Patents Assigned to Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne S.F.E.N.A.
  • Patent number: 4882845
    Abstract: A gyroscopic artificial horizon comprises a gyroscope suspended in a gimbal ount which has an inner frame and an outer frame pivoted, one within the other, about two orthogonal axes. It also comprises a device for sensing the spatial position of the axis of the gyroscope and for displaying this position in the form of an artificial horizon. To simplify the mechanical structure and to increase the reliability of the gyroscopic artificial horizon, the device for sensing and displaying the spatial position of the gyroscope axis comprises a luminous display screen rotationally coupled to the outer frame of the gimbal mount. It further comprise a sensor for sensing the angular position of the inner frame relative to the outer frame and a processor device adapted to display this angular position on the screen in the form of an artificial horizon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne S.F.E.N.A.
    Inventor: Francis Boyer
  • Patent number: 4838647
    Abstract: The invention provides a display device with dissociable structure, making t possible for a user to observe a synthetic light image superimposed in his natural field of vision, said device being formed as two dissociable modules, namely: an image generating module having, inside a case, at least one part of the image generating members and a removable optical module including a support element to which is fixed a curved mixer type optical mount including, in a dihedral configuration, a flat semitransparent mirror and a curved semitransparent mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1989
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne (S.F.E.N.A)
    Inventor: Pierre Fagard
  • Patent number: 4837696
    Abstract: A method and device are provided for guiding an aerodyne on the runway, picularly during the taxiing phase preceding take off, the device including an inertial unit adapted for delivering signals representative of the North speed, of the East speed, of the azimuth and of the ground speed of the aerodyne. From these signals, a computer elaborates a parameter defining the axis of the runway, during an apprenticeship step during which the aerodyne, guided on site by the pilot, taxies along the axis of the runway, and stores this parameter at the end of the step. The computer then delivers to the means piloting the aerodyne a synthetic runway aberration signal between the axis of the runway thus stored and the position of the aerodyne delivered by the inertial unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1989
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne (S.F.E.N.A.)
    Inventors: Jean-Louis Lebrun, Patrick Pont
  • Patent number: 4795899
    Abstract: A lighting sensor is provided including a sleeve made from a translucent erial having a bottom intended to be exposed to the light whose illumination it is desired to measure, an optoelectronic component positioned inside the sleeve with its sensitive face disposed in line with said bottom and means for securing said component and said sleeve together.The invention overcomes in a simple way the problems due to the non linearity of the signal delivered by the optoelectronic component to the saturation of this component and to the narrowness of its aperture angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne (S.F.E.N.A.)
    Inventors: Alain Pilot, Marcel Grasset
  • Patent number: 4751566
    Abstract: A gamma correction method and device are provided for multichrome cathode y tubes, including, for each of the n-1 electron guns of the tube, a correction circuit adapted for raising the cathode modulation of this gun to a power .gamma.ref/.gamma..sub.i in which the term .gamma..sub.ref is the gamma exponent of the nth gun which is taken as reference and the term .gamma..sub.i is the gamma exponent of the gun considered. With this device the chromaticity of the colors displayed on the screen are conserved throughout the whole contrast dynamics of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne (S.F.E.N.A.)
    Inventor: Alain Pilot
  • Patent number: 4663972
    Abstract: An accelerometer sensor comprising a flat pendular structure having a fixed part and a flat test body suspended from the fixed part by two parallel blades flexible in the plane of said test body, so as to be able to move in translation along a sensitive axis. Said test body extends at least partially into the space between said two flexible blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne (S.F.E.N.A.)
    Inventor: Marcillat Gerard
  • Patent number: 4232839
    Abstract: A method for controlling the decelerated approach of an aerodyne on radioignment generally referred to as "glide," in particular for the purpose of reducing its fuel consumption and reducing the noise, mainly in the final stage of the approach, by approaching the glide at high speed, initiating the descent according to the glide angle, also at high speed then beginning a decelerated phase in order to reach a predetermined speed V sel+k, k being generally equal to 10 knots, on reaching a predetermined altitude, h.sub.F, and then passing progessively from the speed V sel+k to the speed V sel. From the time when the aerodyne reaches the axis of the glide path, a course is determined in two sections, as regards the variables of speed and altitude, for reaching the point situated at the altitude h.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1980
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne (S.F.E.N.A.)
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Sicre, Daniel Gruaz
  • Patent number: 4129049
    Abstract: A power jack, particularly adapted to equip the control system of an aeroe, including stress-responsive components, for example, a helical coil spring, in which indicator instruments record any locking between the relatively movable elements of the jack, such as a rotatable shaft and an encompassing sleeve to thereby disengage a disengaging element and allow the control functions to bypass the jack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1978
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne (S.F.E.N.A.)
    Inventor: Jean-Claude V. Perard
  • Patent number: 4094200
    Abstract: In a gyro horizon type of equipment, roll corrections are fed to the aircraft symbol which is a normally fixed display element and pitch correction is introduced on a movable display element or drum with modification of the position of the display elements of the instrument gyro as a function of an interconnection of the instrument gyro with a gyromaster reference through comparators connected to each of the roll and pitch systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1978
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne S.F.E.N.A.
    Inventor: Pierre Andre Chombard
  • Patent number: 4053893
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for indicating e geographical position of a piloted vehicle equipped with a computer, the method comprising the steps of using a geographical map or a portion of map, approximately orientated, without regard to its method of folding and its dimensions; identifying and transmitting to the computer at any desired moment, basic information such as reference of alignment on a meridian of the map-references of magnetic declination and scale of said map, co-ordinates of at least one radio-navigation transmitter chosen on the map, co-ordinates of at least one objective to be reached on the map, co-ordinates of at least one possible intermediate point on the route; indicating on said map at any instant under the control of the computer which also receives the variable radio-navigation information from the transmitter selected, the geographical position of the vehicle, the above identification and indication steps being effected by the use of a single organiza
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1977
    Assignee: Societe Francaise d'Equipements pour la Navigation Aerienne S.F.E.N.A.
    Inventor: Francis Boyer