Method and apparatus of automatically monitoring aircraft altitude
First Claim
1. An apparatus for automatically and independently determining aircraft altitude and alerting the pilot to deviations from a target altitude exceeding a specified tolerance value, the alerter comprising:
- a self-contained altitude sensing means for sensing the present altitude of the aircraft;
target entry means for entering the target altitude to which said present aircraft altitude is compared;
computation means for receiving and processing said present aircraft altitude information from said self-contained altitude sensing means and for receiving and processing said target altitude from said target entry means, said computation means being operative to compare said present altitude to said target altitude and to compute the difference therebetween, said computation means also operative to compute the absolute value of said difference and compare said absolute difference between said target and present altitudes to the tolerance value; and
means for indicating an altitude alerting condition upon the detection of a condition wherein said absolute difference is larger than said tolerance value, said indicating means being connected to said computation means and operative to indicate the occurrence of said altitude alerting condition.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for automatically and independently determining aircraft altitude and alerting the pilot to deviations from a target altitude exceeding a specified tolerance. The alerter comprises an altitude sensing means for sensing the present altitude of the aircraft. The invention discloses three sources for altitude information namely, a self-contined sensor such as a pressure transducer, a Global Positioning System receive, or an altitude encoder. A target entry means is used for entering the target altitude. An indicating means signals an altitude alerting condition upon the detection of a condition wherein the absolute difference is larger than the tolerance value. The altitude alerting apparatus may also comprise a display means for display of the present aircraft altitude information.
33 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus for automatically and independently determining aircraft altitude and alerting the pilot to deviations from a target altitude exceeding a specified tolerance value, the alerter comprising:
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a self-contained altitude sensing means for sensing the present altitude of the aircraft;
target entry means for entering the target altitude to which said present aircraft altitude is compared;
computation means for receiving and processing said present aircraft altitude information from said self-contained altitude sensing means and for receiving and processing said target altitude from said target entry means, said computation means being operative to compare said present altitude to said target altitude and to compute the difference therebetween, said computation means also operative to compute the absolute value of said difference and compare said absolute difference between said target and present altitudes to the tolerance value; and
means for indicating an altitude alerting condition upon the detection of a condition wherein said absolute difference is larger than said tolerance value, said indicating means being connected to said computation means and operative to indicate the occurrence of said altitude alerting condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of automatically and independently determining and displaying aircraft altitude and alerting the pilot to deviations from a target altitude exceeding a specified tolerance value, comprising the steps of:
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providing an altitude alerting apparatus having;
a self-contained altitude sensing means for sensing the present altitude of the aircraft;
target entry means for entering the target altitude to which said present aircraft altitude is compared;
computation means for receiving and processing present aircraft altitude information from said self-contained altitude sensing means and for receiving and processing said target altitude from said target entry means, said computation means being operative to compare said present altitude to said target altitude and to compute the absolute difference therebetween, said computation means also operative to compute the absolute value of said difference and compare said absolute difference between said target and present altitudes to said tolerance value; and
indicating means for indicating an altitude alerting condition upon the occurrence of said absolute difference exceeding said tolerance;
entering a target altitude;
sensing said aircraft altitude;
differencing said sensed aircraft altitude and said target altitude;
computing an altitude deviation defined as the absolute difference between said sensed aircraft altitude and said target altitude;
comparing said altitude deviation to said tolerance value; and
indicating an altitude alerting condition upon the detection of an altitude deviation in excess of said tolerance value. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
providing a display means for display of said sensed aircraft altitude; - and
displaying said sensed aircraft altitude.
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12. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of providing an altitude sensing means further comprises the steps of
providing a pressure transducer operative to sense the pressure incident thereon and to output a voltage responsive thereto providing an analog-to-digital converter electrically connected to said pressure transducer and operative to output a count in response to said transducer output voltage; -
providing a computation means comprising a look-up table correlating said analog-to-digital converter count to an altitude; and
wherein the step of sensing said aircraft altitude comprises the step of correlating said analog-to-digital converter count to an altitude.
