Method and apparatus for reducing false taws warnings and navigating landing approaches

• US 20040093131A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nighthawk Flight Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Albert J. Bourdon, Gerald J. Block
• Inventors: Block, Gerald J., Bourdon, Albert J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,889,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/9
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/913 for landing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A system for reducing nuisance alerts and warnings in a terrain awareness and warning system for an aircraft, including determining if the aircraft is within a predetermined geometric volume surrounding an airport. If the aircraft is within the geometric volume, then determining the aircraft'"'"'s current projected flight path for a selected distance or time and comparing it with at least one approach volume extending from a runway at the airport towards an outer boundary of the geometric volume. If the aircraft'"'"'s current projected flight path is such that the aircraft is expected to be within the approach volume and stay within the approach volume to the runway, then inhibiting selected alerts and warnings associated with non-threatening terrain.

Claims

1. A method of reducing at least one of nuisance alerts and warnings in a terrain awareness and warning system for an aircraft, comprising:

determining if the aircraft is within a predetermined geometric volume surrounding an airport;

if the aircraft is within the geometric volume, then determining the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path for a selected time;

comparing the aircraft'"'"'s current projected flight path with at least one approach volume extending for a runway at the airport towards an outer boundary of the geometric volume;

if the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path is such that the aircraft is expected to be within the approach volume and stay within the approach volume to the runway, then inhibiting at least one selected alert or warning associated with non-threatening terrain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one approach volume has a generally wedge-like shape.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising inhibiting display of at least a portion of terrain data on the terrain awareness and warning system if the aircraft'"'"'s current projected flight path is such that the aircraft is expected to be within the approach volume and to stay within the approach volume to the runway.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least one approach volume comprises an offset approach volume and a short straight-in approach volume.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said at least one approach volume comprises

an approach path glide slope plane that intersects the runway at a first predetermined location and extends to an outer boundary of said airport zone at a predetermined approach path glide slope angle,

an upper approach path plane that intersects the runway at a second predetermined location and extends toward an outer boundary of said airport zone, such that it is above the approach path glide slope plane,

a lower approach path plane that intersects the runway at the first predetermined location and extends to the outer boundary of said airport zone at a predetermined angle that is less than said predetermined approach path glide slope angle, and

lateral boundaries for said approach path glide slope plane, upper approach path plane and lower approach path plane.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said upper approach path plane comprises two geometric planes such that the upper approach path plane never extends above the predetermined geometric volume.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said lower approach path plane comprises two geometric planes such that the lower approach path plane provides a step down approach path glide slope angle.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said a predetermined approach path glide slope angle is selected from the range of about 3°

to 5.5°

.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one approach volume has a generally conical shape.

10. A terrain awareness and warning system for an aircraft comprising:

a display apparatus which displays terrain within a forward region based on the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path and generates alerts and/or warnings for terrain in or proximate to the aircraft'"'"'s current projected flight path; and

an inhibition module which inhibits at least one of said alerts, warnings and terrain display under at least the following condition;

the aircraft is within a predetermined geometric volume surrounding an airport, and

the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path is such that the aircraft is or is expected to be within an approach volume that extends from a runway at the airport towards an outer boundary of the geometric volume and to stay within the approach volume to the runway.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said approach volume has a generally wedge-like shape.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the approach volume comprises an offset approach volume and a short straight-in approach volume.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said approach volume comprises

an approach path glide slope plane that intersects the runway at a first predetermined location and extends to an outer boundary of said airport zone at a predetermined approach path glide slope angle,

an upper approach path plane that intersects the runway at a second predetermined location and extends toward an outer boundary of said airport zone, such that it is above the approach path glide slope plane,

a lower approach path plane that intersects the runway at the first predetermined location and extends to the outer boundary of said airport zone at a predetermined angle that is less than said predetermined approach path glide slope angle, and

lateral boundaries for said approach path glide slope plane, upper approach path plane and lower approach path plane.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said upper approach path plane comprises two geometric planes such that the upper approach path plane never extends above the predetermined geometric volume.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said lower approach path plane comprises two geometric planes such that the lower approach path plane provides a step down approach path glide slope angle.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said a predetermined approach path glide slope angle is selected from the range of about 3°

to 5.5°

.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said approach volume has a generally conical shape.

