Method for automatically assisting with the landing of an aircraft

• US 10,175,699 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense
• Original Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense
• Inventors: Chiodini, Alain, Dufresne De Virel, Francois, Pouillard, Sylvain
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/744,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20180203466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 701 16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/04 Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/38 using photographic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/10 using Doppler effect
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/913 for landing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for automatically assisting with the landing of an aircraft on a runway from a return point (A) to a completion point (D), at which the aircraft touches the runway, by means of a data-processing device on-board said aircraft, which device is configured to be connected to an altimeter and a deviation meter, the method including: a return-navigation assistance phase including guidance of the aircraft, on the basis of measurements of the azimuth deviation of the aircraft relative to a reference direction linking said return point (A) and the position of the deviation meter (E) transmitted by said deviation meter, from the return point (A) towards the position of the deviation meter (E), determination of the position of the aircraft at a predetermined capture point (B) that is aligned with the return point (A) and the position of the deviation meter (E), and guidance of the aircraft along a predetermined path from the capture point (B) to a predetermined holding point (C), which is approximately aligned with the axis of the runway, on the basis of altitude data provided by the altimeter and heading and speed data relating to the aircraft, a landing assistance phase including guidance from the holding point (C) to the completion point (D).

Claims

1. A method for the assisted landing of an aircraft on a runway from a return point to an end point at which the aircraft comes into contact with the runway,

said method being implemented by a data processing device onboard said aircraft connected to:

an altimeter configured to measure the altitude of the aircraft;

a deviation indicator positioned at a ground station and configured to measure an azimuth deviation of the aircraft relative to a reference direction connecting said return point and the position of the deviation indicator;

said method comprising;

an assisted return navigation phase including;

guiding the aircraft, based on measurements of azimuth deviation of the aircraft relative to said reference direction transmitted by the deviation indicator, from the return point in the direction of the position of the deviation indicator;

determining the position of the aircraft at a predetermined capture point aligned with the return point and the position of the deviation indicator;

after said determining, guiding the aircraft along a predefined trajectory from the capture point to a predetermined hang point aligned with the axis of the runway from altitude data provided by the altimeter and course and speed data of the aircraft;

an assisted landing phase including after said navigation phase, guiding the aircraft from the hang point to the end point on the runway.

2. The assistance method according to claim 1, wherein the positioning of the aircraft at the capture point is determined from distance data between the aircraft and a reference point on the ground aligned with the return point and the position of the deviation indicator.

3. The assistance method according to claim 2, wherein said distance data are estimated from measurements of the propagation time of data packets between the ground station and the aircraft.

4. The assistance method according to claim 3, wherein said distance data are estimated from measurements of the one-way propagation time of data packets between the ground station and the aircraft, said ground station and the aircraft comprising synchronized clocks.

5. The assistance method according to claim 1, wherein determination of the positioning of the aircraft at the capture point comprises estimation of speed data of said aircraft, and determination of a distance travelled by the aircraft from the return point from said speed data.

6. The assistance method according to claim 5, wherein the data processing device being configured to be further linked to an optronic system comprising an image capture device onboard the aircraft and positioned along the axis of the aircraft, and an image processing device adapted for processing said images, the speed data of said aircraft is estimated by said optronic system by measuring the ground speed using images captured by said image capture device and altitude data provided by the altimeter.

7. The assistance method according to claim 5, wherein the speed data of said aircraft is estimated by measuring a Doppler effect generated by movement of the aircraft on signals exchanged between the aircraft and the ground station.

8. The assistance method according to claim 1, wherein the data processing device being configured to be further linked to an image capture device onboard the aircraft), the positioning of the aircraft at the capture point is determined by detecting a landmark of known position in at least one image captured by said image capture device.

9. The assistance method according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft is guided between the return point and the capture point along a predefined rectilinear trajectory in the direction of the position of the deviation indicator.

10. The assistance method according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft is guided between the return point and the capture point along a zigzag or stair-step trajectory.

11. The assistance method according to claim 1, wherein the data processing device being configured to be further linked to a camera onboard the aircraft, the assisted landing phase comprises estimation of a position of the end point in an image of the runway captured by the camera, and estimation of a position of the aircraft as a function of said estimated position of the end point in the image and of altitude data provided by the altimeter, and wherein said guiding of the aircraft from the hang point to the end point is achieved by maintaining the aircraft aligned with the axis of the runway.

12. The assistance method according to claim 1, wherein the data processing device being further configured to be linked to a transceiver onboard said aircraft and intended to receive signals transmitted by at least three transceivers positioned on the ground, the assisted landing phase comprises estimation of position data of the aircraft from distance data between the onboard transceiver and said at least three transceivers positioned on the ground.

13. The assistance method according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft is further guided from measurements of elevation deviation of the aircraft relative to a reference plane.

14. A computer program product comprising code instructions to execute a method according to claim 1 when this program is executed by a processor.

15. A data processing device configured to implement a method for the assisted landing of an aircraft on a runway from a return point to an end point at which the aircraft comes into contact with the runway,

said method being implemented by a data processing device onboard said aircraft and configured to be connected to:

an altimeter configured to measure the altitude of the aircraft;

a deviation indicator positioned at a ground station and configured to measure an azimuth deviation of the aircraft relative to a reference direction connecting said return point and the position of the deviation indicator;

wherein said method comprises;

an assisted return navigation phase comprising;

guidance of the aircraft, based on measurements of azimuth deviation of the aircraft relative to said reference direction transmitted by the deviation indicator, from the return point in the direction of the position of the deviation indicator;

determination of the position of the aircraft at a predetermined capture point aligned with the return point and the position of the deviation indicator;

guidance of the aircraft along a predefined trajectory from the capture point to a predetermined hang point aligned with the axis of the runway from altitude data provided by the altimeter and course and speed data of the aircraft;

an assisted landing phase comprising guidance from the hang point to the end point on the runway.

16. A system for automatic assisted landing of an aircraft on a runway from a return point to an end point at which the aircraft comes into contact with the runway, comprising:

an altimeter configured to measure the altitude of the aircraft;

a deviation indicator positioned at a ground station and configured to measure an azimuth deviation of the aircraft relative to a reference point relative to a reference direction connecting said return point and the position of the deviation indicator,

the data processing device according to claim 15.

17. The assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the deviation indicator is connected to a directional antenna.

18. The assistance system according to claim 16, further comprising an optronic system comprising an image capture device onboard the aircraft, configured to be connected to the data processing device.

19. The assistance system according to claim 16 further comprising a camera and its associated image processing device, configured to be connected to the data processing device.

20. The assistance system according to claim 16 further comprising:

at least three transceivers positioned on the ground;

a transceiver configured to receive signals transmitted by said at least three transceivers positioned on the ground, onboard said aircraft and configured to be connected to the data processing device.