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13. An apparatus for automatically and independently determining aircraft altitude and alerting the pilot to deviations from a target altitude exceeding a specified tolerance value, the alerter comprising:
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a means for inputting a variable tolerance window within which said absolute difference between said target altitude and said present altitude may vary without triggering an altitude alert condition, said tolerance inputting means comprises a multi-position selector switch;
a self-contained altitude sensing means for sensing the present altitude of the aircraft said altitude sensing means comprising a pressure transducer operative to sense the pressure incident thereon and to output a voltage responsive thereto, said altitude sensing means further comprising an analog-to-digital converter electrically connected to said pressure transducer and operative to output a count in response to said transducer output voltage, and wherein said computation means comprises a look-up table operative to correlate said analog-to-digital converter count to an altitude;
target entry means for entering the target altitude to which said present aircraft altitude is compared, said target entry means comprises three, multi-position switches electrically connected to said computation means such that upon selection of one of said multi-positions on each of said three switches, a number representing the target altitude, in 100s of feet, is entered into said computation means;
computation means for receiving and processing said present aircraft altitude information from said self-contained altitude sensing means and for receiving and processing said target altitude from said target entry means, said computation means being operative to compare said present altitude to said target altitude and to compute the absolute difference therebetween, said computation means also operative to compare said absolute difference between said target and present altitudes to the tolerance value;
indicating means for indicating an altitude alerting condition upon the occurrence of said absolute difference exceeding said tolerance value;
display means for display of said present aircraft altitude information; and
a means for effecting a system calibration whereupon entry of a reference altitude on said target entry and activation of said system calibration means, said computation means is operative to compare said reference altitude to said sensed aircraft altitude and to compute the difference therebetween, said difference defining an altitude adjustment value which may be applied to later sensed aircraft altitudes.
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14. A method of automatically and independently determining and displaying aircraft altitude and alerting the pilot to deviations from a target altitude exceeding a specified tolerance value, for use in conjunction with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver having an external data port through which may be read the GPS computed aircraft altitude, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing an altitude alerting apparatus having;
a means for reading the external data port of a GPS receiver such that the present altitude of the aircraft may be acquired therefrom;
target entry means for entering the target altitude to which said present aircraft altitude is compared;
computation means for receiving and processing present aircraft altitude information from said self-contained altitude sensing means and for receiving and processing said target altitude from said target entry means, said computation means being operative to compare said present altitude to said target altitude and to compute the absolute difference therebetween, said computation means also operative to compute the absolute value of said difference and compare said absolute difference between said target and present altitudes to said tolerance value; and
indicating means for indicating an altitude alerting condition upon the occurrence of said absolute difference exceeding said tolerance;
entering a target altitude;
sensing said aircraft altitude by reading said external data port of said GPS receiver;
differencing said sensed aircraft altitude and said target altitude;
computing an altitude deviation defined as the absolute difference between said sensed aircraft altitude and said target altitude;
comparing said altitude deviation to said tolerance value; and
indicating an altitude alerting condition upon the detection of an altitude deviation in excess of said tolerance value.
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15. An apparatus for acquiring aircraft altitude from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver having an external data port through which the aircraft altitude may be acquired, and alerting the pilot to deviations from a target altitude exceeding a specified tolerance value, the alerter comprising:
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means for reading the external data port of a GPS receiver such that the present altitude of the aircraft may be acquired therefrom;
target entry means for entering the target altitude to which said present aircraft altitude is compared;
computation means for receiving and processing said present aircraft altitude information from said self-contained altitude sensing means and for receiving and processing said target altitude from said target entry means, said computation means being operative to compare said present altitude to said target altitude and to compute the difference therebetween, said computation means also operative to compute the absolute value of said difference and compare said absolute difference between said target and present altitudes to the tolerance value; and
means for indicating an altitude alerting condition upon the detection of a condition wherein said absolute difference is larger than said tolerance value, said indicating means being connected to said computation means and operative to indicate the occurrence of said altitude alerting condition.
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Specification