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EP0545473A2
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EP
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TCAS II pitch guidance control law and display symbol
Assignee: Boeing Co
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Filing: 1992-11-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-11-25
Abstract
Abstract An airplane pitch guidance control law and display symbol for a Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) is disclosed. The control law converts a TCAS computer-generated vertical air speed command into a pitch guidance command. The pitch guidance command controls the location of a symbol (51) on the pitch axis of an electronic attitude display (21) that guides a pilot toward a pitch attitude that will result in a vertical speed that eliminates a collision threat. The preferred symbol is a pitch axis leg (53) and a pair of outwardly diverging legs (55a, 55b). The pitch axis leg (53) defines the minimum climb or descent attitude required to achieve a safe climb or descent angle. The pitch axis leg (53) and the diverging legs (55a, 55b) combine to define a climb or descent attitude range to avoid. The distance between the pitch axis leg 53 and the boresight 39 of the airplane symbol of the display is controlled by a RA CMD signal produced by: subtractively combining the vertical speed command (V STCAS ) produced by a TCAS II computer and the vertical speed of the airplane (V SIND ); multiplying the result by a sensitivity factor K whose value is related to the true air speed of the airplane and 57.3 to approximate the arc tangent of the quotient; and subtracting a factor that compensates for the fact that flight path angle changes lag pitch attitude changes.
Inventors
- 👤 Brian D. Kelly
- 👤 Paul Nmi Stemer
- 👤 John Nmi Wiedemann
- 👤 Arthur D. Bernstein
- 👤 Robert J. Myers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 11:46
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08G; G08G5/00; G08G5/20; G08G5/26; G01; G01C; G01C23/00; G01C23/005; G01S; G01S13/00; G01S13/88; G01S13/93; G01S13/933; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/04; G05D1/06; G05D1/0607; G05D1/0615; G05D1/0623; G05D1/0653; G05D1/0676; G08G5/21; G08G5/25; G08G5/80
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
18 words
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
170 words
Apparatus for creating a Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) Resolution Advisory (RA) pitch guidance symbol on an electronic attitude display of an airplane in response to a collision avoidance vertical speed command created by a TCAS computer when an intruder enters the airspace protected by the TCAS computer, said apparatus comprising: (a) pitch guidance control means for: (i) receiving data representing the collision avoidance vertical air speed command created by a TCAS computer when an intruder enters the airspace protected by the TCAS computer; (ii) receiving data from the airplane representing the vertical air speed of the airplane; (iii) receiving a sensitivity factor whose value depends on the true air speed of the airplane; and (iv) producing a Resolution Advisory (RA) command; and (b) an electronic attitude display means that includes an airplane symbol and a pitch axis scale for receiving said RA command and creating a Resolution Advisory (RA) pitch guidance symbol positioned on said display in association with said pitch axis scale and said airplane symbol.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 1, wherein said RA pitch guidance symbol delineates a portion of said pitch axis scale to be avoided by said airplane symbol in order to eliminate the threat of a collision with said intruder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 2, wherein said RA pitch guidance symbol includes a pitch axis leg and a pair of diverging legs that begin at the ends of said pitch axis leg and end at the periphery of said electronic attitude display.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 3, wherein said pitch axis leg is straight.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 3, wherein said pitch axis leg is V-shaped.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 2, wherein said RA pitch guidance symbol comprises a pair of vertical legs located on either side of said airplane symbol.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 6, wherein said RA pitch guidance symbol includes visual attraction means located atop said vertical legs.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 7, where said visual attraction means of said RA pitch guidance symbol also includes visual attraction means located between said vertical legs in alignment with said visual attraction means located atop said vertical legs.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 2, wherein said pitch guidance symbol comprises a pair of diverging legs that begin on either side of said pitch guidance scale and project towards the periphery of said electronic attitude display.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 9 including visual attraction means located atop said pair of diverging legs.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
117 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 1, wherein said pitch guidance control means produces said RA command (RA CMD ) in accordance with the following equation: where: RA CMD is the distance between a reference point of the airplane symbol and a predetermined region of the R A pitch guidance symbol; K is a sensitivity factor whose value is a function of true air speed (V TAS ) of the airplane; V STCAS is the vertical speed commanded by the TCAS II computer; V SIND is the vertical speed of the airplane; ϑ is the pitch attitude of the airplane; t is the time constant of the LaPlace transform washout function. s is the standard LaPlace transform operator.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 11, wherein the sensitivity factor, K, is equal to between a minimum value of V TAS and where V TAS is in knots.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
37 words
The apparatus claimed in Claims 11 or 12, wherein said RA pitch guidance symbol delineates a portion of said pitch axis scale to be avoided in order to eliminate the threat of a collision with said intruder.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 13, wherein said RA pitch guidance symbol includes a pitch axis leg and a pair of diverging legs that begin at the ends of said pitch axis leg and end at the periphery of said electronic attitude display, said RA CMD value defining the distance between said pitch axis leg and said reference point of said airplane symbol.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 13, wherein said R A pitch guidance symbol comprises a pair of vertical legs located on either side of said airplane symbol, said RA CMD value defining the distance between the tops of said pair of vertical legs and said reference point of said airplane symbol.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
61 words
The apparatus claimed in Claim 14, wherein said pitch guidance symbol comprises a pair of diverging legs that begin on either side of said pitch guidance scale and project towards the periphery of said electronic attitude display, said RA CMD value defining the distance between the tops of said pair of diverging legs and said reference point of said airplane symbol.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
43 words
In an electronic attitude display of an airplane that includes an airplane symbol and a pitch axis scale, the improvement comprising a Resolution Advisory (RA) pitch guidance symbol positioned on said display in association with said pitch axis scale and said airplane symbol.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
The improvement claimed in Claim 17 wherein said RA pitch guidance symbol delineates a portion of said pitch axis scale to be avoided by said airplane symbol in order to eliminate the threat of a collision with said intruder.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
The improvement claimed in Claim 18 wherein said RA pitch guidance symbol includes a pitch his leg and a pair of diverging legs that begin at the ends of said pitch axis leg and end at the periphery of said electronic attitude display.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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