Honeywell International Inc.

Other

Alliedsignal Inc.

Center Spot, Inc.

Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Steven C Johnson

Kevin J Conner

Hans R Muller

Yasuo Ishihara

Scott Richard Gremmert

C Don Bateman

Glen Burlingame

Howard Glover

Charles D Bateman

Dave Michaelson

By Beat Muller, Personal Representative

John H Gover

Terry L French

A sight pin for an archery sight comprises a sight pin member having an integrally formed fiber channel. The fiber channel is arranged to hold the optical fiber in a curvilinear arrangement so that light emergent from the fiber is directed in a rearward direction from a sight reference point on the sight pin member. At least a portion the fiber channel comprises rows of depressions formed on opposing transverse surfaces of the sight pin member that overlap to form transverse passages through the sight pin member. An optical fiber in the fiber channel is exposed by the depressions and passages from transverse directions but protected from a forward direction by a forward-facing surface of the sight pin member.

Archery bow sight with a pin illuminated by a protected optical fiber

An archery sight assembly comprises a sight, a mounting bracket, and a positioning mechanism for providing adjustment of relative positions or orientations of sight and bracket, which can include a transverse position relative to a sighting direction defined by the sight. The positioning mechanism can include a linear bearing with cylindrical bearing members, a scale and a pointer adjustable relative to the scale, or a rack coupled by one or more gears to an adjustment knob. A method for making the archery sight assembly comprises coupling the archery sight to the mounting bracket using the positioning mechanism. A method for using the archery sight assembly comprises adjusting the position or orientation of the archery sight relative to the mounting bracket using the positioning mechanism.

Archery sight assembly

An arrow rest assembly is connected to an archery bow so that an arrow rest is: (i) positioned to support the shaft of an arrow nocked and ready for drawing or drawn and ready for shooting, (ii) positioned to support the shaft of the arrow during an early portion of shooting of the arrow by the bow, and (iii) to allow substantially unimpeded passage of the fletching of the arrow during only the latter portion of shooting of the arrow by the bow. The arrow rest assembly exerts only substantially negligible force on any cable of the bow when the bow is drawn.

Arrow rest assembly for an archery bow

A method and apparatus for assisting the pilot of an aircraft in making a go-around decision. Various aircraft parameters are monitored during the approach to land and a risk level assessed. When the risk level exceeds a specified threshold, an alert is provided.

Method, apparatus and computer program product for unstabilized approach alerting

Methods and systems for performing auto-recovery for an aircraft. An example system includes position and information systems, an automatic flight control system, a database, and a processor. The database includes terrain data, airport data, obstacle data, and protected airspace data. The processor determines if one of a caution alert or a warning alert exists based on data stored in the database and information received from the position and information systems. Auto-recovery instructions are generated and sent to the automatic flight control system if no positive flight control input has been performed at time of expiration of a waiting period. Auto-recovery instructions are generated based on an analysis of two or more auto-recovery routes. The system does not perform auto-recovery if components of the system fail to meet a predefined validity or integrity level.

Aircraft autorecovery systems and methods

A method, apparatus and computer program product for assisting the pilot of an aircraft in making a go-around decision. Various aircraft parameters are monitored during the approach to land and a risk level assessed. When the risk level exceeds a specified threshold, an alert is provided.

A ground proximity warning system, method and computer program product are provided that controllably alter the base width of the alert envelope in order to accommodate uncertainties associated with the current position of the aircraft. In one embodiment, the ground proximity warning system, method and computer program product controllably alter the base width of the alert envelope depending upon an error value, i.e., an uncertainty, associated with the current position of the aircraft. Since the error value associated with the current position of the aircraft is largely dependent upon the type of navigation equipment onboard the aircraft, the ground proximity warning system, method and computer program product of another embodiment controllably alter the base width of the alert envelope depending upon the type of navigation equipment that provides the current position of the aircraft.

Ground proximity warning system, method and computer program product for controllably altering the base width of an alert envelope

The ground proximity warning system and method provide a number of alerts based upon a substantially reduced list of input parameters relative to a conventional ground proximity warning system and method. The ground proximity warning system and method generally constructs alert envelopes and generates alerts if the upcoming terrain or other obstacles pierce the alert envelopes. The ground proximity warning system and method can also generate alerts if the aircraft has an excessive descent rate at a relatively low altitude and if the aircraft descends immediately following takeoff in a similar fashion to Mode and Mode alerts. Further, the ground proximity warning system and method can provide altitude call outs at predefined altitudes above a target runway and can provide alerts if the aircraft appears to be landing short of a runway. The ground proximity warning system and method are capable of providing the various warnings based upon only a pressure altitude, GPS signals and, in some embodiments, the external air temperature. Thus, the ground proximity warning system and method can be independent of a radio altimeter, an ADC, a glideslope receiver and signals indicative of the configuration of the landing gear and flaps.

