×

General purpose navigation aid device

  • US 4,220,994 A
  • Filed: 07/27/1978
  • Issued: 09/02/1980
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1978
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method for assisting a pilot in the navigation of an aircraft which comprises:

  • compiling in a data processing apparatus a data base comprising the names, latitudes and longitudes of a plurality of airports located with the area travelled by the aircraft; and

    the name, frequencies latitudes and longitudes of a plurality of VOR stations detectable within said area;

    by means of said data processing apparatus,indexing said data base whereby the information compiled therein for each said airport can be retrieved by calling said airport name, and the information compiled therein for each said station can be retrieved by calling said station name or said station frequency,computing as needed the distance and heading from any of said airports or stations to any other airport or station using their respective latitude and longitude retrieved from said data base;

    dead-reckoning the location of the aircraft as needed by retrieving from said data base the names and sets of coordinates of any two VOR stations detected by an aircraft VOR receiver, computing the distance and heading between the two VOR stations and computing the distances between the aircraft and each said two VOR stations in function of the distance and heading between the VOR station and the radial bearing detected by the receiver from each station;

    checking the performance of the aircraft along its itinerary by tuning the VOR receiver to the frequency of a VOR station which has radials substantially perpendicular to the aircraft track;

    by means of said data processing apparatus, retrieving from said data base the latitudes and longitudes of said VOR station and of the airport of departure or the airport of arrival,computing the distance and heading between said airport and said VOR station in function of said latitudes and longitudes; and

    computing the distance travelled in function of the current radial bearing detected by the VOR receiver from said VOR station and said distance and heading between said airport and said VOR station.

View all claims
  • 0 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×