The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 07, 1983
Filed:
Jun. 30, 1980
Ray M Jourdan, Raytown, MO (US);
Kenneth E Williams, Prairie Village, KS (US);
Other;
Abstract
A system for providing an indication of a glidepath for aircraft using a conventional altimeter having a graduated dial scale and a rotatable pointer includes a plurality of individual indicating lights spaced around the circumference of the dial which are individually controlled by an onboard microcomputer to provide a time dependent, moving indication of a descent rate on the dial scale corresponding to a safe, theoretical glidepath, which indication may be followed by the altimeter pointer to maintain the aircraft on the glidepath. The microcomputer includes a microprocessor control unit, a random access memory for temporary data storage and a read only memory for permanent storage of programmed instructions for computing the glidepath. A manually operable keyboard device permits entry of glidepath data regarding the aircraft's speed, position, etc. into the random access memory for storage therein prior to arrival of the aircraft at a position marking the start of the glidepath whereat the system may be activated by operation of a single push button to produce the visual moving indication of the descent rate corresponding to the desired glidepath.