EP0790487A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Aircraft terrain advisory system
Assignee: BAE Systems Electronics Ltd
•
Filing: 1997-02-19
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2017-02-19
Abstract
Abstract A terrain advisory system for an aircraft (A) comprises a processor (11) which compares terrain information, accessed from a memory means 13 according to data from a navigation means (12), with dynamic flight parameters from a monitor (14) for the aircraft (A). The processor (11) also generates a trajectory signal and a pull-up signal to indicate, on a display means (15), the current aircraft trajectory relative to a line constructed from notional pull up trajectories for the aircraft (A) which avoid a predetermined clearance height without exceeding a predetermined acceleration acting on the aircraft during a pull up manoeuvre.
Inventors
- 👤 Anthony John Michael Henley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 09:27
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08G; G08G5/00; G08G5/80; G01; G01C; G01C23/00; G01C23/005; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/04; G05D1/06; G05D1/0607; G05D1/0646; G08G5/70; G08G5/74
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
237 words
An aircraft terrain advisory system, comprising a navigation means (12) arranged to generate navigational information in respect of the aircraft (A), and a processor (11) arranged to determine clearance heights (23) above terrain heights (24) within a terrain area which must not be violated when the aircraft (A) overflies the terrain area and without exceeding a maximum predetermined acceleration of the aircraft (A), characterised in that a monitor means (14) is arranged to generate parameter information representing dynamic flight parameters of the aircraft (A), a memory means (13) is arranged to store height information of terrain that might be overflown by the aircraft (A), and the processor (11) is operably arranged 1. to receive the navigational information and the parameter information, 2. to access and receive the height information dependant on the navigational information and to generate future terrain clearance level signals representing predetermined clearance heights (23) above terrain heights (24) within the terrain area which must not be violated when the aircraft (A) overflies the terrain area, 3. to generate a pull-up signal representing a notional pull-up trajectory (22) that the aircraft (A) can perform without exceeding a maximum predetermined acceleration of the aircraft (A) determined from the parameter information and without violating the predetermined clearance heights (23) determined from the terrain clearance level signals, 4. to generate from the parameter information and the navigational information a trajectory signal representing current trajectory (17) of the aircraft.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
67 words
An aircraft terrain advisory system, as in Claim 1, characterised in that a display means (15) is operably connected to the processor (11) and arranged to receive the pull-up signal and the trajectory signal, the display means (15) is arranged to display a line corresponding to the pull-up signal, and the display means (15) is also arranged to display the trajectory signal with respect to the line.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
An aircraft terrain advisory system, as in Claim 2, characterised in that the line is constructed from a boundary region between a plurality of possible aircraft pull up trajectories (26) which avoid the predetermined clearance heights (23) and a plurality of possible aircraft pull up trajectories (25) which do not avoid the predetermined clearance heights (23) for the maximum predetermined acceleration of the aircraft (A).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
An aircraft terrain advisory system, as in any preceding claim, characterised in that the navigation means (12) comprises an Inertial Navigation System operably connected to a Terrain Referenced Navigation System (16) and is arranged to receive corrections from the Terrain Referenced Navigation System (16).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
An aircraft terrain advisory system, as in any of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the navigation means (12) comprises a Global Positioning System Receiver.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
An aircraft terrain advisory system, as in any of Claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the processor (11) is arranged to generate a set of pull-up signals for each of a plurality of maximum predetermined accelerations of the aircraft and the display means (15) is further arranged to display a line corresponding to each set of pull-up signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
An aircraft terrain advisory system, as in any of Claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the processor (11) is arranged to generate pull-up signals, corresponding to lines immediately above and immediately below the trajectory signals and the display means (15) is further arranged to display each line.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
An aircraft terrain advisory system, as in any of Claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the processor (11) is arranged to generate pull-up signals corresponding to truncated lines immediately above and immediately below the trajectory signals and the display means (15) is further arranged to display each truncated line.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
An aircraft terrain advisory system, as in Claim 1, characterised in that an audible means is operably connected to the processor (11) and arranged to receive the pull-up signal and the trajectory signal, and the audible means is arranged to generate a plurality of audible signals which correspond to the position of the trajectory signal with respect to the pull-up signal.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
152 words
A method of indicating current aircraft trajectory with respect to terrain clearance level, characterised in that the method comprises generating navigational information in respect of an aircraft (A), accessing height information for a terrain area ahead of the aircraft (A) depending on the navigational information and generating future terrain clearance level signals representing predetermined clearance heights (23) above terrain heights (24) within the terrain area which must not be violated when the aircraft (A) overflies the terrain area, generating a pull-up signal dependant on flight parameters of the aircraft (A) and the terrain clearance level signals, the pull-up signal representing a notional pull-up trajectory (22) that the aircraft (A) can perform without exceeding a maximum predetermined acceleration of the aircraft (A) and without violating the predetermined clearance heights (23), and generating a trajectory signal using the parameter information and the navigational information, the trajectory signal representing current trajectory (17) of the aircraft.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method, as in Claim 10, characterised in that the metod further comprises displaying a line corresponding to the pull-up signal, and displaying the trajectory signal with respect to the line.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method, as in Claim 11, characterised in that the method further comprises constructing the line by determining the line as a boundary region between a plurality of possible aircraft pull-up trajectories (26) which avoid the predetermined clearance heights (23), and a plurality of possible aircraft pull-up trajectories (25) which do not avoid the predetermined clearance heights (23) for a maximum predetermined acceleration of the aircraft (A).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.