Collision avoidance and warning system

• US 9,196,168 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: McCollough, James, Bais, Christos
• Primary Examiner(s): Civan, Ethan D
• Application Number:
  US12/469,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,379 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A collision avoidance and warning system for a helicopter uses a type of emitted energy, for example radio frequency radar, from a transceiver positioned to cover a selected field of view for detecting an object or pedestrian in the vicinity of the helicopter. For helicopters that include a tail rotor assembly, the selected field of view can include a region around the tail rotor assembly so that when the helicopter is running on the ground, an alarm can be issued to persons approaching the tail rotor assembly. When the helicopter is in flight, the collision avoidance and warning system can alert the pilot when a portion of the helicopter outside of the pilot'"'"'s field of view is in danger of a collision with an object.

Claims

1. A collision avoidance and warning system for an aircraft, comprising:

a transceiver having a transmitter for transmitting radio waves and a receiver for receiving reflected radio waves from the radio waves transmitted by the transmitter, the transceiver being located on the aircraft;

a ground-personnel warning signal system comprising;

a speaker located near a region outside a pilot'"'"'s field of view for audibly alerting ground personnel; and

a light located near the region outside the pilot'"'"'s field of view for visually alerting ground personnel;

wherein the ground-personnel warning system is located on the aircraft for selectively issuing a ground-personnel warning signal to ground personnel from equipment worn by a detected person when the aircraft is on the ground;

a flight-ground detection system located on the aircraft for determining whether the helicopter is on the ground or in flight; and

a data processor located on the aircraft and configured to process data received from the transceiver and data received from the flight-ground detection system while the aircraft is in flight and on the ground, the data processor configured to selectively initiate an alert from the ground-personnel warning signal system to issue a ground-personnel warning signal based upon the flight-ground detection system determination of flight status;

wherein the transmitter of the transceiver is configured for transmitting radio waves towards the region outside the pilot'"'"'s field of view; and

wherein the flight-ground detection system comprises;

a weight-on-gear switch;

a collective pitch position sensor; and

a radar altimeter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the region outside the pilot'"'"'s field of view comprises at least one rotor having blades attached thereto.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver of the transceiver is configured for receiving reflected radio waves from the radio waves transmitted towards the region outside the pilot'"'"'s field of view.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processor is configured to determine whether to activate one of said ground-personnel warning signal system based at least in part on data from the flight-ground detection system representative of whether the aircraft is on the ground or in flight.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processor is configured to determine whether said ground-personnel warning signal should be issued based at least in part on data from the flight-ground detection system representative of whether the aircraft is on the ground or in flight.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the ground-personnel warning signal includes at least one of a visual warning signal and an audible warning signal at a preselected frequency, the frequency being preselected based at least in part on a noise signature of the aircraft during operation.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second transceiver having a second transmitter for transmitting radio waves and a second receiver for receiving reflected radio waves from the radio waves transmitted by the second transmitter, the transceiver being supported by the aircraft.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second transceiver having a second transmitter and a second receiver, wherein the second receiver is configured for receiving radio waves from radio waves transmitted by at least one of the first and second transmitters.

9. A method of collision avoidance and warning for use on an aircraft, comprising:

transmitting radio waves from a transmitter, the transmitter being supported by the aircraft;

receiving, at a receiver supported by the aircraft, reflected radio waves from the radio waves transmitted by the transmitter;

generating transceiver data based at least in part on the received reflected radio waves while the aircraft is in flight and on the ground;

detecting whether the aircraft is on the ground or in flight;

detecting whether ground personnel are located in a region adjacent outside a pilot'"'"'s field of view;

generating flight-ground detection data based at least in part on said detecting whether the aircraft is on the ground or in flight;

generating ground personnel detection data based at least in part on said detecting whether ground personnel are located in the region adjacent outside the pilot'"'"'s field of view;

processing the transceiver data, the ground personnel detection data, and the flight-ground detection data within a data processor located on the aircraft; and

selectively initiating a warning signal from a ground-personnel warning signal system as determined by the data processor based upon the flight-ground detection system determination of flight status and the ground personnel detection data, the ground-personnel warning signal system issuing the warning signal when the aircraft is on the ground, the ground-personnel warning signal system is located on the aircraft;

wherein the ground-personnel warning signal is selectively transmitted from equipment worn by a detected person;

wherein the transmitting includes transmitting radio waves towards the region adjacent outside the pilot'"'"'s field of view; and

wherein the detecting of whether the aircraft is on the ground or in flight includes detecting the collective pitch position, using a radar altimeter, and using a weight-on-gear switch.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the region adjacent outside the pilot'"'"'s field of view comprises at least one rotor having blades attached thereto.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving includes receiving reflected radio waves from the radio waves transmitted towards the region outside a pilot'"'"'s field of view.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining whether to activate said ground-personnel warning signal system based at least in part on data representative of whether the aircraft is on the ground or in flight.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining whether said ground-personnel warning signal should be issued based at least in part on data representative of whether the aircraft is on the ground or in flight.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the ground-personnel warning signal includes at least one of:

a visual warning signal emitted from the aircraft;

an audible warning signal emitted from the aircraft at a preselected frequency, the frequency being preselected based at least in part on a noise signature of the aircraft during operation;

an audible warning signal emitted from within equipment worn by the detected person; and

a visual warning signal emitted from within equipment worn by the detected person.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting radio waves from a second transmitter supported by the aircraft; and

receiving, at a second receiver supported by the aircraft, reflected radio waves from the radio waves transmitted by the second transmitter.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, at a second receiver supported by the aircraft, reflected radio waves from radio waves transmitted by at least one of the first transmitter and a second transmitter supported by the aircraft.