Honeywell International Inc.

Honeywell G.m.b.h.

James R Hager

Lavell Jordan

Larry D Almsted

Curtis J Petrich

Jens M Henrickson

Thomas W Heidemann

Thomas R Jicha

Steven H Thomas

Todd R Burlet

Larry D Yaeger

John H Keuper

Gregory John Haubrich

Glen Brian Backes

Jason I Formo

Robert Charles Becker

Benjamin J Winstead

Timothy J Reilly

James B Oven

Michael William Greenwood

Mark S Shoemaker

David V Hansen

Thomas J Jorgensen

Michael H Brockopp

Steve H Thomas

A navigation system is described which includes a navigation processor, an inertial navigation unit configured to provide a position solution to the navigation processor, and a digital elevation map. The described navigation system also includes a radar altimeter having a terrain correlation processor configured to receive map data from the digital elevation map and provide a position solution based on radar return data to the navigation processor. A map quality processor within the navigation system is configured to receive map data from the digital elevation map and provide a map quality factor to the navigation processor which weights the position solution from the terrain correlation processor according to the map quality factor and determines a position solution from the weighted terrain correlation processor position solution and the position solution from the inertial navigation unit.

Methods and systems for enhancing accuracy of terrain aided navigation systems

A sensing device is described that is configured to be launched from an air vehicle for deployment on the ground. The sensing device includes at least one sensor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), at least one flight control surface, a flight control unit configured to control a position of the flight control surfaces, and a processing unit. The processing unit is coupled to the IMU and is configured to receive a desired trajectory from an external source and, upon launch of the sensing device, is further configured to determine an error between the desired trajectory and a current position as determined by the IMU. The processing unit is also configured to cause the flight control unit to adjust a position of the flight control surfaces to minimize the error.

Systems and methods for controlling a landing position of sensors deployed from an air vehicle

A method for maintaining a position of a hovering vehicle that incorporates a radar altimeter is described. The method includes receiving signals at the radar altimeter based on a change of horizontal direction, operating the radar altimeter to generate a Doppler frequency spectrum based on the received signals, and determining a change in vehicle direction and velocity which will reduce a width of the Doppler frequency spectrum of the received signals. A radar altimeter which generates the Doppler frequency spectrum is also described.

Methods and systems for maintaining a position during hovering operations

A system for determining airspeed of an air vehicle is described which includes and airflow sensor and a processor. The airflow sensor is located within an airflow path extending substantially through the air vehicle, and the processor is configured to receive a signal relating to an airflow rate from the airflow sensor and output an airspeed based on the received signal.

Methods and systems for sensing air vehicle airspeed

A method for operating a radar altimeter to perform a zero altitude calibration is described. The method includes determining a difference between an altitude measured by the radar altimeter and a desired altitude indication and upon receiving a zero calibration command, subtracting the difference from an altitude output by the radar altimeter.

Method and systems for automatic zero calibration of radar altimeters

A security system is described which includes a base station, at least one calibration unit and at least one sensor module having at least one sensor therein. The calibration unit is configured to provide signals to the at least one sensor module. The signals contain data configured to at least partially enable each sensor module to determine its location within a coordinate system. Each sensor module is further configured to transmit module location data, module orientation data, and sensor status from each sensor to the base station.

Methods and systems for providing security

A unit is described that is configured to control detonation of a munition such that the munition is detonated at a desired altitude. The unit includes a radar transmitter, a radar receiver that includes a radar range gate, and a sequencer. The sequencer is configured to receive a detonation altitude and set the range gate based on the received detonation altitude. The unit is also configured to output a detonation signal when radar return pulses received by the receiver aligned with gate delay pulses from the range gate.

