Systems and methods for generating alert signals in an airspace awareness and warning system

• US 7,714,744 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Wichgers, Joel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US12/069,319
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 340/965, 340/945, 340/963, 340/966, 340/967, 340/974, 340/975, 342/357.13, 342/27, 342/28, 342/65, 701/4, 701/9, 701/14
• US Class Current: 340/965
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

An airspace awareness and warning system (“AAWS”) provides input to an airspace alert (“AA”) processor from at least one real-time aircraft system or sensor, a navigation system, and an airspace database containing three-dimensional delineations of defined airspace; the processor determines an airspace clearance surface and an aircraft airspace alert surface, and if one surface penetrates the other, the processor generates an alert signal and provides an alert signal to a crew alerting system. The two surfaces are determined by the processor by executing an algorithm(s) embedded in software containing the disclosed embodiments and methods. At least one criterion used to define an aircraft airspace alert surface is programmed to include real-time and/or static input factor data provided by at least one system or sensor input from an aircraft. Such input factor could be used to define an airspace clearance surface.

Claims

1. A system for generating an alert signal in an aircraft system, said system comprising:

a data source for providing input factor data;

a data source for providing airspace data;

a data source for providing navigation data;

an alert processor, electronically coupled to receive data from a data source, wherein such processor receives input factor data, wherein input factor data comprises data representative of at least one input factor;

receives navigation data representative of aircraft position,

receives airspace data corresponding to the aircraft position,

defines an airspace clearance surface as a function of the airspace data and at least one airspace clearance distance criterion,

defines at least one aircraft airspace alert surface, where each aircraft airspace alert surface is defined as a function of at least one criterion programmed to include first input factor data,

wherein the airspace data is received from a database storing data as a function of at least one second input factor data,

wherein the function defining each airspace alert surface includes at least one airspace clearance distance criterion is programmed to include a third input factor data,

generates an airspace alert signal if the airspace clearance surface penetrates an aircraft airspace alert surface, and

provides the airspace alert signal to a crew alerting system; and

a crew alerting system, electronically coupled to receive an alert signal, for receiving the airspace alert signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data source for providing input factor data comprises one or more of the following:

a navigation system, an airport-related database, an airspace database, and a terrain data source.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein

the data source for providing terrain data comprises of a radar system, a terrain database, or both, where

the terrain data provided by a terrain database corresponds to data representative of aircraft position received from a data source of navigation data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the crew alerting system comprises one or more of the following:

a display unit, an aural alert unit, and a tactile unit.

5. A system for generating an alert signal in an aircraft system, said system comprising:

a data source for providing input factor data;

a data source for providing airspace data;

a data source for providing navigation data;

an alert processor, electronically coupled to receive data from a data source, wherein such processor receives input factor data, wherein input factor data comprises data representative of at least one input factor;

receives navigation data representative of aircraft position,

receives airspace data corresponding to the aircraft position, where such airspace data is representative of an airspace clearance surface,

defines at least one aircraft airspace alert surface, where each aircraft airspace alert surface is defined as a function of at least one criterion programmed to include first input factor data,

wherein the airspace data is received from a database storing data as a function of at least one second input factor data,

wherein the function defining each airspace alert surface includes at least one airspace clearance distance criterion is programmed to include a third input factor data,

generates an airspace alert signal if the airspace clearance surface penetrates an aircraft airspace alert surface;

provides the airspace alert signal to a crew alerting system; and

the crew alerting system for receiving the airspace alert signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the data source for providing input factor data comprises one or more of the following:

a navigation system, an airport-related database, an airspace database, and a terrain data source.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein

the data source for providing terrain data comprises of a radar system, a terrain database, or both, where

the terrain data provided by a terrain database corresponds to data representative of aircraft position received from a data source of navigation data.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the airspace data defines an airspace surface.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein each airspace alert surface is further defined by a second function having at least one airspace clearance distance criterion programmed to include third input factor data.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the crew alerting system comprises one or more of the following:

a display unit, an aural alert unit, and a tactile unit.

11. A method for generating an alert signal in an aircraft system using a processor, said method comprising:

receiving input factor data, wherein input factor data comprises data representative of at least one input factor;

receiving navigation data representative of aircraft position;

receiving airspace data corresponding to the aircraft position;

defining an airspace clearance surface as a function of the airspace data and at least one airspace clearance distance criterion;

wherein at least one airspace clearance distance criterion is programmed to include second input factor data;

defining at least one aircraft airspace alert surface, where each aircraft airspace alert surface is defined as a function of at least one criterion, wherein at least one criterion is programmed to include third input factor data;

generating an airspace alert signal if the airspace clearance surface penetrates an aircraft airspace alert surface; and

providing the airspace alert signal to a crew alerting system.

12. A method for generating an alert signal in an aircraft system using a processor, said method comprising:

receiving input factor data, wherein input factor data comprises data representative of at least one input factor;

receiving navigation data representative of aircraft position;

receiving airspace data corresponding to the aircraft position, where such airspace data is representative of an airspace clearance surface;

defining at least one aircraft airspace alert surface, where each aircraft airspace alert surface is defined as a function of at least one criterion, wherein at least one criterion is programmed to include first input factor data;

wherein the airspace data is received from a database storing data as a function of at least one second input factor data;

wherein the function defining each airspace alert surface includes at least one airspace clearance distance criterion programmed to include third input factor data;

generating an airspace alert signal if the airspace clearance surface penetrates an aircraft airspace alert surface; and

providing the airspace alert signal to a crew alerting system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the airspace data defines an airspace surface.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein each airspace alert surface is further defined by a second function having at least one airspace clearance distance criterion programmed to include third input factor data.