A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle. The method includes providing a terrain profile, and transforming the terrain profile into the terrain-following flight profile according to one or more performance parameter of the air vehicle.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a terrain profile; and (b) transforming said terrain profile into the terrain-following flight profile in accordance with at least one performance parameter of
What is claimed is: 1. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a terrain profile; and (b) transforming said terrain profile into the terrain-following flight profile in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle; wherein a value of each said at least one performance parameter varies as the air vehicle flies along a flight path corresponding to the flight profile. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing of said terrain profile includes defining said terrain profile with reference to a flight corridor. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said flight corridor is a flight path. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said transforming is effected in a manner that directly adapts said terrain profile to said at least one performance parameter. 5. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) defining a terrain profile with reference to a flight corridor; (b) inflating said terrain profile, thereby providing an inflated terrain profile; (c) filtering said inflated terrain profile, thereby providing a filtered terrain profile; (d) constructing a first envelope for said filtered terrain profile, said first envelope being constrained so that every positive slope of said first envelope is at most about as great as a maximum climb slope of the air vehicle and every negative slope of said first envelope is at most about as small as a minimum dive slope of the air vehicle; (e) constructing a second envelope for said first envelope, said second envelope being constrained so that if the air vehicle flies at a given speed according to said second envelope, every negative vertical acceleration of the air vehicle is at most about as small as a minimum negative vertical acceleration of the air vehicle; and (f) constructing a third envelope for said second envelope, said third envelope being constrained so that if the air vehicle flies at said given speed according to said third envelope, every positive vertical acceleration of the air vehicle is at most about as great as a maximum positive vertical acceleration of the air vehicle. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said flight corridor is a flight path. 7. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a terrain profile; (b) defining a plurality of frames that span said terrain profile, each said frame spanning only a respective portion of said terrain profile; and (c) for each said frame: transforming said respective portion of said terrain profile into a corresponding portion of the terrain-following flight profile in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said transforming is effected in a manner that directly adapts said respective portion of said terrain profile to said at least one performance parameter. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein said providing of said terrain profile includes defining said terrain profile with reference to a flight corridor. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said flight corridor is a flight path. 11. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a terrain profile; and (b) filtering said terrain profile by steps including: (i) selecting a filter length, and (ii) constructing an envelope of said terrain profile in accordance with said filter length, the terrain-following flight profile then being based on said envelope. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said filtering is effected while the air vehicle flies along a flight path corresponding to at least a portion of said terrain profile. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein said envelope is piecewise linear. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said constructing is effected by steps including: (A) selecting a plurality of points of said terrain profile; and (B) connecting neighboring pairs of said points of said terrain profile with line segments. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein a first said selected point is a first point of said terrain profile, and wherein said selecting of a remainder of said selected points is effected by steps including: (1) designating said first selected point as a pivot point; (2) downwardly pivoting a filtering line segment, that has a horizontal extent equal to said filter length, about said pivot point, until said filtering line segment contacts said terrain profile; (3) moving said pivot point to a last point at which said filtering line segment contacts said terrain profile, thereby selecting said last point as a next of said selected points; and (4) effecting steps (2) and (3) until said last point at which said filtering line segment contacts said terrain profile is a last point of said terrain profile. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein said providing of said terrain profile includes defining said terrain profile with reference to a flight corridor. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said flight corridor is a flight path. 18. A method of navigating an air vehicle within a flight corridor, comprising the steps of: (a) partitioning the flight corridor among a set of at least one frame; and (b) when the air vehicle enters each of said at least one frame: (i) defining a respective terrain profile with respect to a respective portion of the flight corridor that lies within said each frame, and (ii) transforming said respective terrain profile into a respective flight profile for said each frame in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of: (c) in each said at least one frame, flying the air vehicle within at least a portion of said respective portion of the flight corridor in accordance with said respective flight profile. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein each said flight profile is a terrain-following flight profile. 