Methods and systems for controlling a height of munition detonation

A radar altimeter for an air vehicle is described. The radar altimeter includes a transmit antenna configured to transmit radar signals toward the ground, a receive antenna configured to receive radar signals reflected from the ground, the receive antenna also receiving signals propagated along a leakage path from the transmit antenna, and a receiver configured to receive signals from the receive antenna. The radar altimeter also includes at least one altitude processing channel configured to receive signals from the receiver to determine an altitude, and an automatic sensitivity-range-control (SRC) channel configured to receive signals from the receiver. The SRC channel is configured to determine an amplitude of the received leakage path signals when an altitude of the radar altimeter is sufficient to separate received signals reflected from the ground from signals received from the leakage path.

Radar altimeter having an automatically calibrated sensitivity range control function

A method for randomly phase modulating a radar altimeter is described. The method includes momentarily applying a signal from a random noise source to an amplifier, applying an output of the amplifier to a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), applying an output of the VCO to a transmitter and mixer of the radar altimeter to modulate transmissions of the radar altimeter and to demodulate reflected radar transmissions received by the radar altimeter and holding the output of the amplifier constant from before a radar altimeter transmission until after reception of the reflected radar signals from that transmission by the radar altimeter. The method further includes repeating the applying steps and the holding step.

Methods and apparatus for randomly modulating radar altimeters

A radar altimeter for vehicles that operate with a load suspended underneath is described. The radar altimeter includes a transmitter configured to transmit radar signals toward the ground, a receiver configured to receive reflected radar signals from the ground and from the suspended load, and at least one altitude processing channel configured to receive signals from the receiver. The radar altimeter also includes a load profile channel configured to receive signals from the receiver. The load profile channel limits an altitude processing sensitivity of the radar altimeter between the radar altimeter and the suspended load to reduce a likelihood that the radar altimeter will process signals reflected by the suspended load.

Radar altimeter for helicopter load carrying operations

A method for calculating a center frequency and a bandwidth for a radar doppler filter is herein described. The center frequency and bandwidth are calculated to provide radar performance over varying terrain and aircraft altitude, pitch, and roll. The method includes receiving an antenna mounting angle, a slant range, and velocity vectors in body coordinates, calculating a range swath doppler velocity, a track and phase swath bandwidth, and a phase swath doppler velocity. The method continues by calculating a range swath center frequency based on the range swath doppler velocity, calculating a phase swath center frequency based on the phase swath doppler velocity, and calculating a level and verify swath bandwidth based upon the track and phase swath bandwidth.

Methods and apparatus for determination of a filter center frequency

A method for incorporating a forward ranging feature into a radar altimeter is described. The method comprises positioning an antenna of the altimeter such that a side lobe of a radar signal radiates from the antenna in a forward direction and processing a radar return from the side lobe to determine a range to a forward object.

Radar altimeter with forward ranging capabilities

An in-phase/quadrature component (IQ) mixer is configured to reject returns from a negative doppler shift swath in order to mitigate corruption of returns of a positive doppler shift swath. The mixer includes a sample delay element which produces a quadrature component from the in-phase component of an input signal. Further included are a plurality of mixer elements, a plurality of low pass filters, a plurality of decimators, and a plurality of all pass filters which act upon both the in-phase and quadrature components of the input signal. Also, a subtraction element is included which is configured to subtract the filtered and down sampled quadrature component from the filtered and down sampled in-phase component.

Methods and apparatus for conversion of radar return data

A method of guiding a munition to a target transmitting one or more signals is described. The method includes configuring the munition with a radio frequency receiver, an antenna for the receiver mounted such that a main beam of the antenna pattern for the antenna is offset from a line of flight axis of the munition by an angle and configuring the munition to rotate along an axis substantially similar to the line of flight axis of the munition. The method also includes configuring the munition to process signals received at the antenna, wherein heading changes of the munition, the angle of the main beam of the antenna from the line of flight axis, and the rotation of the munition result in the received signals having amplitude variations. Directional corrections are generated for the munition to direct the munition towards the target based on amplitude variations in the received signals.

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Golden Valley, MN, United States of America

James R Hager