Communications – electrical: acoustic wave systems and devices – Echo systems – Distance or direction finding
Patent
1989-01-10
1990-12-18
Tarcza, Thomas H.
Communications, electrical: acoustic wave systems and devices
Echo systems
Distance or direction finding
G01S 1500
Patent
active
049791540
ABSTRACT:
Ultrasonic echo ranging techniques and voice synthesis are used to provide a cost-effective convenient means of determining aircraft altitude during the landing phase of flight to overcome parallax problems, thereby to permit proper flare out, while maintaining constant visual contact down the runway during the landing procedure. In one embodiment a visual height indication or audible altitude annunciation is provided by through-the-air sonar ranging, with the display changing or an annunciation made only when the plane descends through predetermined altitudes such as 50, 25, 15, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 feet. In the above embodiment the height is called out by converting a number representing height to a number which is audiblized in a human voice. This height annunciation technique may also be used with microwave range detection apparatus. In various embodiments, the altitude call outs may be periodic, for predetermined changes in altitude, or upon reaching predetermined heights above the runway. A specialized flare out annunciation may also be provided. As an added feature, an apertured focusing tube is used to maintain the transducer contamination to a minimum as is the use of a skeg in front of the open end of the focusing tube to divert air flow and thus contaminants.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2016907 (1935-10-01), Rice
patent: 2098287 (1937-11-01), Gent
patent: 4302827 (1981-11-01), Rosenblum
patent: 4672590 (1987-06-01), Tendler
Hummingbird LCR 4000 Operations Manual, 1985, p. 2.
Pihulic Daniel T.
Tarcza Thomas H.
Tendler Robert K.
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