Abstract:
Systems and methods for providing nonprotected-area awareness and alerting to a crew of a vehicle. An exemplary system determines a safe region based on the received previously defined route based on controlling authority requirements associated with the route, identifies at least one non-safe region based on the determined safe region and then uniquely presents the identified at least one non-safe region on a display such as a moving map display (2D or 3D).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    It is well documented that controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and approach and landing accidents (ALAs) continue to dominate the fatal accident categories. In many cases, flight crews appeared to lack knowledge of the design criteria for the instrument-approach procedures that they were flying. 
         [0002]    There are limitations of the instrument procedure design that pilots should be familiar with. Without understanding of these limitations/protections, pilots could inadvertently place the aircraft in a situation where safe terrain separation is compromised. The U.S. standard used to guide instrument-procedure design is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS), and its International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) equivalent is Procedures for Air Navigation Services-Aircraft Operations (PANS-OPS). There are known differences between these standards that flight crews may not always be aware of. 
         [0003]    Thus, there exist potential hazards associated with circling approaches. TERPS states that the protected area for Category C aircraft could provide only 300 feet of obstacle clearance within 1.7 nm of the thresholds of the runways suitable for use. PANS-OPS provides a minimum of 394 feet of obstacle clearance within 4.2 nm of the runway thresholds. It may not always be clear to a pilot whether a procedure is TERPS or PANS-OPS. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a set of requirements to enhance existing systems such as the enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) and digital data charts (DDC) for improving pilot awareness. DDCs provide the necessary routing and procedure information for departure (SID), arrival (STAR), and approach (IAP) integrated with a navigation moving map display. Electronic navigation information is integrated with flight management system (FMS) flight plan information. The present invention fosters the integration of data from multiple independent systems, such as GPS, FMS, EGPWS, and DDC. 
         [0005]    TERPS or PANS-OPS criteria are presented on a navigation display (ND) for a flight phase procedure (e.g., an approach or other flight phase procedure), once the procedure is selected within the FMS. This could also be rendered as part of a DDC display. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary system formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of an exemplary process performed by the system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIGS. 3 and 4  show exemplary two-dimensional moving map displays as generated by the system shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  shows an exemplary three-dimensional display as generated by the system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary system  22  located on an aircraft  20  for automatically identifying and presenting nonprotected areas of an instrument approach based on the standards terminal instrument procedures (TERPS) and the procedures for air navigation services-aircraft operations (PANS-OPS). Although the description herein includes the approach phase, similar protection could be provided in other flight phases such as arrival, departure and en-route segments. The system  22  includes a data processor  26  in data communication with a flight management system (FMS)  28 , a positioning system  38 , memory  30 , an air data system (ADS)  34 , a user interface  36 , a communication device  32  (optional), a Ground (or obstacle) Warning System  40  and display device(s)  44  and/or other type of output device(s)  46 . 
         [0012]    The processor  26  receives position information, map information, and previously or automatically selected approach (or other flight phase) information from the positioning system  38 , the memory  30 , the FMS  28 , and/or air traffic control (ATC) via the communication device  32 . Based on the received information, the processor  26  presents a display of the selected approach and areas (i.e., volumes) around the approach that are not considered protected according to the standard (TERPS or PANS-OPS) associated with the routing and procedure information for departure (SID), arrival (STAR), or approach (IAP) on a navigation moving map display (i.e., the display device  44 ). 
         [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary process  60  performed by the system  22  shown in  FIG. 1 . First, at a block  64 , an arrival, approach, departure or en-route segment is selected by the flightcrew using the user interface  36  or flight segment information is received from ATC via the communication device  32 . The flightcrew selects the approach (or other flight plan information) from the memory  30  or the FMS  28 . 
         [0014]    At a block  66 , the flight segment is presented on a navigation moving map on the display device  34 . At a block  70 , the processor  26  determines any three-dimensional safe regions in space, based on TERPS or PAN-OPS safe operation criteria or similar critera for any flight phase. In one embodiment, the area of protection (i.e., safe region) is a three-dimensional volume of airspace that the aircraft must stay within to ensure safe operation relative to the surrounding terrain. The safe region is defined using the TERPS or PAN-OPS criteria for a given approach or similar criteria for other flight phases. Then, at a block  72 , the processor  26  determines regions considered not safe, (nonprotected airspace (NPS)), based on the three-dimensional safe region(s). Once the NPS is determined, the processor  26  uniquely displays the NPS on the display device  44 . 
         [0015]    Next, at a block  76 , the processor  26  receives position, heading, and speed from the positioning system  38  and/or the ADS  34  (or optional inertial navigation system (INS)). Then, at a decision block  78 , the processor  26  determines if the aircraft  20  is going to enter the region of airspace associated with the NPS. At a block  80 , the processor  26  will alter the uniquely displayed NPS provided that another, more critical, alert (e.g., an enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS)) alert has not been outputted or is predicted to be outputted within a predefined period of time. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, the way in which the NPS is displayed is selectable by the pilot using the user interface  36 . This helps a pilot to reduce visual clutter on the display device  44 . Texture and color of the displayed NPS are configurable to allow for compliance with flight deck or aircraft operator-specific philosophy. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows an image  90  of an approach on a navigation (moving map) display with a depiction of an NPS  94 . The NPS  94  is presented in a first color and/or pattern when the aircraft has not or will not likely penetrate the volume of space associated with the NPS  94 . 
         [0018]    If the aircraft track is predicted to penetrate the NPS prior to an EGPWS alert (or other similar terrain awareness and alerting system), an NPS penetration predictive advisory is automatically depicted on the display device  44 . In one embodiment, the prediction of the aircraft vector is based on a number of factors including state data, such as groundspeed, track, altitude, and latitude and longitude of aircraft position. The predictive advisory is based on either time or distance to penetration of the NPS. 
         [0019]      FIG. 4  shows an image  100  of the same approach as shown in  FIG. 3 , except that it has been determined that the aircraft has penetrated or is likely to penetrate the NPS  94  (i.e., an NPA penetration-predictive advisory). The result is that the visual representation of the NPS  94  is visually altered (e.g., color, intensity, flash rate, pattern, etc.). 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, the NPS penetration-predictive advisory is supplemented with an aural advisory cue that the processor  26  outputs via a speaker (the other output device(s)  46 ). 
         [0021]      FIG. 5  shows a three-dimensional map display  120  (e.g., SmartView® by Honeywell International Inc.) that depicts an NPS  130  in a unique manner. In this example, the color of the terrain associated with the NPS  130  is shaded red or a color different from non-NPS terrain. 
         [0022]    The methods described herein are applicable to Required Navigation Performance (RNP) procedures as well. The area outside the RNP containment area is considered an NPS that must satisfy the TERPS and PAN-OPS criteria. 
         [0023]    The present invention also provides depictions of nonprotected airspace for other flight segments such as standard instrument departure (SID) and minimum enroute altitude (MEA) that are dictated by their respective regulation (TERPS and PAN-OPS). 
         [0024]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.