Method for TAWS depiction on SVS perspective displays

• US 8,049,644 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rcokwell Collins Incorporated
• Inventors: Barber, Sarah, Oehlert, Steve L., Postnikov, Alex, Pelzer, Andrew M., Wenger, Jason C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US11/787,460
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 340945-961, 340/963, 340/967, 340/980, 340/971, 345/633, 345/618, 701/3, 701/301, 701/14, 701/9, 382/294, 382/284
• US Class Current: 340/970
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

A terrain advisory display including a display, a processing circuit coupled to the display and wherein the display is configured to generate a three-dimensional image.

Claims

1. An aircraft warning system for an aircraft including a display and in communication with the display, the aircraft including a terrain awareness and warning system, the aircraft warning system, comprising:

a processing circuit in communication with the terrain awareness and warning system;

a warning signal database in communication with the processing circuit, the warning signal database comprising data related to previous cautions and warnings generated by the terrain awareness and warning system, wherein a first warning signal is provided in response to aircraft information and the data;

wherein the terrain awareness and warning system is configured to transmit a caution signal, a second warning signal or both the caution signal and the second warning signal to the processing circuit; and

the processing circuit configured to provide an indication of at least one of the first warning signal, the caution signal, and the second warning signal on the display.

2. The aircraft warning system of claim 1, further comprising a graphic processing engine in communication with the display and the processing circuit.

3. The aircraft warning system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor system in communication with the processing circuit, the terrain awareness and warning system, a terrain database and the warning signal database.

4. The aircraft warning system of claim 1, wherein a logic function is utilized to prioritize the first warning signal, the caution signal and/or the second warning signal.

5. The aircraft warning system of claim 1, wherein the warning signal database stores discrepancies between the terrain database, first warning signal, the caution signal and/or the second warning signal.

6. The aircraft warning system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit modifies the warning signal database based on discrepancies between the terrain database, first warning signal, the caution signal and/or the second warning signal.

7. The aircraft warning system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit primarily utilizes the first warning signal to determine a display configuration signal.

8. A terrain advisory display, comprising;

a display;

a processing circuit in communication with the display;

a terrain database in communication with the processing circuit;

a warning signal database in communication with the processing circuit, the warning signal database comprising data related to previous cautions and warnings generated by a terrain awareness and warning system, the warning signal database providing a first warning in response to aircraft information and the data;

the terrain awareness and warning system in communication with the processing circuit; and

wherein the display is configured to generate a three-dimensional image and provide indications of the first warning in response to the processing circuit.

9. The terrain advisory display of claim 8, further comprising a sensor system in communication with the processing circuit, the terrain database, the warning signal database and the terrain awareness and warning system.

10. The terrain advisory display of claim 9, wherein the terrain awareness and warning system is configured to transmit a caution signal and/or a second warning signal.

11. The terrain advisory display of claim 9, wherein a logic function is utilized to prioritize the first warning signal, the caution signal and the second warning signal to determine a display configuration signal.

12. A method for generating a three-dimensional image for an aircraft terrain advisory system, the method comprising:

receiving a terrain data from a terrain database;

receiving a first warning signal from a warning signal database, the warning signal database comprising data related to previous cautions and warnings generated by a terrain awareness and warning system, the warning signal database providing the first warning in response to aircraft information and the data;

receiving a caution and/or a second warning signal from the terrain awareness and warning system;

defining the three-dimensional image base upon the first warning signal, the caution, or the second warning signal;

generating the three-dimensional image; and

displaying the three-dimensional image on the aircraft terrain advisory system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a sensor system in communication with a processing circuit, the terrain database, the warning signal database and the terrain awareness and warning system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the processing circuit is configured to utilize the first warning signal, the caution signal and/or the second warning signal to determine a display configuration signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a logic function is utilized to prioritize the first warning signal, the caution signal and/or the second warning signal.

16. A terrain advisory system for an aircraft, comprising:

a means for displaying data on the aircraft;

a means for generating a terrain data;

a means for generating a terrain signal;

a means for generating a first warning signal based on data related to previous cautions and warnings generated by a terrain awareness and warning system means;

a means for generating a caution and/or a second warning signal;

a means for generating a three-dimensional image based on the caution signal, the second warning signal or the first warning signal; and

a means for displaying the three-dimensional image.

17. The terrain advisory system of claim 16, further comprising a means for generating a plurality of aircraft sensor data.

18. The terrain advisory system of claim 16, further comprising a warning signal database.

19. The terrain advisory system of claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is configured to utilize the first warning signal, the caution signal and/or the second warning signal to determine a display configuration signal.

20. The terrain advisory system of claim 16, wherein a logic function is utilized to prioritize the first warning signal, the caution signal and/or the second warning signal.