JP3302735B2 - Aircraft navigation system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The disclosed technology belongs to the technical field of safe navigation when an aircraft such as a helicopter flies at a low altitude on a flat ground, a forest, a mountainous area, or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Normally, aircraft flying at low altitudes, such as helicopters, fly by a visual flight method. It is based on the method of grasping by confirming (geographical navigation).

[0003] In addition, airframes equipped with necessary equipment additionally use radio navigation using radio waves from ground support equipment, but the position measurement accuracy is extremely insufficient for use in mountainous areas and the like. Moreover, it cannot be used in areas where radio waves do not reach or in mountainous areas.

[0004] For this reason, these aircraft which are flying in the mountains or the like lose the position of the aircraft at night or when it becomes difficult to visually recognize the terrain due to fog or sudden weather change, etc. It is not unusual to get into an accident without being able to detect the danger of colliding with an obstacle.

[0005]

In the prior art, an aircraft flying at a low altitude such as a helicopter is likely to collide with a terrain or an obstacle on the ground. In radio navigation using radio waves from support equipment, the position of the aircraft is uncertain and it is not a means to secure flight along the planned flight path at all times. This is because there is no guarantee that the space is a safe space that does not interfere with the operation of the vehicle, and there are insufficient pilot support means for flying along the route.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to solve the problem of aircraft flight at a low altitude based on the above-mentioned prior art, and to provide a corridor with a safe space that does not interfere with terrain or ground obstacles. By displaying the pilot instructions to keep the aircraft in flight inside the pilot virtually, it is possible to fly safely along the planned flight path, and to be monitored by the ground station. The use of flight technology in the aviation industry by ensuring reliable flight management, fully utilizing the convenience of aircraft, and ensuring security so that collisions with other aircraft do not occur. The aim is to provide an excellent aircraft navigation system that benefits the field.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a configuration of the invention of this application, which has the above-mentioned claims and aims at the above-mentioned objects, has a corridor-like design using a computer. Determine whether or not the airspace interferes with the terrain or obstacles on the ground based on the respective coordinate data, build a corridor without interference in the system, and always keep the aircraft in the corridor, In order to prevent collisions with the aircraft, a system consisting of a navigation device with high accuracy, a digital map device, a computer, and necessary input / output devices, etc. is mounted on an aircraft, or a part of the system is a ground support device. As a result, technical measures were taken to ensure the safety of navigation.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows the concept of navigation according to the invention of this application. In FIG. 1, 1 is a scheduled flight path,
Reference numeral 26 denotes a corridor, which is a safe space set along the planned flight path 1, and reference numeral 2 denotes an aircraft flying inside the corridor 26, which is a helicopter in this embodiment.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 6 denotes a hardware configuration of an aircraft navigation system which forms the gist of the present invention.

Hereinafter, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 will be described together.

First, the current position of the helicopter 2 is measured by using a navigation device 7 (GPS: Global Positioning System) and an altimeter 8 if necessary for accuracy, and stored in a memory 14 via a computer 10. A map image including the current position is generated by the map generation device 12 using the terrain database, and the map image is displayed on the image display device 1.
3 is displayed.

Further, a map image other than the current position is input to the input terminal 1.
1 can be displayed by giving an instruction via the computer 1, but the computer 10 also has an audio alarm device 16, a steering indicator 20,
Also, a horizontal situation indicator (horizontal situation indicator) 7 'is electrically connected.

The input terminal 11 allows the user to input the planned flight route 1 while viewing the image display device 13 by using input means such as a keyboard.

The method of inputting the scheduled flight route 1 is as follows. While looking at the map image on the image display device 13,
Corridor 26 considering the mobility of the aircraft and the terrain, etc.
Are determined (horizontal width w, height h), and the position and altitude of way point i, and input from input terminal 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, the input values form a frame 25 as shown in FIG. 3 and are collated with a database such as the terrain in the memory 14 in FIG. 2 to determine the presence or absence of interference with the terrain 24 in FIG. In the case of interference with the terrain 24 shown in FIG. 3, the voice alarm device 16 shown in FIG. 1 gives a notice, and the way point i is automatically moved by an optimum amount so as not to cause interference, and is displayed on the image display device 13.

By setting the way point i, as shown in FIG. 1, a corridor 26 connecting each frame to the already set way point i-1 is formed.

The corridor 26 has two way points i and i-
In the case of interfering with the terrain or the like in the middle of the position 1, the position of the way point i is automatically moved and displayed in the same manner as described above, or the position of the way point i is located between the way points i and i−1 so as to avoid the interference part. New waypoints i are automatically added, and these can be input interactively based on the judgment of the input person. Figure 4 shows the flight path 1 and its corridor 2
6 shows a mode of setting 6.

The flight path 1 and its corridor 26 are set between the departure point 27 and the arrival point 28, and the alternative flight path 1 'and its corridor 26' are set, or the paths 1, 1 'are set. And the current position of the aircraft when deviating from the corridors 26 and 26 ', or the flight from any point 27' to the destination 28 or when the destination is changed to 30 ' The route 1 'and its corridor 26' can also be set, and a plurality of such flight routes 1 'can be automatically set, and their selective connection can be set as appropriate by adding options.

During the flight, the position of the own aircraft is measured via the navigation device 7 shown in FIG.
The user's own helicopter 2 checks the flight path 1 and the image display of the corridor 26 as shown in FIG.
When the vehicle suddenly approaches, touches or deviates from the inner wall surface of the vehicle, the voice alarm device 16 shown in FIG. 2 issues a warning, gives a warning to the pilot, and causes the own helicopter 2 to set the flight path 1 , So as to return to the inside of the corridor 26.

