Terrain awareness system
US5839080A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 31, 1995 |
| Grant date | Nov 17, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 31, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01C5/005
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A terrain awareness system (TAS) provides LOOK-AHEAD/LOOK-DOWN as well as LOOK-UP terrain advisory and warning indications to the pilot of an aircraft of a hazardous flight condition. The TAS includes an airport data base as well as a terrain data base that is structured to provide various resolutions depending on the topography of the particular geographic area of interest. Navigational data from a satellite-based navigational system, such as a global positioning system (GPS), is used to provide a LOOK-AHEAD/LOOK-DOWN and LOOK-UP terrain advisory and terrain warning indications based upon the current position and projected flight path of the aircraft. Since the terrain advisory and the warning signals are a function of the flight path of the aircraft, nuisance warnings are minimized.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.