Accelerometer autopilot system

• US 20120136513A1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hamburg, Ron Wayne
• Original Assignee: Hamburg, Ron Wayne
• Inventors: Hamburg, Ron Wayne
• Application Number:
  US13/134,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136513A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft

Abstract

The Accelerometer Autopilot System is an airplane and helicopter autopilot system that functions by a specially programmed software. The computer program directs aircraft navigation using accelerometer generated coordinates of altitude, latitude, longitude and distance travelled. The system uses four accelerometers that are specifically aligned by a solid-state compass to True North. Using fundamental Dynamics equations, the accellerations or decellerations are timed by an atomic clock and converted into velocities and distances. The distances are then either added to or subtracted from the departure point coordinates to obtain the new position coordinates. These new position coordinates will identify the real-time position of the aircraft as it is flying. When these coordinates are recorded during a programming flight the autopilot will track these coordinates as will be shown on the dashboard display screen. The pre-recorded coordinate course and the course azimuth will guide the aircraft to the destination point. This is accomplished without the use of gyros, GPS, or a VOR radio signal.

Claims

1. A device to perform autopiloting of an airplane and/or a helicopter comprising of:

a magnetic compass, a solid-state compass, atomic clock(s), four accelerometers, four digital velocity meters, four distance meters, a specialized computer program, memory chips, microprocessors, CD-ROM player/computer, dashboard display screen(s), servo(s) to flight controls, with all components performing functions that will navigate the aircraft to coordinate coincidence and the destination point.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the accelerometers measure axis specific accellerations and decellerations that are timed at one second intervals and compiled at the digital velocity meter and then this velocity meter is compiled at one second intervals, to be shown at the digital distance meter, where these distances can be added to or subtracted from the departure point coordinates to obtain new position coordinates.

4. The device as in claim 1, wherein the solid-state compass is used to automatically align the latitudinal accelerometer to True North every (10) ten miles of flight to insure that the accelerometer generated coordinates of latitude and longitude correspond to the aeronautical sectional charts that are shown on the dashboard display screen(s).

5. The device as in claim 1, wherein the alignment of the latitudinal accelerometer is also monitored at the display screen with the magnetic compass, solid-state compass, an image on the dashboard display screen by memory chip of recent elapsed time and recent orientation, this to be checked at regular time intervals during the flight.

2. A computer program:

The Accelerometer Autopilot Program comprising of a process/method of operation where accelerometer generated coordinates of altitude, latitude, longitude and distance data are recorded on CD-ROM during a programming flight and will then be exhibited on the display screen(s) showing a coordinate course and a course azimuth.

6. The computer program of claim 2, wherein the amount of flight control adjustment is determined at the dashboard display screen using the map scale of the screen, the airspeed of the aircraft, the projected difference in distance of the real-time position coordinate and the pre-recorded chosen course coordinate when autopiloting the aircraft to coordinate coincidence.

7. The computer program of claim 2, wherein the autopilot system is directed to navigate to an input latitude and longitude coordinate and determining a course azimuth from the dashboard display screen to this destination location.

8. The computer program of claim 2, wherein the autopilot system is directed to reproduce a maneuver, that is recorded and autopiloted at any time of any flight.