TAWS with alert suppression

• US 8,890,718 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nighthawk Flight Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sandel Avionics Inc.
• Inventors: Block, Gerald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLDMAN, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US13/083,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/945
• 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:

a. a database comprising recognized waypoints and user-entered waypoints, each of the recognized user-entered waypoints representing a geographical area, at least one of the recognized waypoints including a recognized landing zone associated with a unique landing-zone identifier at least one of the user-entered waypoints not included in the recognized waypoints and including a recognized landing zone associated with a unique landing-zone identifier, and

b. an interface for entering flight plan details of an aircraft including at least one user-entered waypoint that is not a recognized waypoint, the at least one user-entered waypoint having an identifier including a textual code that indicates the nature of the waypoint, wherein the terrain awareness system is configured to parse the user-entered waypoints for identifiers to determine if one or more entered waypoints includes an identifier indicating a landing zone, such that alerts are suppressed in the terrain awareness system during a landing operation thereof performed at the entered waypoint having an identifier associated with a landing zone.

2. The aircraft terrain awareness warning system of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a user interface, the user interface including at least one data entry field for a user to enter a waypoint, landing zone or landing zone identifier.

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

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

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

7. 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 user-entered waypoint that is not a recognized waypoint, the flight plan details communicated to a terrain awareness warning system via a second interface, wherein the terrain awareness warning system includes a database having a plurality of recognized waypoints, each of the recognized waypoints representing a geographical area, at least one of the waypoints including a landing zone associated with a unique landing-zone-identifier; and

(b) configuring the terrain awareness warning system to determine if user-entered waypoints entered on the interface that are not recognized waypoints have an identifier associated with a landing zone the identifier including a textual code that indicates the nature of the waypoint, and configuring the terrain awareness warning system such that alerts are suppressed during a landing operation of the aircraft performed at a user-entered waypoint entered on the interface that is not a recognized waypoint but which has an identifier associated with a landing zone.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a user interface, the user interface including at least one data entry field for a user to enter a landing zone or waypoint or landing zone identifier.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the alerts comprise potential-terrain-collision alerts.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the interface is coupled 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 the interface.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the interface includes a plurality of data-entry fields within which the flight plan details are received.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the waypoint is a terrestrial waypoint.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for causing a computing device to perform the method of claim 7.

14. An aircraft terrain awareness warning system comprising:

(a) a database module comprising recognized waypoints, each of the recognized waypoints representing a geographic area, at least one recognized 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 user-entered waypoint that is not a recognized waypoint, the received waypoint having a unique identifier including a textual code that indicates the nature of the waypoint, the user interface in communication with the TAWS database, wherein the terrain awareness warning system is configured to determine if the at least one waypoint that is not a recognized waypoint has an identifier indicating a landing zone, such that potential-terrain-collision alerts are suppressed in the aircraft during a landing operation at the user-entered waypoint that is not a recognized waypoint but which has an identifier indicating a landing zone.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the alerts comprise potential-terrain-collision alerts.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the waypoint comprises a terrestrial waypoint.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the interface includes a plurality of data-entry fields for receiving flight plan details therewithin.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the interface module receives data from a flight management computer or navigation receiver.

19. The aircraft terrain awareness warning system of claim 14, wherein the interface module is configured to provide a user interface, the user interface including at least one data entry field for a user to enter a waypoint, landing zone or landing zone identifier.

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

(a) providing an interface for enabling the crew of an aircraft to enter flight plan details of an aircraft including at least one user-entered waypoint having an identifier including a textual code that indicates the nature of the waypoint;

(b) providing a TAWS system including a database of recognized waypoints;

(c) upon receipt of a user-entered waypoint from the interface, determining if the user-entered waypoint is a recognized waypoint;

(d) if the waypoint is not a recognized waypoint, determining if the identifier indicates that the received user-entered waypoint is a landing zone; and

(e) if the received user-entered waypoint is a landing zone, suppressing alerts during a landing operation of the aircraft at the received user-entered waypoint.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for causing a computing device to perform the method of claim 20.