Ground proximity warning system and method having a reduced set of input parameters

A terrain-awareness system (TAS) provides LOOK-AHEAD/LOOK-DOWN as well as LOOK-UP terrain advisory and warning indications to the pilot of an aircraft of a hazardous flight condition. The TAS includes an airport data base as well as a terrain data base that is structured to provide various resolutions depending on the topography of the particular geographic area of interest. Navigational data from a satellite-based navigational system, such as a global positioning system (GPS), is used to provide a LOOK-AHEAD/LOOK-DOWN and LOOK-UP terrain advisory and terrain warning indications based upon the current position and projected flight path of the aircraft. Since the terrain advisory and the warning signals are a function of the flight path of the aircraft, nuisance warnings are minimized.

Terrain data retrieval system

The present invention provides several apparatus, methods, and computer program products for generating a terrain clearance floor envelope for use in a ground proximity warning system. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a processor that defines a terrain clearance floor envelope having at least two boundaries. In this embodiment, the processor defines at least one of the boundaries based on a runway position quality factor, an altitude data quality factor, and an aircraft position quality factor. Using these factors, the processor of the present invention can more precisely define the boundaries of the envelope about the selected runway. Further, the processor of the present invention does not unnecessarily increase the region between the envelope and runway where no ground proximity alarms are generated. In another embodiment, the present invention includes a processor that defines the terrain clearance floor envelope to be asymmetrical, such that respective profiles of the envelope in a radial cross-section are different in at least two radial directions from a center point of the selected runway. Importantly, in one embodiment of the present invention, the processor defines end regions of the terrain clearance floor envelope adjacent to the ends of the selected runway to have a different slope profile than side regions of the terrain clearance floor envelope adjacent to the sides of the selected runway. This, in turn, allows the processor to define the end regions to reflect a landing pattern for an aircraft approaching the end of the selected runway, while also defining the side regions to reflect a flight pattern for an aircraft approaching the side of the selected runway.

Apparatus, method, and computer program product for generating terrain clearance floor envelopes about a selected runway

A method for determining a currently obtainable climb gradient of an aircraft by determining an estimated aircraft weight as a function of phase of flight, determining the current aircraft weight as a function of the current dynamic pressure, the unaccelerated lift of the aircraft, and the wing surface area of the aircraft during steady-state flight, updating said estimated aircraft weight as a function of the current aircraft weight, determining the current lift and drag coefficients of the aircraft, determining currently available aircraft thrust, and estimating a currently obtainable maximum climb gradient as a function of said thrust, current weight, current lift and drag coefficients.

Method for determining a currently obtainable climb gradient of an aircraft

A bow sight provides horizontal, vertical and at least one rotational adjustment mechanism which provides continuous movement of the sight ring without having to release a locking mechanism and still not allow unintentional movement of the sight ring. The sight has a plurality of sight pins having illuminated tips located at spaced-apart locations along a vertical sight line which extends across the sight ring. First adjustment mechanisms allow the sight pins to be rotated in order to set the location of the tips along the sight line and second adjustment mechanisms allow the sight pins to be moved along their longitudinal axes to align them with the sight line after they have been rotated. The sight also includes particular horizontal and vertical micro adjustment mechanisms which allow very small movements of the sight ring in the horizontal and vertical directions without having to release a locking mechanism.

Archery bow sight

An apparatus, method and computer program product for suppressing an alert generated by a terrain awareness system rotary wing aircraft of potentially hazardous proximity to terrain also reduces nuisance warnings and provides a terrain display consistent with the unique performance capabilities of such aircraft.

EGPWS cutoff altitude for helicopters

A terrain awareness system (TAS) provides LOOK-AHEAD/LOOK-DOWN as well as LOOK-UP terrain advisory and warning indications to the pilot of an aircraft of a hazardous flight condition. The TAS includes an airport data base as well as a terrain data base that is structured to provide various resolutions depending on the topography of the particular geographic area of interest. Navigational data from a satellite-based navigational system, such as a global positioning system (GPS), is used to provide a LOOK-AHEAD/LOOK-DOWN and LOOK-UP terrain advisory and terrain warning indications based upon the current position and projected flight path of the aircraft. Since the terrain advisory and the warning signals are a function of the flight path of the aircraft, nuisance warnings are minimized.

Terrain awareness system

An apparatus, system, method and computer program product to verify proper operation of an aircraft altimetry system. Aural and visual alerts may optionally be provided when a fault in the altimetry is detected.

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Issaquah, WA, United States of America

Steven C Johnson