21. The method of claim 18, wherein said flight corridor is a flight path. 22. An air vehicle comprising: (a) a memory for storing a map; (b) a processor for: (i) partitioning a flight corridor among a set of at least one frame, and (ii) as the air vehicle enters each of said at least one frame: (A) based on said map, providing a respective terrain profile for a respective portion of said flight corridor that lies within said each frame, and (B) transforming said respective terrain profile into a respective terrain-following flight profile for said each frame in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle; and (c) a propulsion and guidance system for flying the air vehicle within said flight corridor in accordance with said at least one respective flight profile. 23. The air vehicle of claim 22, wherein said flight corridor is partitioned among a plurality of said frames, and wherein said propulsion and guidance system flies the air vehicle in accordance with a concatenation of at least portions of said flight profiles. 24. The air vehicle of claim 22, wherein said map is a digital terrain map. 25. The air vehicle of claim 22, wherein each said flight profile is a terrain-following flight profile. 26. The air vehicle of claim 22, wherein said flight corridor is a flight path. 27. A method of designing a terrain-following flight path for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a terrain profile; and (b) transforming said terrain profile into the terrain-following flight path in accordance with a desired tradeoff between a closeness with which the terrain-following flight path tracks said terrain profile and an ease of maneuver of the air vehicle; wherein said ease of maneuver varies as the air vehicle flies along a trajectory corresponding to the flight path. 28. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a terrain profile; and (b) transforming said terrain profile into the terrain-following flight profile in accordance with a maximum climb slope of the air vehicle and a minimum dive slope of the air vehicle, said transforming including the step of: (i) constructing a first envelope for said terrain profile, said first envelope being constrained so that every positive slope of said first envelope is at most about as great as said maximum climb slope of the air vehicle and every negative slope of said first envelope is at most about as small as said minimum dive slope of the air vehicle. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein said constructing of said first envelope is effected non-iteratively. 30. The method of claim 28, wherein said constructing of said first envelope is effected while the air vehicle flies along a flight path corresponding to at least a portion of said terrain profile. 31. The method of claim 28, wherein said at least one performance parameter further includes a minimum negative vertical acceleration of the air vehicle as the air vehicle flies at a given speed, and wherein said transforming further includes the step of: (ii) constructing a second envelope for said first envelope, said second envelope being constrained so that if the air vehicle flies at said given speed according to said second envelope, every negative vertical acceleration of the air vehicle is at most about as small as said minimum negative vertical acceleration of the air vehicle. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein said second envelope is further constrained so that every positive slope of said second envelope is at most about as great as said maximum climb slope of the air vehicle and every negative slope of said second envelope is at most about as small as said minimum dive slope of the air vehicle. 33. The method of claim 31, wherein said constructing of said second envelope is effected non-iteratively. 34. The method of claim 31, wherein said constructing of said first and second envelopes is effected while the air vehicle flies along a flight path corresponding to at least a portion of said terrain profile. 35. The method of claim 31, wherein said at least one performance parameter further includes a maximum positive vertical acceleration of the air vehicle as the air vehicle files at said given speed, and wherein said transforming further includes the step of: (iii) constructing a third envelope for said second envelope, said third envelope being constrained so that if the air vehicle flies at said given speed according to said third envelope, every positive vertical acceleration of the air vehicle is at most about as great as said maximum positive vertical acceleration of the air vehicle. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein said third envelope is further constrained so that every positive slope of said third envelope is at most about as great as said maximum climb slope of the air vehicle and every negative slope of said third envelope is at most about as small as said minimum dive slope of the air vehicle. 37. The method of claim 35, wherein said constructing of said third envelope is effected non-iteratively. 38. The method of claim 35, wherein said third envelope is the terrain-following flight profile. 39. The method of claim 35, wherein said constructing of said first, second and third envelopes is effected while the air vehicle flies along a flight path corresponding to at least a portion of said terrain profile. 40. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an inflated terrain profile; and (b) transforming said inflated terrain profile into the terrain-following flight profile in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle. 41. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a terrain profile; and (b) transforming said terrain profile into the terrain-following flight profile in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle; wherein at least a portion of said providing of said terrain profile is effected while the air vehicle flies along a flight path corresponding to at least a portion of said terrain profile. 42. The method of claim 41, wherein said transforming of said at least portion of said terrain profile is effected while the air vehicle flies along said flight path. 43. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a terrain profile; (b) transforming said terrain profile into the terrain-following flight profile in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle; and (c) filtering said terrain profile, prior to said transforming. 44. