대표
청구항
▼
1. A system for generating aircraft altitude data, such system comprising: a source of reference point data;a source of instrument landing system (“ILS”) deviation data;at least one source of navigation data; anda processor configured to retrieve reference point data,receive ILS deviation data,receive first navigation data from a system in which navigation data is derived from inertial sensors, where the first navigation data is representative of a measurement of aircraft geographic position,receive second navigation data from either a satellite navigati...
1. A system for generating aircraft altitude data, such system comprising: a source of reference point data;a source of instrument landing system (“ILS”) deviation data;at least one source of navigation data; anda processor configured to retrieve reference point data,receive ILS deviation data,receive first navigation data from a system in which navigation data is derived from inertial sensors, where the first navigation data is representative of a measurement of aircraft geographic position,receive second navigation data from either a satellite navigation system,a system in which navigation data is derived from pitot-static system sensors, ora combination of both, where the second navigation data is representative of a first measurement of aircraft altitude,determine a second measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of the reference point data,the ILS deviation data, andthe first navigation data,determine an instant measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of the first measurement of aircraft altitude, andthe second measurement of aircraft altitude, andgenerate aircraft altitude data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of aircraft altitude, where the aircraft altitude data is representative of aircraft altitude information. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a presentation system configured to receive the aircraft altitude data from the processor, where the processor has been further configured to provide the aircraft altitude data to the presentation system, andpresent the aircraft altitude information represented in the aircraft altitude data, whereby the aircraft altitude information is presented visually on the screen of a display unit,aurally through an aural alert unit,tactilely through a tactile alert unit, orany combination thereof. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an instant measurement of first aircraft height as a function of reference point data representative of the elevation of a stationary reference point, andthe instant measurement of aircraft altitude, andgenerate first aircraft height data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of first aircraft height, where the first aircraft height data is representative of first aircraft height information. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the stationary reference point is a landing threshold point of a runway, andthe instant measurement of first aircraft height is an instant height above the landing threshold. 5. The system of claim 3, further comprising: a presentation system configured to receive the first aircraft height data from the processor, where the processor has been further configured to provide the first aircraft height data to the presentation system, andpresent the first aircraft height information represented in the first aircraft height data, whereby the first aircraft height information is presented visually on the screen of a display unit,aurally through an aural alert unit,tactilely through a tactile alert unit, orany combination thereof. 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a source of object data, where the processor is further configured to retrieve object data representative of a value of terrain or surface feature elevation,determine an instant measurement of second aircraft height as a function of the object data, andthe instant measurement of aircraft altitude, andgenerate second aircraft height data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of second aircraft height, where the second aircraft height data is representative of second aircraft height information. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the terrain or surface feature elevation corresponds to the measurement of aircraft geographic position, andthe instant measurement of second aircraft height is an instant height above the underlying terrain or surface feature. 8. The system of claim 6, further comprising: a presentation system configured to receive the second aircraft height data from the processor, where the processor has been further configured to provide the second aircraft height data to the presentation system, andpresent the second aircraft height information represented in the second aircraft height data, whereby the second aircraft height information is presented visually on the screen of a display unit,aurally through an aural alert unit,tactilely through a tactile alert unit, orany combination thereof. 9. A device for generating aircraft altitude data, such device comprising: a processor configured to retrieve reference point data;receive instrument landing system (“ILS”) deviation data;receive first navigation data from a system in which navigation data is derived from inertial sensors, where the first navigation data is representative of a measurement of aircraft geographic position;receive second navigation data from either a satellite navigation system,a system in which navigation data is derived from pitot-static system sensors, ora combination of both, where the second navigation data is representative of a first measurement of aircraft altitude;determine a second measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of the reference point data,the ILS deviation data, andthe first navigation data;determine an instant measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of the first measurement of aircraft altitude, andthe second measurement of aircraft altitude; andgenerate aircraft altitude data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of aircraft altitude, where the aircraft altitude data is representative of aircraft altitude information. 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the aircraft altitude data to the presentation system, whereby the aircraft altitude information is presented visually on the screen of a display unit,aurally through an aural alert unit,tactilely through a tactile alert unit, orany combination thereof. 11. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an instant measurement of first aircraft height as a function of reference point data representative of the elevation of a stationary reference point, andthe instant measurement of aircraft altitude; andgenerate first aircraft height data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of first aircraft height, where the first aircraft height data is representative of first aircraft height information. 12. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to retrieve object data representative of a value of terrain or surface feature elevation;determine an instant measurement of second aircraft height as a function of the object data, andthe instant measurement of aircraft altitude; andgenerate second aircraft height data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of second aircraft height, where the second aircraft height data is representative of second aircraft height information. 13. A method for generating aircraft altitude data, such method comprising: retrieving reference point data;receiving instrument landing system (“ILS”) deviation data;receiving first navigation data from a system in which navigation data is derived from inertial sensors, where the first navigation data is representative of a measurement of aircraft geographic position;receiving second navigation data from either a satellite navigation system,a system in which navigation data is derived from Pitot-static system sensors, ora combination of both, where the second navigation data is representative of a first measurement of aircraft altitude;determining a second measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of the reference point data,the ILS deviation data, andthe first navigation data;determining an instant measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of the first measurement of aircraft altitude, andthe second measurement of aircraft altitude; andgenerating aircraft altitude data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of aircraft altitude, where the aircraft altitude data is representative of aircraft altitude information. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: determining an instant measurement of first aircraft height as a function of reference point data representative of the elevation of a stationary reference point, andthe instant measurement of aircraft altitude, andgenerating first aircraft height data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of first aircraft height, where the first aircraft height data is representative of first aircraft height information. 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: retrieving object data representative of a value of terrain or surface feature elevation, determining an instant measurement of second aircraft height as a function of the object data, andthe instant measurement of aircraft altitude, andgenerating second aircraft height data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of second aircraft height, wherethe second aircraft height data is representative of second aircraft height information. 16. A system for generating aircraft altitude data, such system comprising: a source of reference point data;a source of instrument landing system (“ILS”) deviation data;at least one source of navigation data; anda first processor configured to retrieve reference point data,receive ILS deviation data,receive first navigation data representative of a measurement of aircraft geographic position,receive second navigation data from a second processor configured to determine the first measurement of aircraft altitude from a plurality of navigation data sources including at least one external navigation data source, andat least one internal navigation data source, where the second navigation data is representative of a first measurement of aircraft altitude,determine a second measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of the reference point data,the ILS deviation data, andthe first navigation data,determine an instant measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of the first measurement of aircraft altitude, andthe second measurement of aircraft altitude, andgenerate aircraft altitude data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of aircraft altitude, where the aircraft altitude data is representative of aircraft altitude information. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first processor and the second processor are comprised of the same processor. 18. The system of claim 16, further comprising: a presentation system configured to receive the aircraft altitude data from the first processor, where the first processor has been further configured to provide the aircraft altitude data to the presentation system, andpresent the aircraft altitude information represented in the aircraft altitude data, whereby the aircraft altitude information is presented visually on the screen of a display unit,aurally through an aural alert unit,tactilely through a tactile alert unit, orany combination thereof. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first processor is further configured to determine an instant measurement of first aircraft height as a function of reference point data representative of the elevation of a stationary reference point, andthe instant measurement of aircraft altitude, andgenerate first aircraft height data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of first aircraft height, where the first aircraft height data is representative of first aircraft height information. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the stationary reference point is a landing threshold point of a runway, andthe instant measurement of first aircraft height is an instant height above the landing threshold. 21. The system of claim 19, further comprising: a presentation system configured to receive the first aircraft height data from the first processor, where the first processor has been further configured to provide the first aircraft height data to the presentation system, andpresent the first aircraft height information represented in the first aircraft height data, whereby the first aircraft height information is presented visually on the screen of a display unit,aurally through an aural alert unit,tactilely through a tactile alert unit, orany combination thereof. 22. The system of claim 16, further comprising: a source of object data, where the first processor is further configured to retrieve object data representative of a value of terrain or surface feature elevation,determine an instant measurement of second aircraft height as a function of the object data, andthe instant measurement of aircraft altitude, andgenerate second aircraft height data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of second aircraft height, where the second aircraft height data is representative of second aircraft height information. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the terrain or surface feature elevation corresponds to the measurement of aircraft geographic position, andthe instant measurement of second aircraft height is an instant height above the underlying terrain or surface feature. 24. The system of claim 22, further comprising: a presentation system configured to receive the second aircraft height data from the first processor, where the first processor has been further configured to provide the second aircraft height data to the presentation system, andpresent the second aircraft height information represented in the second aircraft height data, whereby the second aircraft height information is presented visually on the screen of a display unit,aurally through an aural alert unit,tactilely through a tactile alert unit, orany combination thereof. 25. A method for generating aircraft altitude data, such method comprising: retrieving reference point data;receiving instrument landing system (“ILS”) deviation data;receiving first navigation data representative of a measurement of aircraft geographic position from a source of first navigation data;receiving second navigation data from a processor configured to determine the first measurement of aircraft altitude from a plurality of navigation data sources including at least one external navigation data source, andat least one internal navigation data source, where the second navigation data is representative of a first measurement of aircraft altitude;representative of a first measurement of aircraft altitude from a source of second navigation data;determining a second measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of the reference point data,the ILS deviation data, andthe first navigation data;determining an instant measurement of aircraft altitude as a function of the first measurement of aircraft altitude, andthe second measurement of aircraft altitude; andgenerating aircraft altitude data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of aircraft altitude, where the aircraft altitude data is representative of aircraft altitude information. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising: determining an instant measurement of first aircraft height as a function of reference point data representative of the elevation of a stationary reference point, andthe instant measurement of aircraft altitude, andgenerating first aircraft height data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of first aircraft height, where the first aircraft height data is representative of first aircraft height information. 27. The method of claim 25, further comprising: retrieving object data representative of a value of terrain or surface feature elevation,determining an instant measurement of second aircraft height as a function of the object data, andthe instant measurement of aircraft altitude, andgenerating second aircraft height data responsive to the determination of the instant measurement of second aircraft height, wherethe second aircraft height data is representative of second aircraft height information.