18. A method of navigating an aircraft to land on a runway, comprising:

determining if the aircraft is within a predetermined geometric volume surrounding an airport;

if the aircraft is within the geometric volume, then determining the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path for a selected time;

comparing the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path with an approach volume extending from a runway at the airport towards an outer boundary of the geometric volume;

if the aircraft'"'"'s current projected flight path is such that the aircraft is or is expected to be within the approach volume and stay within the approach volume to the runway, then indicating that the aircraft is on proper course for landing; and

if the aircraft'"'"'s current projected flight path is such that the aircraft is not and is not expected to be within the approach volume or to stay within the approach volume to the runway, indicating that the aircraft is not on a proper course for landing.

19. A computer method of calculating an approach volume for a runway for use with a terrain awareness and warning system or navigation system in an aircraft, comprising:

(a) loading a predetermined geometric volume surrounding the runway into a computer memory;

(b) selecting a location along said runway as a ground point intercept (GPI);

(c) selecting a most preferred approach path glide slope angle;

(d) selecting lateral boundaries for the approach volume;

(e) postulating a tentative lower approach path plane that intersects the GPT and extends to an outer boundary of the geometric volume at an angle that is a predetermined amount more acute than said approach path glide slope angle;

(f) determining whether the tentative lower approach path plane clears all terrain from the GPI to the outer boundary of the geometric volume by a predetermined safety margin, and if so, selecting the tentative lower approach path plane as an actual lower approach path plane, and if not, increasing the approach path glide slope angle and repeating steps (e) and (f) until the actual lower approach path plane is selected.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said most preferred approach path glide slope angle is in the range of 3°

to 5.5°

.

21. A terrain awareness and warning system for an aircraft comprising:

means for displaying terrain within a predetermined look-ahead region based on the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path and generating alerts and warnings for terrain in or proximate to the aircraft'"'"'s current projected flight path; and

means for inhibiting at least one of said alerts, warnings and terrain display under at least the following conditions;

the aircraft is within a predetermined geometric volume surrounding an airport, and

the aircraft'"'"'s projected flight path is such that the aircraft is or is expected to be within an approach volume that extends from a runway at the airport towards an outer boundary of the geometric volume and to stay within the approach volume to the runway.

22. A method of reducing at least one of nuisance alerts and warnings in a terrain awareness and warning system for an aircraft, comprising:

(a) determining if the aircraft is within a predetermined geometric volume surrounding an airport;

(b) if the aircraft is within the geometric volume, then determining a projected flight path for a selected time for the aircraft;

(c) comparing the aircraft'"'"'s current projected flight path with at least one approach volume extending from a runway at the airport towards an outer boundary of the geometric volume;

(d) if the aircraft'"'"'s current projected flight path is such that the aircraft is or is expected to intersect the approach volume, then determining whether the aircraft is capable of maneuvering within said approach volume so as to stay within the approach volume to the runway;

(e) if the determination of step (d) is positive, then inhibiting at least one of selected alerts and warnings associated with terrain and repeating step (d);

(f) if the determination of step (d) is negative, then reactivating any previously inhibited alerts and warnings of step (e).

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one approach volume has a generally wedge-like shape.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising inhibiting the display of at least a portion of terrain data on the terrain awareness and warning system in step (d).

25. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of said at least one approach volume comprises an offset approach volume and a short straight-in approach volume.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein at least one of said at least one approach volume comprises

an approach path glide slope plane that intersects the runway at a first predetermined location and extends to an outer boundary of said airport zone at a predetermined approach path glide slope angle,

an upper approach path plane that intersects the runway at a second predetermined location and extends toward an outer boundary of said airport zone, such that it is above the approach path glide slope plane,

a lower approach path plane that intersects the runway at the first predetermined location and extends to the outer boundary of said airport zone at a predetermined angle that is less than said predetermined approach path glide slope angle, and

lateral boundaries for said approach path glide slope plane, upper approach path plane and lower approach path plane.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said upper approach path plane comprises two geometric planes such that the upper approach path plane never extends above the predetermined geometric volume.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said lower approach path plane comprises two geometric planes such that the lower approach path plane provides a step down approach path glide slope angle.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said a predetermined approach path glide slope angle is selected from the range of about 3°

to 5.5°

.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one approach volume has a generally conical shape.