limits are exceeded.
Airborne spatial disorientation apparatus for protecting an aircrew member from the effects of aircraft maneuvering related spatial disorientation, said apparatus comprising the combination of:
- first means for computing electrical signals representing true position and orientation of said aircraft with respect to an earth reference;
- second means, inclusive of dead zone and noise tolerant mathematical models for a plurality of human position and orientation perceiving functions, for computing electrical signals representing aircrew member perceived position and orientation of said aircraft;
- said first means for computing and said second means for computing together comprising a first stage portion of said apparatus;
- said first stage portion further including Kalman filter mathematical model means for estimating said aircrew member perceived position and orientation of said aircraft electrical signals;
- means for comparing differences between said true position and perceived position and said true orientation and perceived orientation electrical signals with predetermined difference magnitude limits therefor;
- said means for comparing differences includes means for computing difference signals between said Kalman filter estimated aircrew member perceived position and orientation electrical signals and said true position and orientation electrical signals;
- said means for computing difference signals includes signal correction means responsive to non-random white noise signal components of said difference signals;
- and
- means for informing said aircrew member of instances when said predetermined difference magnitude limits are exceeded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.