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:
Mar. 16, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 01, 2000
Yasuo Ishihara, Kirkland, WA (US);
Scott Gremmert, Redmond, WA (US);
Steven C. Johnson, Issaquah, WA (US);
Honeywell, Inc., Morristown, NJ (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides several apparatus, methods, and computer program products for generating a terrain clearance floor envelope for use in a ground proximity warning system. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a processor that defines a terrain clearance floor envelope having at least two boundaries. In this embodiment, the processor defines at least one of the boundaries based on a runway position quality factor, an altitude data quality factor, and an aircraft position quality factor. Using these factors, the processor of the present invention can more precisely define the boundaries of the envelope about the selected runway. Further, the processor of the present invention does not unnecessarily increase the region between the envelope and runway where no ground proximity alarms are generated. In another embodiment, the present invention includes a processor that defines the terrain clearance floor envelope to be asymmetrical, such that respective profiles of the envelope in a radial cross-section are different in at least two radial directions from a center point of the selected runway. Importantly, in one embodiment of the present invention, the processor defines end regions of the terrain clearance floor envelope adjacent to the ends of the selected runway to have a different slope profile than side regions of the terrain clearance floor envelope adjacent to the sides of the selected runway. This, in turn, allows the processor to define the end regions to reflect a landing pattern for an aircraft approaching the end of the selected runway, while also defining the side regions to reflect a flight pattern for an aircraft approaching the side of the selected runway.