1. A method for alerting the pilot of an aircraft to a potential go-around condition comprising:
monitoring a plurality of parameters indicative of an unstabilized approach;
assigning a risk of go-around value to each of said parameters;
summing the assigned risk values; and
asserting an alert signal when said summation exceeds a predetermined threshold amount,
wherein the plurality of parameters includes at least three of tailwind velocity, flight path angle, lateral velocity, crosswind velocity, one or more runway characteristic, and weather information.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters includes a change in a speed of the aircraft.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a plurality of parameters includes monitoring a runway wind condition.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters includes a position of the aircraft.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters includes a track of the aircraft.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of asserting an alert signal comprises commanding an autopilot go-around maneuver.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters includes braking information.
8. An apparatus for alerting the pilot of an aircraft to a potential go-around condition comprising:
an input device coupled to receive a plurality of parameters;
an output device; and
a signal processing device, coupled to the input and the output devices, the signal processing device comprising:
a first component for monitoring a plurality of parameters;
a second component for assigning a risk of go-around value to each of said parameters;
a third component for summing the assigned risk values;
a fourth component for generating an alert signal when said summed values exceed a predetermined threshold amount; and
a fifth component for sending the generated alert signal to the output device for presentation,
wherein the plurality of parameters includes at least three of tailwind velocity, flight path angle, lateral velocity, crosswind velocity, one or more runway characteristic, and weather information.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of parameters includes a change in speed of the aircraft.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first component includes monitoring a runway wind condition.
11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of parameters includes a position of the aircraft.
12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of parameters includes a track of the aircraft.
13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fourth component comprises commanding an autopilot go-around maneuver.
14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of parameters includes braking information.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A magnetic recording device, comprising:
a slider body having a slider interface surface;
a magnetic transducer having a lower surface coplanar with an air bearing surface of the magnetic recording device, and a transducer interface surface perpendicular to the air bearing surface; and
a piezoelectric actuator operably connecting the slider interface surface and the transducer interface surface, the piezoelectric actuator comprising electrically conductive contacts on opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric actuator adjacent to the slider and transducer interface surfaces and configured to translate the magnetic transducer with respect to the slider body in a direction substantially parallel to the slider and transducer interface surfaces, the piezoelectric actuator comprising a plurality of elongate flexures disposed in parallel planes within a body of the piezoelectric actuator extending between the slider and transducer interface surfaces, wherein the plurality of elongate flexures are configured to constrain the movement of the transducer to a single dimension.
2. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein the parallel planes are perpendicular to the air bearing surface.
3. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein the opposite sides of the body of the piezoelectric actuator are respectively coupled to the slider and transducer interface surfaces.
4. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elongate flexures are substantially evenly spaced within the body of the piezoelectric actuator.
5. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein a distance between adjacent ones of the plurality of elongate flexures is substantially equal to a width w of the piezoelectric actuator in a direction between the slider body and the magnetic transducer.
6. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric actuator is a shear-mode actuator.
7. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein the body of the piezoelectric actuator comprises lead zirconate titanate (PZT).
8. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of elongate flexures comprises an electrically conductive material.
9. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of elongate flexures comprises a flexible material.
10. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of elongate flexures comprises one or more of the elements selected from the group consisting of nickel and iron.
11. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric actuator extends a width w between the slider body and the magnetic transducer, and wherein the plurality of elongate flexures each have a width approximately equal to width w.
12. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric actuator extends a height h in a direction perpendicular to the air bearing surface, and wherein the plurality of elongate flexures each have a height approximately equal to height h.
13. A magnetic disk drive comprising the magnetic recording device of claim 1.
14. The magnetic recording device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elongate flexures are disposed in parallel planes perpendicular to the transducer interface surface.