Terrain avoidance system for transport aircraft

• US 8,280,622 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Meunier, Hugues, Marty, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US12/092,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/3, 701/8, 701/9, 701/14, 701/301, 340/945, 340/964
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 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

A system indicating to a pilot that an aircraft has passed the limit-point of success of a standard vertical avoidance maneuver is disclosed. To determine the limit-point, the system monitors a penetration of a model of the terrain being flown over into a first protection volume linked to the aircraft and configured so as to model a standard vertical avoidance maneuver path executed without delay. To determine disengagement azimuth sectors, the system monitors the penetrations of the model of the terrain being flown over into a second protection volume with large azimuth aperture, linked to the aircraft and configured so as to contain the limit-point protection volume and, for the various azimuths covered, paths of a composite maneuver beginning with change-of-heading maneuvers with which to reach the azimuth concerned and continuing with the standard terrain vertical avoidance maneuver.

Claims

1. A system onboard an aircraft, for preventing collisions with a terrain based on a risk of collision with the terrain after a predetermined forecast delay to the penetration of a cartographic representation of the terrain being flown over, stored in a database accessible to the aircraft, into a protection volume linked to the aircraft located relative to the terrain being flown over by means of onboard locating equipment, oriented in the direction of progress of the aircraft and configured so as to model a standard terrain vertical avoidance maneuver path engaged over the forecast delay based on the path followed by the aircraft predicted from flight information delivered by aircraft flight equipment, assuming that the aircraft maintains a current speed vector thereof with the same trend, if the aircraft is in the process of changing, said system comprising:

means for detecting a limit-point of success of a standard terrain vertical avoidance maneuver likening the crossing of the limit-point by the aircraft to the penetration of the terrain into a first protection volume linked to the aircraft and configured so as to model a standard vertical avoidance maneuver path executed without notable delay, said path being predefined according to the aircraft type;

means for determining azimuth disengagement sectors, either side of the direction of progress of the aircraft, suitable for the success of a standard terrain vertical avoidance maneuver, said means for determining azimuth disengagement sectors including

means for determining a second protection volume with a larger azimuth aperture than that of the first limit-point protection volume, linked to the aircraft and configured so as to contain the first limit-point protection volume and, for the various azimuths covered, paths of a composite maneuver beginning with change-of-heading maneuvers with which to reach the azimuth concerned and continuing with the standard terrain vertical avoidance maneuver, said paths being, over parts corresponding to the standard vertical avoidance maneuver, predefined according to the aircraft type, and

means for determining penetration of the terrain into the protection volume,

wherein the azimuth disengagement sectors are free of penetration of the terrain into said first protection volume;

means for signaling the crossing of the limit-point of success of the standard terrain vertical avoidance maneuver; and

means for signaling the azimuth disengagement sectors.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a predefined path corresponding to a standard vertical avoidance maneuver is dependent on the weight of the aircraft.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a predefined path corresponding to a standard vertical avoidance maneuver is dependent on the inertia of the aircraft.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a predefined path corresponding to a standard vertical avoidance maneuver is dependent on the aircraft configuration of the moment.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for signaling a composite terrain avoidance maneuver with minimal change of heading.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for guiding the crew of the aircraft in executing a composite terrain avoidance maneuver.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for automatically executing a composite terrain avoidance maneuver directly affecting the aircraft flight equipment.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for alerting to a medium-term risk of collision with the terrain involving, to be resolved, a change of path of the aircraft, on the part of the crew, likening a collision with the terrain to the penetration of the terrain into an alert protection volume linked to the aircraft modeling a predefined standard vertical avoidance maneuver path engaged in the medium term.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for raising an alarm concerning a short-term risk of collision with the terrain likening a short-term collision with the terrain to the penetration of the terrain into an alarm protection volume linked to the aircraft modeling a predefined standard vertical avoidance maneuver path engaged in the short term.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising alert and/or alarm means for concerning the medium-term risk of collision with the terrain,

wherein

the second protection volume linked to the aircraft is configured to determine the disengagement sectors, and

the alert protection volume linked to the aircraft is configured to alert model predefined standard avoidance maneuver paths of different types, the predefined path modeled in the protection volume to determine disengagement sectors having a climb gradient greater than the predefined paths modeled in the alert protection volume.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising alert and/or alarm means concerning the short-term risk of collision with the terrain,

wherein the second protection volume linked to the aircraft is configured to determine the disengagement sectors, and

the alarm protection volume linked to the aircraft is configured to alarm model predefined standard avoidance maneuver paths of different types, the predefined path modeled in the protection volume to determine disengagement sectors having a climb gradient greater than the predefined paths modeled in the alarm protection volume.