Aircraft maneuver envelope warning system

• US 5,359,326 A
• Filed: 03/16/1993
• Issued: 10/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Inventors: Lee, Burnett, Bivens, Courtland C., Rosado, Joel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US08/032,067
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/946, 340/959, 340/960, 340/963, 340/964, 340/969, 340/970, 340/971, 340/978, 340/984, 340/987, 340/438, 340/441, 340/464, 116/202, 364/424.06, 364/424.01, 123/630, 123/198 D, 73/178 H
• US Class Current: 340/971
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements

Abstract

A maneuver envelope warning system for an aircraft having operating limits, operating condition sensors and an indicator driver. The indicator driver has a plurality of visual indicators. The indicator driver determines a relationship between sensed operating conditions and the operating limits; such as, a ratio therebetween. The indicator driver illuminates a number of the indicators in proportion to the determined relationship. The position of the indicators illuminated represents to a pilot in an easily ascertainable manner whether the operational conditions are approaching operational limits of the aircraft, and the degree to which operational conditions lie within or exceed operational limits.

Claims

1. A maneuver envelope warning system for an aircraft having operating limits, the system comprising:

sensor means for sensing operating conditions of the aircraft;

processing means for determining a relationship between the sensed operating conditions and the operating limits, said processing means including thresholding means for determining whether the determined relationship falls within one of a first range, a second range, and a third range, and for providing an output signal responsive to the determination, said processing means further including a voltage generating means for generating a voltage corresponding to a location of the determined relationship within the first range, second range and third range;

an array of indicators corresponding to the operating limits, said indicators of said array, being of a first color and located in a middle of the array, indicators being of a second color flanking the indicators of the first color, and the indicators being of a third color flanking the indicators of the second color; and

indicating means for illuminating a number of the indicators in proportion to the determined relationship, said indicating means including driving means for receiving the output signal, for illuminating at least one of the indicators of the first color when the determined relationship falls within the first range, for illuminating at least two of the indicators of the second color when the determined relationship falls within the second range, and for illuminating at least two of the indicators of the third color when the determined relationship falls within the third range, said driving means including means for symmetrically driving at least two indicators lying on either side of the middle of the array based on the generated voltage, the driven indicators disposed farthest from the middle of the linear array being called the lead indicators, and further wherein the indicating means includes user selectable means for controlling the driving means to one of (a) only drive the lead indicators and (b) drive the lead indicators and indicators disposed closer to the middle of the array than the lead indicators.