WIRELESS ASSISTED RECOVERY SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20060038720A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Poe, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,633,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/410
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935

Abstract

Systems and methods for assisted recovery. An example method receives at least one of a directional or pitch command signal. Localizer or glide slope signals are generated based on the received signal. The localizer or glide slope signals are wirelessly transmitted via a predefined frequency over a transmitter and received at receivers of a navigation system. The vehicle is controlled based on the received signals. A proximity warning device generates an alert when the aircraft is within an alert distance from at least one of terrain, obstacle or special use airspace and an assisted recovery component generates the directional and pitch command signals based on the generated alert and a time delay.

Claims

1. A method performed on a vehicle for assisted recovery, the method comprising:

receiving at least one of a directional or pitch command signal;

generating at least one of a localizer or glide slope signal based on the received signal;

wirelessly transmitting the at least one localizer or glide slope signals via a predefined frequency;

receiving the wirelessly transmitted signals; and

controlling the vehicle based on the processed signals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying vehicle position relative to the at least one received signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing the navigation system to tune the one or more receivers to one or more pre-defined frequencies.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the navigation system includes an Instrument Landing System.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes at least one of an aircraft, a surface vehicle, or a subsurface vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of directional or pitch command signals are generated by an assisted recovery component based on a proximity alert and a time delay.

7. A vehicle comprising:

a component configured to receive at least one of a directional or pitch command signal, generate at least one of a localizer or glide slope signal based on the received signal, and wirelessly transmit the at least one localizer or glide slope signals via a predefined frequency over a transmitter; and

a navigation system comprising;

one or more receivers for receiving the wirelessly transmitted signals; and

a controller for controlling the aircraft based on the received signals.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising:

a display configured to present vehicle position relative to a flight path or glide slope based on the received signals.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the component generates tuning instructions and sends the tuning instructions to the navigation system to tune the one or more receivers based on the tuning instructions.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the vehicle includes at least one of an aircraft, a surface vehicle, or a subsurface vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the navigation system includes an Instrument Landing System.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, further comprising:

a proximity warning device for generating an alert when the aircraft is within an alert distance from at least one of terrain, obstacle or special use airspace; and

an assisted recovery component for generating the directional and pitch command signals based on the generated alert and a time delay.