It should be noted that the steering for returning to the normal position is performed by a horizontal state indicator 7 'as shown in FIG. 6 as an example of an embodiment in a steering indicator 20 mounted at a position on the instrument panel of the aircraft which is most visible to the pilot. Is performed by the pilot according to the instruction from the computer 10 displayed on the screen.

Of course, in an aircraft having an automatic steering system, automatically via the computer 10 or
A semi-automatic return to the corridor 26 and a safe flight to the destination 28 can be performed safely without colliding with the terrain 24 or the like.

As shown in FIG. 7, the screen of the image display device 13 may also display a cross-section 17 of the terrain and indicate the corridor 26 and the position of the aircraft 2.

The embodiment of the invention of this application is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the corridor between each way point is not limited to a linear one having a rectangular cross section, but a circular one having a circular cross section. Various modes such as a curved shape can be adopted.

Further, as a design change, it is a matter of course that the corridor can be set along a cylindrical original frame instead of a square frame, and so on.

The navigation device 7 shown in FIG. 2 is not limited to the GPS,
Other navigation devices or a combination of GPS and them may be used.

Further, as a means for displaying to the pilot, as shown in FIG. 2, a computer image generating device (computer graphics) 31a, a head (or helmet) -mounted display (HMD), or a head-up display By adding a (HUD) 31b and the like, a head (or helmet) position detecting device, a body posture detecting device 31C, and the like, a steering instruction is generated as a computer image matched with the pilot's field of view, and the HMD or the HMD is generated.
The UD 31b can be provided so as to overlap the external field of view on the perspective display.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 8, the display contents are generated as a computer image as if the corridor 26 actually exists, and are superimposed on the visual field of the pilot as 32 as shown in FIG. By using (virtual reality), a method of making recognition easier can be considered.

As an application of the invention of this application, the functions of the input terminal 11, the image display device 13, the map generator 12, the computer 10, the memory 14 and the like shown in FIG. By exchanging the data with the system 6 on the body, the size of the body-mounted system can be reduced and the data can be shared with a plurality of bodies.

In addition to these data, it is conceivable to add a communication device 33 for exchanging data with the ground station regarding the position of the airframe 2 in flight, the flight path 1, and the positional relationship with the corridor 26.

The target aircraft may be not only a helicopter but also any aircraft operated at a low altitude.

[0032]

As described above, according to the invention of this application, an aircraft such as a helicopter basically used for transporting and searching for disaster relief supplies can fly in a plain at a relatively low altitude. Basically, it is a visual flight, but when setting a course route that flies on inherently dangerous terrain such as mountainous areas with waypoints, a corridor type corridor is set on the flight route between each waypoint, If the corridor interferes with a mountainous area during the corridor setting work, it is possible to set way points and corridors that do not interfere with the mountainous area through a support function such as a computer (processor). Waypoints, select them in turn via fir, connect the corridors, and therefore follow the helicopter along the flight path thus set The flight of this aircraft will ensure that its own position is in the corridor and can fly along the flight path via the helicopter-equipped system. Since the setting is made so as not to interfere with the zone, an excellent effect that the flight safety can be ensured from the starting point to the destination point with extremely high flight safety can be obtained.

Further, during flight, the position of the own aircraft is positioned by the GPS or the like so that the own aircraft can fly in the preset corridor, but unexpectedly, the flight route of the own aircraft suddenly approaches the inside of the corridor. Contact, contact or departure,
In an aircraft equipped with an autopilot device that smoothly activates an alarm via a computer (processor), the rearward steering is automatically performed, and an excellent effect that a safe flight can be more reliably ensured can be achieved.

In a mode in which the aircraft such as the helicopter can perform a control flight in which data communication can be performed with a radio station on the ground, the aircraft flight targeted by the ground station is required. Can be grasped together with the flight data, and approach and collision with another aircraft having the same system can be avoided, so that an effect that a more reliable and safe flight control can be ensured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a waypoint set as a safe airspace by avoiding interference with terrain, a planned flight path and a corridor, and an aircraft flying in the corridor.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing that a frame for confirming that the surrounding area is safe when setting a way point interferes with the terrain or the like;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing various cases of setting a planned flight path and a corridor.

FIG. 5 is a front view of an image in which a map image is displayed on a corridor and an aircraft in flight is displayed on the image display device.

FIG. 6 is a display example of a steering indicator.

FIG. 7 is a front view of an image in which a display of altitude is further added to the screen of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing an artificial reality in which an image of a corridor generated by a computer is superimposed on the outside world on a visual field of a pilot.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Planned flight route 2 Aircraft (helicopter) 24 Terrain 26 Corridor w Corridor width h Corridor height i i-th waypoint

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-197893 (JP, A) JP-A-2-10197 (JP, U) Tokuyo Sho 61-501283 (JP, A) (58) Investigation Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B64C 13/18

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plan navigation system for the flight safety of an aircraft flying at low altitude potentially interfering terrain to flight path, flight width each have a width and height in the horizontal direction and the height direction And connect each way point.
The corridor displayed linearly or curvedly as the joint point is the topography
Automatically changes corridor path based on judgment of interference
The corridor has a flight path that does not interfere with the terrain.
An aircraft navigation system having a setting support means . 2. The aircraft navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the flight path can be changed and set not only before the flight but also during the flight . 3. The aircraft navigation system according to claim 1, wherein an alarm is activated when the aircraft in flight approaches, abuts, or departs from the inner wall of the corridor. 4. The aircraft navigation system according to claim 1, wherein a positional relationship of the aircraft with respect to the corridor during flight can be grasped by a ground station. 5. The aircraft navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the flight of the aircraft during flight provides an image of the corridor to the outside world for visualization of a pilot.