Abstract: Systems and methods for providing the crew of a vehicle with a potential collision alert. The alert is based on presumed flight-crew action and reaction times, ownship speed, and required distance to safely stop the ownship before intersection with traffic. An exemplary system located aboard an ownship includes a communication device that receives information from a ground traffic; a memory device that stores ownship information and predefined constants; and a processing device that determines a distance to the traffic when the traffic passes the ownship after the ownship stops at a estimated full-stop location, based on the received ownship information and the predefined constants, determines distance to the ground traffic vehicle, based on the determined point in time, and generates a potential collision alert if the determined distance is less than a predefined safe distance value. An exterior lighting device outputs a visual illumination after the potential collision alert is generated.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing the crew of a vehicle with a potential collision alert. The alert is based on presumed flight-crew action and reaction times, ownship speed, and required distance to safely stop the ownship before intersection with traffic. An exemplary system located aboard an ownship includes a communication device that receives information from a ground traffic; a memory device that stores ownship information and predefined constants; and a processing device that determines a distance to the traffic when the traffic passes the ownship after the ownship stops at a estimated full-stop location, based on the received ownship information and the predefined constants, determines distance to the ground traffic vehicle, based on the determined point in time, and generates a potential collision alert if the determined distance is less than a predefined safe distance value. An exterior lighting device outputs a visual illumination after the potential collision alert is generated.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing the crew of an airplane or vehicle with a potential traffic-threat alert. When the alert is triggered is based on presumed flight-crew action and reaction times, ownship speed, and required distance to safely stop the ownship before intersection with traffic. An exemplary system located aboard an ownship includes a communication device that receives information from a ground traffic; a memory device that stores ownship information and predefined constants; and a processing device that determines a distance to the traffic when the traffic passes the ownship after the ownship stops at an estimated full-stop location, based on the received ownship information and the predefined constants, determines distance to the ground traffic vehicle, based on the determined point in time, and generates a potential collision alert if the determined distance is less than a predefined safe distance value. An output device outputs the generated potential collision alert.

Abstract: A method and system are described for enhancing ground situational awareness to an aircrew via the display of an air traffic control ground clearance, including displaying a symbol for each stage of the clearance and highlighting each symbol when the aircraft occupies that stage. A stage is highlighted when the aircraft is to hold short of that stage. Additional highlights may be included as an alert.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting in situ windshear on-board an aircraft that utilizes parameters provided by standard on-board Air Data, Flight Management, and Stall Detection Systems. No on-board accelerometers are required.

Abstract: In order to provide the pilots with a display or a map of the terrain below the aircraft, a display is generated on a cockpit display, such as a weather radar, of the contours of the terrain below the aircraft. The terrain contour display is generated from aircraft position information and a terrain data base. Terrain contours are depicted with the highest terrain colored red, intermediate terrain contours in green with varying dot densities and the lowest terrain in black.

Abstract: A wind shear detector provides an alert to the pilot of an aircraft upon the occurrence of a sustained low-level increasing performance shear if the shear occurs for a sufficiently long period of time, even if the shear is of a relatively low magnitude. An integrator is provided to integrate signals representative of low-level increasing performance shears and to provide the alert if the accumulated energy caused by the shear exceeds a predetermined level. The integrated low-level shear signal may be combined with currently occurring shear signals and the alert generated if the combination of current increasing performance shear signals and the integrated shear signal exceeds a predetermined level.

Abstract: A wind shear detector provides an alert to the pilot of an aircraft upon the occurrence of a sustained low-level increasing performance shear if the shear occurs for a sufficiently long period of time, even if the shear is of a relatively low magnitude. An integrator is provided to integrate signals representative of low-level increasing performance shears and to provide the alert if the accumulated energy caused by the shear exceeds a predetermined level. The integrated low-level shear signal may be combined with currently occurring shear signals and the alert generated if the combination of current increasing performance shear signals and the integrated shear signal exceeds a predetermined level.

Abstract: A wind shear detector provides an alert to the pilot of an aircraft upon the occurrence of a sustained low-level increasing performance shear if the shear occurs for a sufficiently long period of time, even if the shear is of a relatively low magnitude. An integrator is provided to integrate signals representative of low-level increasing performance shears and to provide the alert if the accumulated energy caused by the shear exceeds a predetermined level. The integrated low-level shear signal may be combined with currently occurring shear signals and the alert generated if the combination of current increasing performance shear signals and the integrated shear signal exceeds a predetermined level.

Abstract: A fast median filter is disclosed for filtering high frequency noise from signals, such as, signals from a radio altimeter. The filter continuously provides the median of a predetermined number of points of the signal, which are received in an array, by successively comparing each data point in the array with each other data point in the array. A counter is either incremented or decremented depending on the result of each comparison. If the counter reaches a predetermined value at the end of the sequence of comparisons, the median is determined. A pointer keeps track of the oldest data point in the array. After the median is determined, a new data point is received into the array and written over the oldest data point. The median of the array is determined each time the array is updated with a new data point. When the pointer reaches the last position in the array, the pointer is reset to the first position and is subsequently increment in the same manner.

Abstract: A pitch guidance system for an aircraft utilizes inertially derived pitch information to provide the pilot with information defining the optimum pitch angle for maximum climb during a wind shear condition. The system utilizes a pitch reference modulator that receives a stall warning discrete from a stall warning system to reduce the commanded pitch angle upon the occurrence of a stall warning to reduce the possibility of stalling the aircraft during degraded performance conditions such as tail winds and engine-out conditions. The system utilizes inertially derived pitch information rather than air mass derived angle of attack information to avoid transients in the angle of attack vane signal, and the commanded pitch angle is biased as a function of altitude and vertical speed to optimize the pitch angle for different altitudes and descent rates.