One assignee holds the large majority of records in scope, with 458 of the 678 records tracked in this dataset. The next four ranked assignees bring the top-five combined total to 608 records, or 89.7% of all records in scope. Below that group, filing counts drop off quickly, with the tenth-ranked assignee holding only 6 records, so the field is best described as dominated by a single incumbent supported by a small group of established avionics suppliers rather than broadly contested.

Filing activity has declined from a peak of 31 records in 2017 to 9 in 2024, a fall of 57% between 2021 and 2024 alone. That said, publication typically lags actual filing by around 18 months, so the 2025 and 2026 figures in the dataset are still incomplete and should not be read as evidence the technology itself is losing relevance. TAWS remains a mandated safety system on commercial aircraft, so the decline more likely reflects that core alert-envelope claim space is already well occupied.

US6785594B1, assigned to Honeywell International, describes a ground proximity warning system that generates alerts from a reduced set of input parameters compared to conventional systems, using alert envelopes pierced by upcoming terrain or obstacles. It also covers alerts for excessive descent rate at low altitude and for descent immediately following takeoff. Because it simplifies the input parameter set while preserving the core alerting logic, it is a foundational reference point for anyone designing a competing or complementary ground proximity warning architecture, and any new design should be checked against its specific claim language on parameter reduction.