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US 6,583,733 B2Granted
Apparatus, method and computer program product for helicopter ground proximity warning system
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsYasuo Ishihara, Kevin Conner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus, method and computer program product has a first terrain awareness mode and a second terrain awareness mode selectable by the pilot.
Claims15
An apparatus for alerting a pilot of a rotary wing aircraft of proximity to terrain comprising:
- an input coupled to receive a first signal indicative of one of a low altitude mode of operation or a normal mode of operation, and coupled to receive signals indicative of a position of the aircraft, a flight path angle of the aircraft and a speed of the aircraft;
- an output;
- a signal processor, coupled to said input and to said output, for:
- defining a normal mode terrain protection envelope as a first function of the flight path angle, a look ahead distance, and a terrain floor boundary;
- defining a low altitude mode terrain protection envelope as a second function of the flight path angle, a second look ahead distance and a second terrain floor boundary, and wherein said second look ahead distance comprises a third function of a distance to transition from a first phase of flight to a hover phase of flight and wherein said terrain floor boundary comprises a fourth function of an aircraft altitude and said speed;
- selecting a current protection envelope from one of said normal mode terrain alerting protection envelope or said low altitude mode terrain alerting protection envelope according to said first signal;
- and
- outputting an alert signal when a subset of the stored terrain information is located within the boundaries of said current protection envelope.
5 more elements
An EGPWS device for rotary wing aircraft comprising:
- a first set of terrain awareness protection envelopes for alerting a pilot of proximity to terrain during a first set of flight conditions;
- a second set of terrain awareness protection envelopes for alerting the pilot of proximity to terrain during a second set of flight conditions;
- and
- means for enabling a pilot to select between said first set and said second set of protection envelopes.
1 more element
A computer program product for alerting a pilot of a rotary wing aircraft of proximity to terrain comprising:
- a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer readable program code means comprising:
- a first computer instruction means for reading a first signal indicative of one of a low altitude mode of operation or a normal mode of operation, and coupled to receive signals indicative of a position of the aircraft, a flight path angle of the aircraft and a speed of the aircraft;
- a second computer instruction means for defining a normal mode terrain protection envelope as a first function of the flight path angle, a look ahead distance, and a terrain floor boundary;
- a third computer instruction means for defining a low altitude mode terrain protection envelope as a second function of the flight path angle, a second look ahead distance and a second terrain floor boundary, and wherein said second look ahead distance comprises a third function of a distance to transition from a first phase of flight to a hover phase of flight and wherein said terrain floor boundary comprises a fourth function of an aircraft altitude and said speed;
- a fourth computer instruction means for selecting a current protection envelope from one of said normal mode terrain alerting protection envelope or said low altitude mode terrain alerting protection envelope according to said first signal;
- and
- a fifth computer instruction means for outputting an alert signal when a subset of the stored terrain information is located within the boundaries of said current protection envelope.
4 more elements
A method for alerting a pilot of a rotary wing aircraft of proximity to terrain comprising the steps of:
- defining a first set of a first set of terrain awareness protection envelopes for alerting a pilot of proximity to terrain during a first set of flight operations;
- defining a second set of terrain awareness protection envelopes for alerting the pilot of proximity to terrain during a second set of flight operations;
- and
- receiving a signal indicative of one of said first set of flight operations or said second set of flight operations;
- selecting a current protection envelope from said first envelopes and said second envelopes according to said signal;
- and
- accessing a stored terrain data;
- and
- outputting an alert when said stored terrain data lies within a boundary of said current protection envelope.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.