Aircraft terrain information system
First Claim
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1. An aircraft terrain warning system for providing a warning to the pilot when terrain proximate to the aircraft penetrates a predetermined terrain warning envelope, the warning system comprising:
- a terrain data base storing terrain data representative of terrain elevations and one or more predetermined reference points for one or more predetermined geographical areas; and
a warning generator coupled to said terrain data base and receiving signals representative of the position, altitude and flight path of the aircraft and generating a warning envelope extending a predetermined distance in front of the aircraft, a first segment of said warning envelope extending downwardly from a current position and altitude of the aircraft as a predetermined function of the distance of the aircraft to a predetermined reference point and a second segment of said warning envelope defined by the greater of said flight path of the aircraft and a datum defined by a predicted pull-up of the aircraft, said warning generator generating a warning signal when terrain is determined to penetrate said warning envelope.
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Abstract
An aircraft terrain warning generator is provided having a terrain and obstacle warning envelope having a lower boundary formed according to the lesser of the current aircraft flight path angle and the obtainable climb gradient.
197 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An aircraft terrain warning system for providing a warning to the pilot when terrain proximate to the aircraft penetrates a predetermined terrain warning envelope, the warning system comprising:
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a terrain data base storing terrain data representative of terrain elevations and one or more predetermined reference points for one or more predetermined geographical areas; and
a warning generator coupled to said terrain data base and receiving signals representative of the position, altitude and flight path of the aircraft and generating a warning envelope extending a predetermined distance in front of the aircraft, a first segment of said warning envelope extending downwardly from a current position and altitude of the aircraft as a predetermined function of the distance of the aircraft to a predetermined reference point and a second segment of said warning envelope defined by the greater of said flight path of the aircraft and a datum defined by a predicted pull-up of the aircraft, said warning generator generating a warning signal when terrain is determined to penetrate said warning envelope. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An aircraft terrain warning system for providing a warning to the pilot when terrain proximate to the aircraft penetrates a predetermined terrain warning envelope projected below and ahead of the aircraft, the warning system comprising:
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a terrain data base storing terrain data representative of terrain elevations, and obstacle elevations, and one or more predetermined reference points for a plurality of predetermined geographical areas;
a warning generator coupled to said terrain data base and receiving signals representative of the position, altitude and flight path of the aircraft and generating a warning envelope extending a predetermined distance in front of the aircraft, a first segment of said warning envelope extending downwardly from a current position and altitude of the aircraft as a predetermined function of the distance of the aircraft to a predetermined reference point and a second segment of said warning envelope defined by a configurable datum when the angle of said flight path of the aircraft is less than said configurable datum and defined by said flight path when the angle of said flight path of the aircraft is greater than said configurable datum, said warning generator generating a warning signal when one or more of said terrain elevations and obstacle elevations is determined to be at elevations higher than said second segment of said warning envelope; and
a cockpit display coupled to said warning generator. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for providing a warning to the pilot of an aircraft when terrain proximate to the aircraft penetrates a predetermined terrain warning envelope, the method comprising:
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receiving signals representative of the position, altitude and flight path of the aircraft;
accessing a terrain data base storing terrain data representative of obstacle elevations and one or more predetermined reference points for one or more predetermined geographical areas;
projecting a warning envelope a predetermined distance in front of the aircraft, a first segment of said warning envelope extending downwardly from a current position and altitude of the aircraft as a predetermined function of the distance of the aircraft to a predetermined reference point and a second segment of said warning envelope defined by one of said flight path of the aircraft and a configurable datum defined by a predicted climb gradient of the aircraft; and
generating a warning signal when one or more of said obstacle elevations is determined to penetrate said warning envelope. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification