Digital altimeter computer
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for determining the altitude of an aircraft, comprising:
- (a) pressure transducer means for sensing the atmospheric pressure at the aircraft'"'"'s altitude and forming an output signal indicative of such pressure;
(b) means for forming a digital atmospheric pressure signal from the output signal from the pressure transducer means;
(c) ground level storing means for storing a local ground level atmospheric pressure signal;
(d) computing means for forming digital altitude signals representing the aircraft'"'"'s altitude, said computer means comprising;
(1) means for storing the digital atmospheric pressure signal;
(2) means for computing, as a non-linear function of the atmospheric pressure at the elevation of the aircraft and the local ground level atmospheric pressure, digital altitude signals representing the altitude of the aircraft;
(3) means for storing the computed digital altitude signals;
(4) control means for controlling the operation of said means for computing; and
(5) data input select means for causing each of said means for storing to present the signals stored therein to said means for computing on request from said control means; and
(e) display means for indicating the computed digital altitude signal formed by said computer means.
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Abstract
A new and improved computing apparatus for determining aircraft altitude has a pressure transducer to sense atmospheric pressure at which the aircraft is located, and from this and a preset local ground level atmospheric pressure reading, actually solve a non-linear altitude-pressure equation. The computed altitude is used in conjunction with a time measurement to determine aircraft vertical rate. The computed altitude also specifies an address in a memory circuit, with the data stored at such address being the grey code which is transmitted to others for air traffic control purposes.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining the altitude of an aircraft, comprising:
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(a) pressure transducer means for sensing the atmospheric pressure at the aircraft'"'"'s altitude and forming an output signal indicative of such pressure; (b) means for forming a digital atmospheric pressure signal from the output signal from the pressure transducer means; (c) ground level storing means for storing a local ground level atmospheric pressure signal; (d) computing means for forming digital altitude signals representing the aircraft'"'"'s altitude, said computer means comprising; (1) means for storing the digital atmospheric pressure signal; (2) means for computing, as a non-linear function of the atmospheric pressure at the elevation of the aircraft and the local ground level atmospheric pressure, digital altitude signals representing the altitude of the aircraft; (3) means for storing the computed digital altitude signals; (4) control means for controlling the operation of said means for computing; and (5) data input select means for causing each of said means for storing to present the signals stored therein to said means for computing on request from said control means; and (e) display means for indicating the computed digital altitude signal formed by said computer means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification