Method for transmitting flight parameters from a leading aircraft to an intruding aircraft

• US 10,319,238 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Robin, Jean-luc
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thang D
• Application Number:
  US15/957,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20180308369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 340945
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/005 for aircraft positioning relative to other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A method for transmitting flight parameters from a leading aircraft (L) to at least one intruding aircraft (I), wherein, the transmission is effected by a collision avoidance system of TCAS type. The transponder of the leading aircraft (L) is configured to measure the spectrum of an interrogation signal received from the intruding aircraft (I) and to compare the power of the spectrum to a threshold power. If the power of the interrogation signal is greater than or equal to the threshold power, then the intruding aircraft (I) is eligible to receive flight parameters from the leading aircraft to be able to compute the position of the centers or the force of circulation of wake vortexes (14L, 15L) generated by the leading aircraft (L). The exchange of flight parameters from the leading aircraft only to eligible intruding aircraft makes it possible to not exceed the maximum automated communication bandwidth capacity.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting flight parameters from a leading aircraft to at least one intruding aircraft, each aircraft comprising:

a collision avoidance system configured to detect probabilities of collisions with other aircraft flying within a surveillance volume distributed around the aircraft, said system comprising an interrogator, and a transponder connected to an antenna;

flight management system collecting the flight parameters of the aircraft, the collision avoidance system being connected to the flight management system;

wherein the method comprises;

interrogation, in which the interrogator of the intruding aircraft transmits an interrogation signal comprising a request for at least one flight parameter including at least a weight of the leading aircraft;

reception, in which the transponder of the leading aircraft receives, via the antenna, the interrogation signal transmitted by the interrogator of the intruding aircraft;

determination, in which the transponder of the leading aircraft;

in an analysis substep, analyses the spectrum of the interrogation signal received and determines the power of said signal;

in a comparison substep, compares the power of the interrogation signal received to a threshold power; and

in a surveillance and determination substep, determines that the intruding aircraft is eligible to receive the at least one flight parameter requested if the power of the interrogation signal is greater than or equal to the threshold power, and determines that the intruding aircraft is ineligible to receive the at least one flight parameter otherwise;

transmission, in which the transponder of the leading aircraft sends a response signal to the interrogator of an eligible intruding aircraft in response to the interrogation signal, the response signal containing the at least one flight parameter of the leading aircraft requested by the intruding aircraft in the interrogation step, an ineligible intruding aircraft on the contrary not receiving any flight parameter from the leading aircraft in response to its request.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a flight parameter is a datum further chosen from the following data:

altitude, roll angle, aerodynamic configuration, aircraft wing span, density of the air at the point of flight, speed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination step comprises a verification substep, implemented before the surveillance and determination substep, in which the transponder of the leading aircraft compares the altitude of the leading aircraft to a threshold altitude;

and

wherein in the surveillance and determination substep, the transponder of the leading aircraft determines that the intruding aircraft is eligible to receive the at least one flight parameter requested if the power of the interrogation signal is greater than or equal to the threshold power and if the altitude of the leading aircraft is greater than or equal to the threshold altitude, and that the intruding aircraft is ineligible otherwise.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the transmission step, the interrogator of an ineligible intruding aircraft receives from the transponder of the leading aircraft a response signal to the interrogation signal, the response signal containing an indication according to which the request from the intruding aircraft to obtain at least one flight parameter is denied.