Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft, e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
  • G08G5/0047—Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft
  • G08G5/0052—Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft for cruising

Definitions

• the invention relates to an aid to navigation of an aircraft.
• an aircraft is equipped with a flight management computer used by the pilot for example to calculate a reference trajectory from a flight plan.
• a flight plan comprises a chain of segments. Each segment is defined on the basis of maneuver instructions which the aircraft must comply with to go from one point to another; these instructions are defined using mandatory and / or optional parameters that are also sometimes referred to as lateral or vertical constraints. These instructions are listed in a computer navigation database.
• the reference trajectory from the departure airport to the destination airport is calculated from these segments which include lateral and vertical constraints, from altitude, speed and time constraints, and the context of l aircraft such as consumption, aircraft mass, winds, temperature, passenger comfort rules (roll angle, load factor), etc. But so that this reference trajectory is a flightable trajectory by the aircraft, certain lateral or vertical constraints are not or little respected.
• the computer indicates to the crew the vertical constraints which are not respected. However, neither the crew nor the computer checked that the trajectory obtained respected the lateral constraints.
• the invention provides a method of assisting in the verification of the trajectory of an aircraft comprising a step of calculating a trajectory by means of a flight management computer, from lateral constraints originating from a navigation database, mainly characterized in that it comprises a step consisting in verifying by means of the flight management computer that the calculated trajectory respects the lateral constraints in order to improve safety.
• the lateral constraints are decisive in the separation of aircraft from each other, or between the aircraft and the terrain or an obstacle; they can also be used to contain aircraft outside reserved air traffic control zones (such as a military zone for example).
• the verification consists in comparing by means of the flight computer, the lateral constraints with the calculated trajectory.
• the verification consists in automatically informing the crew by an audible signal and / or by display on a man-machine interface of the lateral constraints and of the calculated trajectory.
• the display is carried out at the request of the crew.
• the crew has information according to which a constraint is not respected, they process it, possibly in relation to the air traffic controller.
• the invention also relates to a flight management computer connected to a navigation interface and capable of calculating a trajectory from lateral constraints and of displaying this trajectory on the navigation interface, characterized in that it includes means for implementing the method as described above.
• FIG. 1 schematically represents the configuration of a system of flight management for aircraft making it possible to implement the method according to the invention
• FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e schematically illustrate examples of lateral constraints to be observed
• NavDB acronym for Anglo-Saxon: “Navigation Database”
• Man-machine interfaces which there are mainly: - an FCU 13 control panel with switches, buttons, displays and indicators allowing the selection and configuration of the main modes of operation of the FMS 10 computer and of the automatic pilot and / or flight director on which the FMS 10 computer acts but which is not shown so as not to unnecessarily overload the figurel, - a primary PFD piloting screen 14 used to display a artificial horizon, and flight parameters such as the altitude of the aircraft, its attitude, its speed vector, an indication of guidance mode, etc., an ND 15 navigation screen for displaying maps, the trajectory of flight plan, etc., an MCD display and data input console 16 having a keyboard and a screen surrounded by function keys, and constituting the main instrument for dialogue with the calculation FMS calculator 10.
• FCU 13 control panel with switches, buttons, displays and indicators allowing the selection and configuration of the main modes of operation of the FMS 10 computer and of the automatic pilot and / or flight director on which the FMS 10 computer acts but which is not shown so as not to un
• the FMS computer 10 assists the crew of an aircraft in programming the flight plan before takeoff and in monitoring the flight plan trajectory from takeoff to landing. Its assistance in the programming of the flight plan consists on the one hand in drawing in the horizontal and vertical planes a skeleton of trajectory formed of a succession of waypoints associated with various flight constraints such as altitude, speed, course or other and on the other hand to also plot in the horizontal and vertical planes, the trajectory that the aircraft will have to follow to fulfill its mission.