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: for each of a plurality of frames: (a) providing a respective terrain profile; and (b) transforming said respective terrain profile into at least a portion of the terrain-following flight profile in accordance with: (i) a maximum climb slope of the air vehicle, (ii) a minimum dive slope of the air vehicle, (iii) a minimum negative vertical acceleration of the air vehicle as the air vehicle flies at a given speed, and (iv) a maximum positive vertical acceleration of the air vehicle as the air vehicle flies at said given speed; and wherein said transforming is effected by steps including constructing a respective envelope, for said terrain profile, that is constrained so that: (i) every positive slope of said envelope is at most about as great as said maximum climb slope of the air vehicle; (ii) every negative slope of said envelope is at most about as small as said minimum dive slope of the air vehicle; (iii) every negative vertical acceleration of the air vehicle is at most about as small as said minimum negative vertical acceleration of the air vehicle; and (iv) every positive vertical acceleration of the air vehicle is at most about as great as said maximum positive vertical acceleration of the air vehicle; the terrain-following flight profile then being a concatenation of at least portions of said envelopes. 45. The method of claim 44, wherein, for each said frame other than a last said frame, said at least portion of each said respective envelope is an initial portion of said each respective envelope. 46. The method of claim 44, wherein, for each said frame, said constructing is effected non-iteratively. 47. The method of claim 44, wherein, for each said frame, said constructing is effected while the air vehicle flies along a flight path corresponding to at least a portion of said respective terrain profile. 48. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: for each of a plurality of frames: (a) providing a respective terrain profile; and (b) transforming said respective terrain profile into at least a portion of the terrain-following flight profile in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle; wherein, for each said frame, said providing of said respective terrain profile includes the steps of: (i) providing a nominal flight path for said each frame; (ii) providing a digital terrain map that includes a plurality of elevations; and (iii) at each of a plurality of points along said nominal flight path, determining a maximum said elevation within an uncertainty interval around said each point. 49. A method of designing a terrain-following flight profile for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: for each of a plurality of frames: (a) providing a respective terrain profile; (b) transforming said respective terrain profile into at least a portion of the terrain-following flight profile in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle; and (c) filtering said respective terrain profile, prior to said transforming. 50. A method of navigating an air vehicle within a flight corridor, comprising the steps of: (a) partitioning the flight corridor among a set of at least one frame; and (b) as the air vehicle enters each of said at least one frame: (i) defining a respective terrain profile with respect to a respective portion of the flight corridor that lies within said each frame, and (ii) transforming said respective terrain profile into a respective flight profile for said each frame in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle; wherein each said respective flight profile is an envelope, of said respective terrain profile, that is constrained in accordance with said at least one performance parameter. 51. The method of claim 50, wherein said at least one performance parameter includes a maximum climb slope of the air vehicle. 52. The method of claim 50, wherein said at least one performance parameter includes a minimum dive slope of the air vehicle. 53. The method of claim 50, wherein said at least one performance parameter includes a minimum negative vertical acceleration of the air vehicle as the air vehicle flies at a given speed. 54. The method of claim 50, wherein said at least one performance parameter includes a maximum positive vertical acceleration of the air vehicle as the air vehicle flies at a given speed. 55. The method of claim 50, wherein each said envelope is constrained in a manner that directly adapts said envelope to said at least one performance parameter. 56. A method of navigating an air vehicle within a flight corridor, comprising the steps of: (a) partitioning the flight corridor among a set of at least one frame; and (b) as the air vehicle enters each of said at least one frame: (i) defining a respective terrain profile with respect to a respective portion of the flight corridor that lies within said each frame, and (ii) transforming said respective terrain profile into a respective flight profile for said each frame in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle; wherein, as the air vehicle enters each said at least one frame, said providing includes inflating said respective terrain profile to provide an inflated respective terrain profile, said transforming then being effected on said inflated respective terrain profile. 57. A method of navigating an air vehicle within a flight corridor, comprising the steps of: (a) partitioning the flight corridor among a set of at least one frame; and (b) as the air vehicle enters each of said at least one frame: (i) defining a respective terrain profile with respect to a respective portion of the flight corridor that lies within said each frame, (ii) filtering said respective terrain profile to provide a filtered respective terrain profile, and (iii) transforming said filtered respective terrain profile into a respective flight profile for said each frame in accordance with at least one performance parameter of the air vehicle 58. A method of designing a terrain-following flight path for an air vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a terrain profile; and (b) transforming said terrain profile into the terrain-following flight path in accordance with a desired tradeoff between a closeness with which the terrain-following flight path tracks said terrain profile and an ease of maneuver of the air vehicle, said transforming being effected by steps including: (i) selecting a filter length in accordance with said tradeoff; and (ii) filtering said terrain profile using a filter having said filter length. 59. The method of claim 58, wherein said filtering is effected by steps including constructing an envelope of said terrain profile in accordance with said filter length.
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Stephen G. Pratt ; Gary L. Hartmann, Hazard detection for a travel plan.
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