Patent ID: 6785594
Filing Date: 2004-08-31
Classification: G01C,G01S,G08G

Abstract:
A ground proximity warning system comprising:a processor, responsive to a global position system (GPS) receiver, for determining a positional relationship between an aircraft and upcoming terrain; a warning mechanism, responsive to said processor, for providing an alert if said processor determines that the positional relationship between the aircraft and the upcoming terrain fails to meet an alert criteria; and a memory device for storing a terrain database defining the elevational data for the upcoming terrain, wherein said processor determines a geometric altitude of the aircraft and a difference between the geometric altitude and an elevation of local terrain, and wherein said warning mechanism provides an alert if the difference between the geometric altitude and the elevation of the local terrain is less than a predetermined altitude; wherein said processor is capable of determining the positional relationship between the aircraft and the upcoming terrain based only upon a pressure altitude, signals provided by the GPS receiver and elevational data associated with the upcoming terrain.