Methods and systems for maintaining a position during hovering operations
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsJames R. Hager, David V. Hansen, Curtis J. Petrich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for maintaining a position of a hovering vehicle that incorporates a radar altimeter is described. The method includes receiving signals at the radar altimeter based on a change of horizontal direction, operating the radar altimeter to generate a Doppler frequency spectrum based on the received signals, and determining a change in vehicle direction and velocity which will reduce a width of the Doppler frequency spectrum of the received signals. A radar altimeter which generates the Doppler frequency spectrum is also described.
Claims19
A method for maintaining a position of a hovering vehicle, the hovering vehicle incorporating a radar altimeter, said method comprising:
- changing a horizontal direction control of the vehicle to provide a horizontal direction change;
- receiving signals at the radar altimeter based on the change of horizontal direction;
- operating the radar altimeter to generate a Doppler frequency spectrum based on the received signals;
- and
- determining a change in vehicle direction and velocity which will reduce a width of the Doppler frequency spectrum of the received signals.
A radar altimeter comprising:
- a receiver section that, in operation, outputs samples of radar return signals;
- and
- a hover hold controller configured to receive the samples, gate and integrate the samples, said hover hold controller configured to generate and output a frequency spectrum having a width and a center frequency from the gated and integrated samples, the width based on a horizontal velocity of the vehicle incorporating said radar altimeter, the center frequency based on a vertical velocity of the vehicle.
A system for maintaining a vertical and horizontal position of a vehicle, said system comprising:
- a flight control computer;
- and
- a radar altimeter comprising a hover hold controller, said hover hold controller configured to receive samples of radar return signals, said hover hold controller further configured to generate and output a frequency spectrum having a width and a center frequency based on the received samples, the width based on a horizontal velocity of the vehicle incorporating said radar altimeter, the center frequency based on a vertical velocity of the vehicle incorporating said radar altimeter, said frequency spectrum utilized to provide direction corrections to said flight control computer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.