IP Library Granted Patent US 10,794,726
Granted Patent B2
US 10,794,726 · App. 15/883,989 · Granted Oct 6, 2020

Computing and displaying climb dive marker elevation

Inventors: John Timothy Pearson (Fort Worth, TX); Lawerance Ray Butler (Aledo, TX); Keith Thomas Grandin (Weatherford, TX); Michael Allen Robb (Bedford, TX)
Assignee: ELBIT SYSTEMS OF AMERICA, LLC
G01C23/005B64D43/00G02B27/0101G02B2027/0141
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,794,726
App. No.
15/883,989
Granted
Oct 6, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of calculating a climb-dive marker (CDM) that is visibly present on a display even as the aircraft approaches a roll angle of +/−90° is provided. An exemplary CDM method comprises obtaining, an X-axis velocity, a Y-axis velocity, and a Z-axis velocity in aircraft body coordinates of an aircraft; calculating a CDM elevation; and displaying, by the controller, the calculated CDM elevation. The method can further comprise obtaining an angle of attack (AoA) of the aircraft and a roll angle of the aircraft, wherein the AoA is set as the value of the CDM elevation when the roll angle is within a preset range. The CDM elevation may also be calculated using a combination of the AOA and the CDM formula when roll angle is within a second preset range.

Claims (69)

1. A climb-dive marker (CDM) method, comprising:

obtaining, by a controller, an X-axis velocity in aircraft body coordinates, a Y-axis velocity in aircraft body coordinates, and a Z-axis velocity in aircraft body coordinates of an aircraft;

calculating, by the controller, a CDM elevation using a CDM formula:

CDM

el

=

tan

-

1

-

V

zb

V

xb

+

tan

φ

tan

-

1

-

V

yb

V

xb

;

and

displaying, by the controller, the calculated CDM elevation.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining an angle of attack (AoA) of the aircraft and a roll angle of the aircraft, wherein the AoA is set as the value of the CDM elevation when the roll angle is greater than a first preset value and less than a second preset value.

3. The method of 2 , wherein the CDM elevation is calculated using the CDM formula when the roll angle is less than a third preset value or greater than a fourth preset value.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the CDM elevation is calculated using a combination of the AOA and the CDM formula when roll angle is greater than the third preset value and less than the first preset value, or when the roll angle is greater than the second preset value and less than the fourth preset value.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: obtaining an AoA of the aircraft; and

calculating the CDM elevation based in part on the CDM formula and based in part on the AoA.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining an AoA of the aircraft; obtaining a roll angle of the aircraft; and

calculating the CDM elevation using a blended formula when the roll angle is less than a first preset value and greater than a second preset value, wherein the blended formula is:

X *CDM el +Y *AoA,

wherein 0≤X≤1, wherein 0≤Y≤1, and wherein X+Y=1.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein X→1 as the roll angle approaches the first preset value, and wherein Y→1 as the roll angle approaches the second preset value.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein X=0.5, and wherein Y=0.5.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first preset value is within a range of 55° to 80°, and wherein the second preset value is within a range of 100° to 125°, and wherein the second preset value is greater than the first preset value.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the X-axis velocity, the Y-axis velocity, and the Z-axis velocity of the aircraft are obtained from a navigation system of the aircraft.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the calculated CDM elevation on a heads-up display (HUD).

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the calculated CDM elevation on a panel screen of the aircraft.

13. A device comprising:

a memory storing executable instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:

obtain an X-axis velocity in aircraft body coordinates, a Y-axis velocity in aircraft body coordinates, and a Z-axis velocity in aircraft body coordinates of an aircraft; calculate a climb-dive market (CDM) elevation using a CDM formula:

CDM e i =tan -1 ——+tan< p tan -1 —and

V x b Vxb

transmit, to a controller, the calculated CDM elevation for display.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to obtain an angle of attack (AoA) of the aircraft and a roll angle of the aircraft, wherein the AoA is set as the value of the CDM elevation when the roll angle is greater than a first preset value and less than a second preset value.

15. The device of 13 , wherein the CDM elevation is calculated using the CDM formula when the roll angle is less than a third preset value or greater than a fourth preset value.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the CDM elevation is calculated using a combination of the AOA and the CDM formula when roll angle is greater than the third preset value and less than the first preset value, or when the roll angle is greater than the second preset value and less than the fourth preset value.

17. The device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain an AoA of the aircraft; and

calculate the CDM elevation based in part on the CDM formula and based in part on the AoA.

18. The device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain an AoA of the aircraft;

obtain a roll angle of the aircraft; and

calculate the CDM elevation using a blended formula when the roll angle is less than a first preset value and greater than a second preset value, wherein the blended formula is:

X *CDM el +Y *AoA,

wherein 0≤X≤1, wherein 0≤Y≤1, and wherein X+Y=1.

19. The device of claim 17 , wherein X→1 as the roll angle approaches the first preset value, and wherein Y→1 as the roll angle approaches the second preset value.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2024
From: ELBIT SYSTEMS OF AMERICA, LLC; SPARTON CORPORATION; SPARTON DELEON SPRINGS, LLC; LOGOS TECHNOLOGIES LLC; ELBITAMERICA, INC.; KMC SYSTEMS, INC.
To: CAPITAL ONE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 066642/0935 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2024
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: ELBIT SYSTEMS OF AMERICA, LLC
Reel/Frame 066644/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2019
From: ELBIT SYSTEMS OF AMERICA, LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 050375/0425 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 6, 2018
From: PEARSON, JOHN TIMOTHY; BUTLER, LAWERANCE RAY; GRANDIN, KEITH THOMAS; ROBB, MICHAEL ALLEN
To: ELBIT SYSTEMS OF AMERICA, LLC
Reel/Frame 044840/0149 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62535809 · Jul 21, 2017
Related Publication 20190025077A1 · Jan 24, 2019