TAWS WITH ALERT SUPPRESSION

• US 20110276201A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nighthawk Flight Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sandel Avionics Inc.
• Inventors: Block, Gerald J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/9
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

An aircraft terrain awareness warning system is disclosed that includes an interface for entering flight plan details of an aircraft including at least one waypoint. The terrain awareness warning system is configured such that potential-terrain-collision alerts are suppressed in the aircraft during landing operations performed at waypoints associated with landing zones.

Claims

1. An aircraft terrain awareness warning system, comprising an interface for entering flight plan details of an aircraft including at least one waypoint wherein the terrain awareness system is configured such that alerts are suppressed in the aircraft during a landing operation thereof performed at a landing zone associated with the at least one waypoint.

2. The terrain awareness warning system of claim 1, further comprising a database comprising waypoints, each of the waypoints representing a geographical area, at least one of the waypoints including a landing zone associated with a unique landing-zone-identifier.

3. The terrain awareness warning system of claim 1, wherein the alerts comprise potential-terrain-collision alerts.

4. The terrain awareness warning system of claim 2, wherein the system is configured to parse landing zone identifiers to determine if a waypoint includes a landing zone.

5. The terrain awareness warning system of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a user interface, the user interface including a plurality of data-entry fields for receiving waypoints.

6. The terrain awareness warning system of claim 5, wherein the interface is an interface to a flight management computer.

7. The terrain awareness warning system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft comprises a Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft.

8. A method for performing terrain awareness with reduced false alerts, comprising:

(a) providing a first interface for enabling the crew of an aircraft to enter flight plan details of an aircraft including at least one waypoint, the flight plan details communicated to a terrain awareness warning system via a second interface; and

(b) configuring the terrain awareness warning system such that alerts are suppressed during a landing operation of the aircraft performed at a landing zone located in a geographical area associated with the at least one waypoint.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the terrain awareness warning system includes a database having waypoints, each of the waypoints representing a geographical area, at least one of the waypoints including a landing zone associated with a unique landing-zone-identifier.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the alerts comprise potential-terrain-collision alerts.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second interfaces provide interfaces to a flight management computer or navigation receiver, and wherein flight plan details are entered on the flight management computer or navigation receiver and communicated to a TAWS.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the interface includes a plurality of data-entry fields within which the flight plan details are received.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the waypoint is a terrestrial waypoint.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the waypoint is a landing zone.

15. A computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for causing a computing device to perform the method of claim 13.

16. An aircraft terrain awareness warning system comprising:

(a) a database module comprising waypoints, each of the waypoints representing a geographic area, at least one waypoint including a landing zone associated with a unique landing-zone identifier; and

(b) an interface module for receiving flight plan details of an aircraft including at least one waypoint, the user interface in communication with the database, wherein the terrain awareness warning system is configured such that potential-terrain-collision alerts are suppressed in the aircraft during a landing operation at a landing zone represented by a landing-zone-identifier.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the alerts comprise potential-terrain-collision alerts.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the waypoint comprises a terrestrial waypoint.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the interface includes a plurality of data-entry fields for receiving flight plan details therewithin.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the interface module receives data from a flight management computer or navigation receiver.