Procedure and automatic control device for an airborne vehicle in low altitude overflight
First Claim
1. A method for the generation of command signals for an aircraft, said aircraft overflying a region at a low-altitude, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) storing in a first memory a set of terrain-data representing topography of said region;
b) storing in a second memory an ordered plurality of sets of at least three digital values, two of said digital values defining the coordinates in an horizontal plane of a target point, and at least another one of said digital values defining a target area surrounding said target point, whereby at least one possible flight path is defined by a sequence of target points,c) acquiring data representing a current position and a current speed vector of the aircraft;
d) selecting a current target point;
e) determining at least one aiming domain, said aiming domain comprising an angular sector substantially inscribing said target area associated with said current target point, and a bisector of said angular sector passing substantially through said current target point and an adjacent target point in said sequence of target points, with said angular sector expanding towards said aircraft;
f) scanning a plurality of bearing corridors that the aircraft can presently enter, and for each such bearing corridor;
f1) determining, from said set of terrain-data, a corresponding digital performance value, as a function of a predetermined set of criterium including desired aircraft flight altitude, said digital performance value comprising an evaluation of an optimum path amongst possible paths starting along each such bearing corridor;
f2) determining a digital degradation value responsive to the bearing corridor being considered and the said aiming domain, by utilizing a digital degradation function, such degradation function correcting said aircraft toward said aiming domain, correction magnitude being in proportion to any deviation from said aiming domain;
g) determining route components in said horizontal plane of a current commanded route vector, based on the performance and degradation values associated with said scanned bearing corridors and generating therefrom corresponding command signals to the aircraft; and
h) selectively repeating steps c) through g) until said aircraft position satisfies predetermined conditions with respect to said aiming domain.
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Abstract
The so-called flight path of an aircraft is defined in the form of a set of successive target points (Bi -1, Bi, Bi +1) with a target circle (CBi) associated with each target point. A navigation envelope (DN) is determined in she direction to this target, and a guidance envelope (DH) is determined in the direction of the next target, for each target point. Normally, the aircraft is in the navigation envelope, and reenters the guidance envelope, then the target circle (Bi) after which it heads in the direction of the navigation envelope associated with the next target. In the contrary case, a mandatory switching envelope (DCF) determines the instant when the aircraft is to orient itself on the next target (Bi +1).
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for the generation of command signals for an aircraft, said aircraft overflying a region at a low-altitude, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) storing in a first memory a set of terrain-data representing topography of said region; b) storing in a second memory an ordered plurality of sets of at least three digital values, two of said digital values defining the coordinates in an horizontal plane of a target point, and at least another one of said digital values defining a target area surrounding said target point, whereby at least one possible flight path is defined by a sequence of target points, c) acquiring data representing a current position and a current speed vector of the aircraft; d) selecting a current target point; e) determining at least one aiming domain, said aiming domain comprising an angular sector substantially inscribing said target area associated with said current target point, and a bisector of said angular sector passing substantially through said current target point and an adjacent target point in said sequence of target points, with said angular sector expanding towards said aircraft; f) scanning a plurality of bearing corridors that the aircraft can presently enter, and for each such bearing corridor; f1) determining, from said set of terrain-data, a corresponding digital performance value, as a function of a predetermined set of criterium including desired aircraft flight altitude, said digital performance value comprising an evaluation of an optimum path amongst possible paths starting along each such bearing corridor; f2) determining a digital degradation value responsive to the bearing corridor being considered and the said aiming domain, by utilizing a digital degradation function, such degradation function correcting said aircraft toward said aiming domain, correction magnitude being in proportion to any deviation from said aiming domain; g) determining route components in said horizontal plane of a current commanded route vector, based on the performance and degradation values associated with said scanned bearing corridors and generating therefrom corresponding command signals to the aircraft; and h) selectively repeating steps c) through g) until said aircraft position satisfies predetermined conditions with respect to said aiming domain. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for the generation of automatic command signals for an aircraft, overflying a region at a low altitude comprising:
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a first memory means for storing a set of terrain-data representing topography of said region; a second memory means for storing an ordered plurality of sets of at least three digital values, two of said digital values defining the coordinates in an horizontal plane of a target point, and at least another one of said digital values defining a target area surrounding said tract point, whereby at least one possible flight path is defined by a sequence of target points; acquisition means for acquiring data representing a current position and a current speed vector of the aircraft; first processing means for selecting a current target point, and determining at least one aiming domain, said aiming domain comprising an angular sector substantially inscribing said target area associated with said current target point, and a bisector of said angular sector passing substantially through said current target point and an adjacent target point in said sequence of target points with said angular sector expanding towards said aircraft; a high speed processing means for scanning a plurality of bearing corridors that the aircraft can presently enter into, and for each such bearing corridor said high speed processing means including means for; determining from said set of terrain-data, a corresponding digital performance value, as a functions of a predetermined set of criterium including the flight altitude, said digital performance value comprising an evaluation of an optimum path amongst possible paths starting along the bearing corridor; determining a digital degradation value responsive to the bearing corridor being considered and said aiming domain, by utilizing a digital degradation function, such degradation function correcting said aircraft toward said aiming domain where magnitude of any correcting is in proportion to any deviation from said aiming point; determining route components in said horizontal plane of a current commanded route vector, based on the performance and degradation values associated with said scanned bearing corridors and generating therefrom corresponding command signals to the aircraft; and control means, selectively responsive to said acquisition means, said first processing means, and said high-speed processing means, for controlling said aircraft until said aircraft positions satisfies predetermined conditions with respect to said aiming domain. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification