Advance warning terrain anti-collision device
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Abstract
The field of the invention is that of onboard terrain anticollision systems for aircraft. Collisions with the terrain while the aircraft is fully controlled have been and still remain one of the main causes of air disasters. Several generations of devices for warning of risk of collision with the terrain have been developed for some thirty years now. The most advanced of these systems comprise means of alarm differing according to the maneuver to be performed by the pilot. It is of course vital that the recommended maneuver best guarantee the safety of the aircraft. The device according to the invention proposes a device comprising the calculation of several different safety surfaces or profiles. Their comparisons with the topographic data of the surrounding terrain make it possible to deduce therefrom the best alarm and the best maneuver to be performed to avoid the collision between the aircraft and the ground.
48 Citations
32 Claims
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1-16. -16. (canceled)
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17. An onboard terrain anticollision device for aircraft, comprising:
a memory including topographic data of the terrain and/or of the obstacles overflown; and
information processing means including;
an input for receiving flight parameters;
first trajectory prediction means for establishing on the basis of said flight parameters at least one first profile or a first safety surface corresponding to a first predicted trajectory;
first means of topographic calculation for establishing on the basis of said flight parameters at least one first profile or a first topographic surface constituted on the basis of the topographic data of the terrain and/or of the obstacles overflown;
first comparison means for establishing at least one first comparison between said first profile or said first safety surface and a first profile or a first topographic surface for determining at least one first risk of collision of the aircraft with the ground;
second trajectory prediction means for establishing on the basis of the flight parameters a second profile or a second safety surface termed the immediate safety surface corresponding to a second predicted trajectory;
second calculation means for establishing on the basis of the flight parameters a second profile or a second topographic surface constituted on the basis of the topographic data of the terrain and/or of the obstacles overflown;
second comparison means for establishing a second comparison between said second profile or said second safety surface and the second profile or the second topographic surface for determining a second risk of collision of the aircraft with the ground;
alarm means linked to said processing means for establishing at least one first state of first alarm as a function of the results of the first comparison and a second state termed the second alarm state as a function of the results of the second comparison, different from the first alarm state. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
Specification