초록 ▼

A surface condition sensing system includes a frequency controlled source of electromagnetic power adapted to produce a band of selected frequencies which are directed to a surface under examination. A monitoring circuit compares transmitted and reflected electromagnetic power as a function of frequ

A surface condition sensing system includes a frequency controlled source of electromagnetic power adapted to produce a band of selected frequencies which are directed to a surface under examination. A monitoring circuit compares transmitted and reflected electromagnetic power as a function of frequency from the surface, and generates a plurality of absorption signals representing the difference between the amplitude of the transmitted signal with the corresponding amplitude of the reflected signal. An evaluator circuit generates a surface condition signal representing the results of a comparison between the plurality of absorption signals with known surface models. A control circuit generates a status signal representative of the surface condition. The system can be configured as a road condition sensor or as an aircraft ice detection sensor.

대표청구항 ▼

A surface condition sensing system comprising: a source of electromagnetic power for producing signals in a band of frequencies; sweep control means, operatively connected to said source, to control selectively the frequencies produced by said source in said frequency band periodically over a predet

A surface condition sensing system comprising: a source of electromagnetic power for producing signals in a band of frequencies; sweep control means, operatively connected to said source, to control selectively the frequencies produced by said source in said frequency band periodically over a predetermined time interval by continuously outputting a control signal to said source to cause the frequency output of said source to vary continuously within said band of frequencies; means for coupling said band of frequencies to a surface to be examined; signal monitoring means for comparing power and frequencies transmitted into and reflected from said surface to be examined, and for generating a plurality of absorption signals, each of said absorption signals representative of the difference between the amplitude of the electromagnetic power transmitted into said surface and the corresponding amplitude of the signal reflected from said surface for a frequency in said band of frequencies; evaluator means, connected to said signal monitoring means, for generating a surface condition signal, for each plurality of absorption signals, by quantizing and comparing the minimum return amplitude of power sensed over the whole frequency band, as represented by said plurality of absorption signals, with a sequence of surface profiles; control means connected to said evaluator means for generating a status signal in accordance with said surface condition signal.