Abstract: An improved motor driven switch is provided. A control system employs the improved motor-driven switch in series with a battery to disconnect the battery from a load when the energy level of the battery drops to a predetermined level. The system comprises an overdrive circuit to ensure that the motor drives a gear train to sufficiently close a gap between a movable switch plate and contact plates in a switch-closed position to reduce switch contact resistance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the state-of-charge of a battery is provided, which includes a metering system to communicate the state-of-charge to an operator of a device powered by the battery. A digital electronic model is provided to compute the instantaneous charge in a storage battery that tracks the actual terminal voltage of the battery. In the digital model, the battery model is expressed as a computer program. The electronic model derives from the measurement of the actual terminal voltage of an operating battery an internal voltage corresponding to the open circuit voltage of the battery. This internal voltage, representative of the state-of-charge of the battery, is communicated to an operator through a display.

Abstract: A vehicle storage battery protection system that senses a drop in battery voltage to a level at which the battery still retains sufficient power to start the vehicle. If the sensed voltage remains at or below this level for a time greater than the time normally required to start the vehicle, the battery is disconnected from the load and a hysteresis signal is provided to prevent a reconnection as the battery voltage begins to rise after the load has been disconnected. The load is automatically reconnected to the battery upon operation of the ignition switch to restart the vehicle. A reset circuit provides a small test voltage to the disconnected load, and senses a voltage drop caused by operation of the ignition switch to start the vehicle. This sensed voltage drop is detected and causes a main switch to reconnect the battery to the loads.

Abstract: A motor driven switch for use in operation between high current electrical systems and low current electrical systems. The motor driven switch includes a control circuit for operating the switch, which includes at least one switch contact movable between electrically open and closed positions. The switch is operated by a reversible direct current motor having a shaft rotatable in opposite rotary directions, upon control of the switch circuitry. The switch contact is operable to conduct high currents, and the direct current motor and associated control circuitry are operative to be controlled by low current systems. In a preferred embodiment, the motor driven switch controls distribution of current within an automotive electrical system.

Abstract: A vehicle storage battery protection system that senses a drop in battery voltage to a level at which the battery still retains sufficient power to start the vehicle. If the sensed voltage remains at or below this level for a time greater than the time normally required to start the vehicle, the battery is disconnected from the load and a hysteresis signal is provided to prevent a reconnection as the battery voltage begins to rise after the load has been disconnected. The load is automatically reconnected to the battery upon operation of the ignition switch to restart the vehicle. A reset circuit provides a small test voltage to the disconnected load, and senses a voltage drop caused by operation of the ignition switch to start the vehicle. This sensed voltage drop is detected and causes a main switch to reconnect the battery to the loads.

Abstract: A battery cable assembly having an in-line captive switch device, in which the battery cable conductor is divided into two parts, with a conductive contact pad electrically attached to the end of each part, the pads being axially aligned within the bore of a housing having a threaded sleeve member formed, at least partially, of insulating material. The first pad is secured within the sleeve in fixed non-rotating relation thereto, and in fixed position relative to the first cable portion. The second cable portion is provided with a threaded ferrule which is rotatable relative to the second cable portion for providing relative axial displacement between the pads. The rotatable ferrule is captively rotatable to preclude separation of the two cable portions. A blinking light-emitting device is electrically coupled to the two cable portions for energization via the storage battery and electrical circuit through the light-emitting device to provide visual indication when the pads separate.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining aircraft position and velocity is disclosed. The system includes two CCD sensors which take overlapping front and back radiant energy images of front and back overlapping areas of the earth's surface. A signal processing unit digitizers and deblurs the data that comprise each image. The overlapping first and second front images are then processed to determine the longitudinal and lateral relative image position shifts that produce the maximum degree of correlation between them. The signal processing unit then compares the first and second back overlapping images to find the longitudinal and lateral relative image position shifts necessary to maximize the degree of correlation between those two images. Various correlation techniques, including classical correlation, differencing correlation, zero-mean correction, normalization, windowing, and parallel processing are disclosed for determining the relative image position shift signals between the two overlapping images.

Abstract: A system for determining the ground velocity of an aircraft is disclosed. The system includes a CCD linear optical image sensor carried by the aircraft for forming a first and second substantially instantaneous light intensity contour of the optical image of the surface of the earth lying below the aircraft. The two contours are delayed in time with respect to each other. A computer, included in the system, compares the two contours to determine the relative position shift between the two contours by utilizing cross-correlation techniques. The computer then corrects the contour position shift for the aircraft altitude and divides the corrected position shift by the time delay between the two contours to obtain the aircraft ground velocity. A signal indicative of the aircraft ground velocity is output by the system.

Abstract: An electronically controlled braking system is disclosed and includes a brake servo valve for controlling brake pressure in response to an electrical brake actuating signal having a value which is controlled by a brake command circuit and a skid control circuit. The brake command circuit provides a brake command signal which is representative of the brake pressure determined by an operator or by an automatic braking system. The brake command signal is modified as a function of the skid control circuit output to provide the electrical brake actuating signal which is supplied to a valve driver for actuating the brake control coil of the brake servo valve.

Abstract: A selective deceleration brake control system which enables the operator of an aircraft or other vehicle to preselect a rate of deceleration for the vehicle. The system produces a velocity reference signal which decreases in value at a rate indicative of the rate of vehicle deceleration selected by the operator. A signal indicative of actual wheel velocity is continuously produced and compared with the velocity reference signal to generate an error signal. The error signal is processed and used to produce a brake control signal. The system continuously controls braking effort to cause the vehicle to decelerate at the rate selected by the operator. The selective deceleration circuit cooperates with an anti-skid brake control circuit such that at any instant the circuit providing the higher brake release command will control.

Abstract: A selective deceleration brake control system which enables the operator of an aircraft or other vehicle to preselect a rate of deceleration for the vehicle. The system produces a velocity reference signal which decreases in value at a rate indicative of the rate of vehicle deceleration selected by the operator. A signal indicative of actual wheel velocity is continuously produced and compared with the velocity reference signal to generate an error signal. The error signal is processed and used to produce a brake control signal. The system continuously controls braking effort to cause the vehicle to decelerate at the rate selected by the operator. The selective deceleration circuit cooperates with an anti-skid brake control circuit such that at any instant the circuit providing the higher brake release command will control.