Terrain Warning Suppression Using Flight Plan Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWS) generate unnecessary alerts in low Required Navigation Performance (RNP) approaches due to close terrain proximity and simplistic assumptions about aircraft flight paths, leading to potential pilot disregard of actual hazards.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that determine terrain hazards based on the aircraft's current position and intended flight plan, providing alerts only when necessary, using a processor, memory, and user interface to suppress nuisance alerts by analyzing the aircraft's position relative to defined boundaries around the flight plan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional TAWS units use large clearance sensors or alert envelopes to ensure safety margins, then safety is improved, but false alerts increase when terrain is close to the aircraft during low RNP approaches
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the alert envelope size based on the aircraft's current flight phase and navigation accuracy. During low RNP approaches with high position accuracy, the envelope is reduced to minimize false alerts. During phases with lower navigation accuracy or higher terrain risk, the envelope is expanded to ensure safety margins.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of the alert envelope (size, shape, position) based on multiple factors including aircraft position, terrain data, flight plan information, and navigation accuracy. This allows the same safety function to adapt to different operational conditions, reducing false alerts during precise low RNP approaches while maintaining safety during less precise phases.
2Device complexity
If TAWS units make simplistic assumptions about aircraft flight paths to simplify calculations, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of terrain hazard detection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the flight plan and terrain data before generating alerts. By pre-processing the intended flight path and comparing it with terrain information, the system can make more accurate hazard assessments without requiring complex real-time calculations during the actual alert generation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary flight plan analysis layer that mediates between the simple TAWS calculation model and the complex reality of three-dimensional terrain hazards. This intermediary layer processes flight plan information and terrain data to create a more accurate hazard assessment model that can be integrated with the existing TAWS alert generation logic.
3Reliability
If TAWS units generate alerts for all terrain within alert envelopes to ensure no hazards are missed, then reliability is improved, but pilot confusion increases leading to disregard of actual hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different alert characteristics to different spatial regions and hazard types. Instead of uniform alerts for all terrain within the envelope, the system provides differentiated alerting for actual hazards versus false alarm conditions, using varying intensity, duration, or type of alert signals based on the specific hazard assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor pilot response and flight crew actions to refine future alert generation. By analyzing whether alerts lead to appropriate pilot responses or cause unnecessary maneuvers, the system can adjust its alert thresholds and characteristics to improve operational effectiveness.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method according to an aspect of the present invention includes determining if terrain presents a hazard to an aircraft based on the current position of the aircraft and the intended flight plan for the aircraft and providing an alert if it is determined that the terrain presents a hazard to the aircraft. The method may be employed in any situation to achieve any result, such as when the aircraft is in a low-RNP environment to prevent nuisance terrain alerts.