Apparatus suitable for use in orienting aircraft flight for refueling or other purposes

• US 3,917,196 A
• Filed: 02/11/1974
• Issued: 11/04/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lawrence W. Robinson, Patrick D. Texeira, Pond C. Ray
• Original Assignee: Lawrence W. Robinson, Patrick D. Texeira, Pond C. Ray
• Inventors: Texeira, Patrick D., Pond, C. Ray, Robinson, Lawrence W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kunin, Stephen G.
• Application Number:
  US05/441,401
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 235/150.271,150.272,151,151.3 244/2,3,77R,135A 250/338 340/16R 343/5DP,7.5,12R,17,17.2,17.5,13R,14,112R,112C
• US Class Current: 342/23
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/00 Refuelling during flight filling or emptying fuel tanks B64D37/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/06 Systems determining position data of a target

Abstract

A modulated light beam is projected from a transmitter aircraft toward a receiver aircraft and reflected back toward the receiver aircraft by a retroreflector mounted on the receiver aircraft. The reflected light beam is received by the transmitter aircraft and is focused onto the face of an image dissector tube. The location of the reflected light beam on the face of the tube defines the position of the receiver aircraft in azimuth and elevation with respect to the position of the transmitter aircraft. The range difference between the two aircraft is determined by phase comparing the transmitted light beam with the received light beam. When used for in-flight refueling, further retroreflectors are mounted on a refueling boom and a similar technique is used to determine the exact location of the boom and its associated refueling nozzle. The resultant information is processed by a digital computer and used to either automatically orient the two aircraft, and the boom and nozzle, or create a display(s) suitable for use by one or both aircraft pilots, and the boom operator, to orient the two aircraft, and the boom and nozzle.

Claims

1. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight orienting a first aircraft with respect to a second aircraft comprising:

1. reflection means mounted on said first aircraft for receiving a portion of an electromagnetic beam transmitted by a source of electromagnetic energy and reflecting said portion of said electromagnetic beam back toward the electromagnetic source of said electromagnetic beam;

2. a sensor mounted on said second aircraft, said sensor comprising;

a. electromagnetic transmisssion means for transmitting an electromagnetic beam in a predetermined direction over a predetermined field of view;

b. electromagnetic receiving means for receiving the portion of said transmitted electromagnetic beam reflected by said reflection means mounted on said first aircraft when said first aircraft is in said field of view;

c. position determining means coupled to said electromagnetic receiving means for determining the position of said portion of said transmitted electromagnetic beam reflected by said reflection means when said reflection means is in said fielD of view; and

, d. ranging means connected to said receiving means and said transmitting means for determining the time difference between the transmission of said transmitted electromagnetic beam and the reception of said portion of said transmitted electromagnetic beam reflected by said reflection means and, thus, the range between said first aircraft and second aircraft;

3. display means mounted in said second aircraft and connected to said position determining means and said ranging means for displaying the position of said first aircraft with respect to said second aircraft, and the range between said first aircraft and said second aircraft; and

, 4. control means connected to said position determining means and to said ranging means for receiving signals related to the position of said portion of said electromagnetic beam reflected by said reflection means in said field of view and the range between said first and second aircraft and, in accordance therewith, controlling the position of said first aircraft with respect to said second aircraft, said control means comprising;

a. an autopilot mounted in said first aircraft and coupled to the controls of said first aircraft so as to control the movement of said first aircraft;

b. autopilot control signal generating means mounted in said second aircraft and connected to said position determining means and to said ranging means for generating signals suitable for controlling the autopilot of said first aircraft and, thus, the movement of said first aircraft in accordance with the signals generated by said position determining means and said ranging means related to the position of said portion of said electromagnetic beam reflected by said reflection means in said field of view in the range between said first and second aircraft; and

, c. a communication link between said first and second aircraft for transmitting the signals generated by said autopilot control means to said autopilot mounted in said first aircraft.

2. second reflection means mounted on said boom for receiving a portion of a transmitted electromagnetic beam and reflecting said portion of said electromagnetic beam back toward the source of said electromagnetic beam as a second reflected beam;

3. display means mounted in said second aircraft and connected to said position determining means and said ranging means for displaying the position of said first aircraft with respect to said second aircraft, and the range between said first aircraft and said second aircraft;

and,

4. control means connected to said position determining means and to said ranging means for receiving signals related to the position of said received beams in said field of view and the range between said receiver and tanker aircraft and, in accordance therewith, controlling the position of said receiver aircraft with respect to said tanker aircraft, said control means comprising:

a. an autopilot mounted in said receiver aircraft and coupled to the controls of said receiver aircraft so as to control the movement of said receiver aircraft;

b. autopilot control signal generating means mounted in said tanker aircraft and connected to said position determining means and to said ranging means for generating signals suitable for controlling the autopilot of said receiver aircraft and, thus, the movement of said receiver aircraft in accordance with the signals generated by said position determining means and said ranging means related to the position of said received beams in said field of view and the range between said receiver and tanker aircraft; and

c. a communication link between said receiver and tanker aircraft for transmitting the signals generated by said autopilot control meaNs to said autopilot mounted in said receiver aircraft.

5. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight orienting a first aircraft with respect to a second aircraft as claimed in claim 4, wherein said receiving means comprises receiving optics suitable for receiving said portion of said electromagnetic beam reflected by said retroreflectors and wherein said position determining means comprises an image dissector tube, said image dissector tube being mounted such that said portion of said electromagnetic beam reflected by said retroreflectors received by said receiving optics is imaged onto the face of the image dissector tube.

6. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight orienting a first aircraft with respect to a second aircraft as claimed in claim 5, including:

a scan mirror mounted so as to intersect the light beam output of said projecting optics and transmits said light beam output from said second aircraft in a scanning manner, said scan mirror also being mounted so as to intersect the portion of said electromagnetic beam reflected by said retrOreflectors and direct said portion toward said receiving optics; and

, electromechanical means connected to said scan mirror for moving said scan mirror in a scanning manner over said field of view.

7. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight orienting a first aircraft with respect to a second aircraft as claimed in claim 2 wherein said reflection means is a retroreflector.

8. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight orienting a first aircraft with respect to a second aircraft as claimed in claim 7, wherein said ranging means includes:

phase detecting means suitable for detecting the phase difference between said transmitted electromagnetic beam and said portion of said electromagnetic beam reflected by said reflection means; and

digital counting means connected to said phase detecting means for providing a digital pulse count related to the range between said first and second aircraft, said digital counting means being started at a predetermined phase point in said transmitted beam and stopped when a related phase point in said received beam occurs.

9. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight refueling a receiver aircraft by a tanker aircraft via a refueling boom comprising:

10. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight refueling a receiver aircraft by a tanker aircraft via a refueling boom as claimed in claim 9 wherein said control means also controls the position of said boom.

11. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight refueling a receiver aircraft by a tanker aircraft via a refueling boom as claimed in claim 10 wherein said transmission means comprises a light source, a driver connected to said light source for modulating the light emitted by said light source, and projecting optics suitable for receiving the light generated by said light source and projecting said light outwardly as a light beam.

12. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight refueling a receiver aircraft by a tanker aircraft via a refueling boom as claimed in claim 11 wherein said receiving means comprises receiving optics suitable for receiving said received beams and wherein said position determining means comprises an image dissector tube, said image dissector tube being mounted such that said reflected beams received by said receiving optics are imaged onto the face of the image dissector tube.

13. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight refueling a receiver aircraft by a tanker aircraft via a refueling boom as claimed in claim 12 including:

a scan mirror mounted so as to intersect the light beam output of said projecting optics and transmits said light beam output from said tanker aircraft in a scanning manner, said scan mirror also being mounted so as to intersect said received light beams and direct said beams toward said receiving optics; and

electromechanical means connected to said scan mirror for moving said scan mirror in a scanning manner over said field of view.

14. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight refueling a receiver aircraft by a tanker aircraft via a refueling boom as claimed in claim 9 including display means connected to said position determining means and to said ranging means for displaying the position of said boom and said receiver aircraft with respect to said tanker aircraft, and for displaying the range and range rates between said two aircraft.

15. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight refueling a receiver aircraft by a tanker aircraft via a refueling boom as claimed in claim 14 wherein said display means includes a first display associated with said receiver aircraft and a second display associated with said tanker aircraft.

16. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight refueling a receiver aircraft by a tanker aircraft via a refueling boom as claimed in claim 9 wherein the frequency of said electromagnetic beam is within the light spectrum between 0.2 and 20 microns wavelengths.

17. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight refueling a receiver aircraft by a tanker aicraft via a refueling boom as claimed in claim 16 wherein said first and second reflection means are retroreflectors.

18. Apparatus suitable for use in in-flight refueling a receiver aircraft by a tanker aircraft via a refueling boom as claimed in claim 16 wherein said ranging means includes:

phase detecting means suitable for detecting the phase difference between said transmitted electromagnetic beam and said first reflected beam; and

, digital counting means connected to said phase detecting means for providing a digital pulse count related to the distance between said receiver aircraft and said tanker aircraft, said digital counting means being started at a predetermined phase point in said transmitted beam and stopped when a related phase point in said received beam occurs.