• the crew enters the FMS computer 10, by means of the MCD console 16, in an explicit or implicit manner, the segments, i.e.
• the NavDB 11 on-board navigation database lists the navigation instructions that the aircraft may have to comply with in its usual evolution space.
• These instructions which make it possible to define the segments are generally the standardized instructions according to the ARINC 424 standard: this defines 23 types of segments (such as DF for "Direct to Fix”, FA for “from Fix to Altitude”, AF for " Arc to Fix ”, CF for“ Course to Fix ”, etc.) characterized by a maximum of 14 parameters.
• a set of instructions constitutes a procedure.
• the crew selects one or more procedures from this database to program their flight plan.
• the computer extracts the details of the procedures to define the segments - which it can possibly modify by adding or removing segments directly - and display on the ND screen the skeleton representing the sequence of the segments. Then it calculates the reference trajectory to guide the aircraft to its destination.
• the reference trajectory is displayed in particular on the ND screen.
• the MCD console 16 allows the crew to enter the flight plan data into the FMS computer 10, either at the basic level of the waypoints and the flight constraints associated with the waypoints, or at an intermediate level, that of the navigation procedures which make it possible to enter into the FMS calculator 10 sequences of tracing data relating to portions of the flight plan stored in the navigation database NavDB 11, that is to say, at the global level of the flight plan itself even using the tracking data of a complete flight plan also stored in the NavDB 11 navigation database.
• these can provide an additional function of checking the compatibility of the calculated trajectory with the lateral constraints of the flight plan.
• the calculated trajectory is for example the reference trajectory calculated before the flight; it can also be a recalculated trajectory during the flight.
• the lateral constraints to be respected relate in particular to: - passenger comfort in flight, characterized in particular by the roll which must be between two values such as ⁇ 30 °, - the transitions between segments which must be compatible with the applicable standards such as the standards DO236-EUROCAE ed 75, FAA Order 8260.40 or DO 187, - the parameters of the trajectory obtained which must be compatible with the parameters of the flight plan segments such as an imposed turn direction, an overflight instruction, an imposed heading , distance withstand for curved segments, etc.
• the basic constraints of the segments are communicated to the crew: they are preferably displayed in the form of a trajectory and / or parameters, for example on the ND navigation screen in addition to the waypoints. and the calculated trajectory.
• constraints displayed in the form of a trajectory as illustrated in the examples of Figures 2.
• the parameters that are the reference point F and the stroke C (dotted line) entering into the calculation of the segment FA and preceding the point I of interception are displayed as illustrated in the example of FIG. 2a.
• the altitude point of the FA segment is designated by A.
• Respecting the maneuver associated with the FA segment means that the trajectory must reach the segment after point F and then follow it in the axis until the defined altitude.
• FIG. 2a ′ shows an example of a trajectory that does not correctly respect the segment FA because the trajectory does not follow the axis defined by the reference point F and its direction C.
• the parameters that are the DME tag, acronym of the Anglo-Saxon expression "Distance Measuring Equipment” and represented by a designated symbol D, its arc of circle and its radius R entering into the calculation of the segment are displayed as illustrated figure 2b.
• the Fix point of the AF segment is designated by F.
• lane C around the reference segment S representing the RNP acronym of the English expression "Required Navigation Performance” is displayed as shown in the example in Figure 2e in which the S segment begins from a P take-off runway.
• the RNP may depend on the area in which the aircraft is flying (typically 0.3 NM on approach, 1.0 NM in the terminal area or 4.0 NM in the oceanic area), the procedure selected ... It is recognized that compliance with the RNP by the calculated trajectory does not ensure compliance with it on the real trajectory of the aircraft because other errors can occur during the flight (positioning and servo-control for example).

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Navigation (AREA)
• Traffic Control Systems (AREA)

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• 2004
  • 2004-05-11 FR FR0405085A patent/FR2870372B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2005
  • 2005-04-26 US US11/596,126 patent/US7698027B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-04-26 WO PCT/EP2005/051855 patent/WO2005109374A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-04-26 EP EP05743146A patent/EP1756791A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-04-26 CA CA002564655A patent/CA2564655A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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