Method of measuring height and detecting obstacles, a radioaltimeter, and an aircraft
First Claim
1. A radioaltimeter having a signal generator-receiver and signal transceiver means connected to the signal generator-receiver, the signal transceiver means having a transceiver main member for sending a signal towards ground (S) overflown by an aircraft in order to determine a height (H) between the transceiver main member and the ground (S), the radioaltimeter further including switch means together with a control unit, the signal transceiver means including a plurality of transceiver secondary members for detecting obstacles other than the ground (S), the transceiver main member and each of the plurality of transceiver secondary members being connected to the switch means, the radioaltimeter further including at least one position-determination member configured to determine the position of the aircraft, the control unit being connected to the switch means to alternately put the transceiver main member and the transceiver secondary members in direct connection with the signal generator-receiver one transceiver member at a time at least one time each in a cycle with a frequency at which the transceiver secondary members are put in direct connection with the signal generator-receiver during the cycle being dependent on a position of the aircraft, provided by the at least one position-determination member, while no obstacle other than the ground is detected by any of the transceiver secondary members, such that depending on the position of the aircraft at least one of the transceiver secondary members is put in direct connection with the signal generator-receiver at a greater frequency during the cycle than at least one other of the transceiver secondary members, and to modify the cycle when an obstacle other than the ground is detected.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A radioaltimeter (5) having a signal generator-receiver (10) and signal transceiver means (20) connected to the generator-receiver (10), and a display member (30), said transceiver means (20) comprising a transceiver main member (21) for sending a signal towards a ground (S) in order to determine the height (H) between said main member (21) and said ground (S), said display member (30) having main display means (31) for displaying said height (H). Furthermore, the radioaltimeter (5) includes switch means (40) together with a control unit (50), and secondary display means (32) of said display member (30).
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Citations
19 Claims
- 1. A radioaltimeter having a signal generator-receiver and signal transceiver means connected to the signal generator-receiver, the signal transceiver means having a transceiver main member for sending a signal towards ground (S) overflown by an aircraft in order to determine a height (H) between the transceiver main member and the ground (S), the radioaltimeter further including switch means together with a control unit, the signal transceiver means including a plurality of transceiver secondary members for detecting obstacles other than the ground (S), the transceiver main member and each of the plurality of transceiver secondary members being connected to the switch means, the radioaltimeter further including at least one position-determination member configured to determine the position of the aircraft, the control unit being connected to the switch means to alternately put the transceiver main member and the transceiver secondary members in direct connection with the signal generator-receiver one transceiver member at a time at least one time each in a cycle with a frequency at which the transceiver secondary members are put in direct connection with the signal generator-receiver during the cycle being dependent on a position of the aircraft, provided by the at least one position-determination member, while no obstacle other than the ground is detected by any of the transceiver secondary members, such that depending on the position of the aircraft at least one of the transceiver secondary members is put in direct connection with the signal generator-receiver at a greater frequency during the cycle than at least one other of the transceiver secondary members, and to modify the cycle when an obstacle other than the ground is detected.
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12. A method of making safe the flight of an aircraft by avoiding obstacles other than the ground overflown by the aircraft, the aircraft extends longitudinally from a rear end to a front end, in elevation from a bottom portion to a top portion, and transversely from a left side to a right side, a spherical volume surrounding the aircraft and including a main sector directed towards the ground and a plurality of secondary sectors directed towards respective portions of the spherical volume surrounding the aircraft other than towards the ground, the method comprising:
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determining a position of the aircraft using a position-determination member; transmitting successively in a given modifiable cycle;
firstly a main signal into the main sector to measure height (H) between the aircraft and the ground (S); and
secondly a number of secondary signals into each of the secondary sectors in order to detect the presence of obstacles in the secondary sectors, wherein the number of secondary signals transmitted into the secondary sectors during the cycle depends on a position of the aircraft, provided by the position-determination member, while no obstacles are detected in the secondary sectors, such that depending on the position of the aircraft a number of secondary signals transmitted into at least one of the secondary sectors is greater than a number of secondary signals transmitted into at least one other of the secondary sectors;if an obstacle is detected in a given secondary sector, then referred to as a risky sector, modifying the given modifiable cycle to increase a first number of secondary signals transmitted into the risky sector compared with a second number of secondary signals transmitted into the other secondary sectors; establishing a level of danger for each obstacle detected in secondary sectors; and displaying the height (H) of the aircraft on main display means, and displaying information relating to the detected obstacle having the highest level of danger. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A radioaltimeter for an aircraft, the radioaltimeter comprising:
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a signal generator-receiver; a signal transceiver connected to the signal generator-receiver, the signal transceiver having a transceiver main member for detecting a height of the aircraft above ground overflown by the aircraft and a plurality of transceiver secondary members for detecting obstacles other than the ground; a position-determination member configured to determine a position of the aircraft; a switch connected to the signal generator-receiver and the signal transceiver; and a controller configured to control the switch to alternately put the transceiver main member and the transceiver secondary members in direct connection with the signal generator-receiver one transceiver member at a time at least one time each in a cycle with a frequency at which the transceiver secondary members are put in direct connection with the signal generator-receiver during the cycle being dependent on a position of the aircraft, provided by the at least one position-determination member, while no obstacle other than the ground is detected by any of the transceiver secondary members, such that depending on the position of the aircraft at least one of the transceiver secondary members is put in direct connection with the signal generator-receiver at a greater frequency during the cycle than at least one other of the transceiver secondary members, the controller further configured to modify the cycle when an obstacle other than the ground is detected. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification