The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 28, 1993
Filed:
Dec. 06, 1991
Brian D Kelly, Redmond, WA (US);
Paul Stemer, Seattle, WA (US);
John Wiedemann, Bonney Lake, WA (US);
Arthur D Bernstein, Renton, WA (US);
Robert J Myers, Everett, WA (US);
The Boeing Company, Seattle, WA (US);
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.sub.CMD signal produced by: subtractively combining the vertical speed command (V.sub.STCAS ) produced by a TCAS II computer and the vertical speed of the airplane (V.sub.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.