초록 ▼

An aircraft formation/refueling guidance system guides a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft. A datalink provides a position hold and a bias command from the leader aircraft to the follower aircraft. An optical tracker onboard the follower aircraft takes an image of the leader aircraft w

An aircraft formation/refueling guidance system guides a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft. A datalink provides a position hold and a bias command from the leader aircraft to the follower aircraft. An optical tracker onboard the follower aircraft takes an image of the leader aircraft when receiving the hold command, tracks the leader aircraft using the image, and provides optical tracker movement outputs. A resolver resolves the optical tracker movement outputs to provide resolver control signals. A vernier control receives the bias command to change a position of the follower aircraft by biasing the resolver control signals with a bias signal. A sum circuit connected to the resolver and to the vernier control receives the resolver control signals and the bias signal to provide a sum circuit output signal. An autopilot and autothrottle receives the sum circuit output signal and the position hold command to control the follower aircraft.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft comprising:a datalink onboard the leader aircraft and the follower aircraft for providing a position hold command and a bias command from the leader aircraft to the follower aircraft; an

1. An aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft comprising:a datalink onboard the leader aircraft and the follower aircraft for providing a position hold command and a bias command from the leader aircraft to the follower aircraft; an optical tracker onboard the follower aircraft to take an image of the leader aircraft when receiving the hold command from the leader aircraft, to track the leader aircraft using the image of the leader aircraft, and to provide optical tracker movement outputs; a resolver connected to the optical tracker to resolve the optical tracker movement outputs when tracking the leader aircraft to provide resolver control signals; a vernier control for receiving the bias command from the leader aircraft over the datalink to change a position of the follower aircraft by biasing the resolver control signals with a bias signal; a sum circuit connected to the resolver and to the vernier control for receiving the resolver control signals and the bias signal for providing a sum circuit output signal; and an autopilot and autothrottle connected to the sum circuit to receive the sum circuit output signal and connected to the datalink to receive the position hold command to control the follower aircraft. 2. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 1 wherein the optical tracker further comprises a charge coupled device camera for taking the image of the leader aircraft.3. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 2 wherein the optical tracker tracks the leader aircraft body outline during daylight and position lights during night.4. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 1 wherein the resolver provides right/left, up/down, fore/aft and roll attitude resolver control signals.5. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 4 wherein the resolver further comprises a part of a digital processor.6. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 4 wherein the vernier control comprises a part of the digital processor.7. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 4 wherein the sum circuit comprises a part of the digital processor.8. A method of guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft in an aircraft formation/refueling guidance system comprising the steps of:providing a position hold command and a bias command from the leader aircraft to the follower aircraft with a datalink onboard the leader aircraft and the follower aircraft; taking an image of the leader aircraft with an optical tracker onboard the follower aircraft when receiving the hold command; tracking the leader aircraft using the image of the leader aircraft; providing optical tracker movement outputs; resolving the optical tracker movement outputs when tracking the leader aircraft to provide resolver control signals with a resolver connected to the optical tracker; changing a position of the follower aircraft by biasing the resolver control signals with a bias signal with a vernier control that receives the bias command from the leader aircraft over the datalink; receiving the resolver control signals and the bias signal in a sum circuit connected to the resolver and to the vernier control; providing a sum circuit output signal; and receiving the sum circuit output signal and the position hold command to control the follower aircraft in an autopilot and autothrottle connected to the sum circuit and the data link. 9. The method of guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft in an aircraft formation/refueling guidance system of claim 8 wherein the optical tracker takes the image of the leader aircraft with a charge coupled device camera.10. The method of guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft in an aircraft formation/refueling guidance system of claim 9 wherein the optical tracker performs the steps of tracking the leader aircraft body outline during daylight and position lights during night.11. The method of guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft in an aircraft formation/refueling guidance system of claim 8 wherein the resolver performs the steps of providing right/left, up/down, and fore/aft positions and roll attitude resolver control signals.12. The method of guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft in an aircraft formation/refueling guidance system of claim 11 wherein the resolver performs the steps of resolving the optical tracker movement outputs and providing resolver control signals with a digital processor.13. The method of guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft in an aircraft formation/refueling guidance system of claim 8 wherein the vernier control performs the step of changing a position of the follower aircraft with a digital processor.14. The method of guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft in an aircraft formation/refueling guidance system of claim 8 wherein the sum circuit performs the steps of receiving the resolver control signals and the bias signal to provide the sum circuit output to the autopilot and autothrottle in a digital processor.15. An aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft comprising:a datalink onboard the leader aircraft and the follower aircraft for providing a position hold command and a bias command from the leader aircraft to the follower aircraft; an optical tracker onboard the follower aircraft to take an image of the leader aircraft when receiving the hold command from the leader aircraft, to track the leader aircraft using the image of the leader aircraft, and to provide optical tracker movement outputs; a digital processor connected to the optical tracker to resolve the optical tracker movement outputs when tracking the leader aircraft to provide resolver control signals; for receiving the bias command from the leader aircraft over the datalink to change a position of the follower aircraft by biasing the resolver control signals with a bias signal; and for summing the resolver control signals and the bias signal for providing a sum circuit output signal; and an autopilot and autothrottle connected to the digital processor to receive the sum circuit output signal and connected to the data link to receive the position hold command to control the follower aircraft. 16. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 15 wherein the optical tracker further comprises a charge coupled device camera for taking the image of the leader aircraft.17. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 16 wherein the optical tracker tracks the leader aircraft body outline during daylight and position lights during night.18. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 15 wherein the digital processor comprises a resolver that provides right/left, up/down, fore/aft and roll attitude resolver control signals.19. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 15 wherein the digital processor further comprises a vernier control for receiving the bias command from the leader aircraft over the datalink to change the position of the follower aircraft by biasing the resolver control signals with a bias signal.20. The aircraft formation/refueling guidance system for guiding a follower aircraft relative to a leader aircraft of claim 15 wherein the digital processor further comprises a sum circuit for summing the resolver control signals and the bias signal for providing a sum circuit output signal.