Method and system for displaying information relating to an aircraft, device for producing said information and related computer program product

• US 10,403,157 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Jacquier, Vincent, Lorido, Didier, Zambetti, Florence
• Primary Examiner(s): Ingram, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/542,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20180005536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0047 Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft details of equipment G08G5/0017
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

This method for displaying information relative to an aircraft is carried out by computer and includes the acquisition of a message from among a meteorological message and an aeronautical information message, each message including at least one mission object identifier; searching, among the mission object identifier(s) contained in each acquired message, for at least one mission object identifier verifying at least one criterion from among first, second and third predefined criteria, the first criterion depending on a received mission plan, the second criterion depending on the current position of the aircraft, and the third criterion depending on both the current position of the aircraft and the received mission plan; and if at least one mission object identifier is detected verifying at least one of the first, second and third predefined criteria, displaying each detected identifier.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information relative to an aircraft, the method being implemented by a computer and including the following steps:

acquiring at least one message from among a meteorological message and an aeronautical information message, each message including at least one mission object identifier;

searching, among the mission object identifier or identifiers contained in each acquired message, for at least one mission object identifier verifying at least one criterion from among first, second and third predefined criteria, the first criterion depending on a received mission plan, the second criterion depending on the current position of the aircraft, and the third criterion depending on both the current position of the aircraft and the received mission plan; and

when at least one mission object identifier is detected verifying at least one of the first, second and third predefined criteria, displaying each detected mission object identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each meteorological message is chosen from among the group consisting of:

a METAR message, a SPECI message, a TAF message, a PIREP message, a SIGMET message, an AIRMET message and a VOLMET message.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each aeronautical message is chosen from among the group consisting of:

an ATIS message, a NOTAM message, a SNOWTAM message and an ASHTAM message.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each mission object identifier is according to document ICAO 7910.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein each mission object used for the search step is chosen from among an airport and an airspace zone.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received mission plan includes mission objects, each mission object having an associated identifier;

and

during the search step, the first predefined criterion is the inclusion of the searched mission object identifier both in the acquired message and in the received mission plan.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, during the display step, each detected mission object identifier is displayed, in the corresponding message, separately relative to the other mission object identifier or identifiers potentially displayed.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein each information message includes at least one time range and the mission plan includes time moments, the search step further includes the search, for each acquired information message, for at least one time range containing, with a predefined margin of error, at least one of the time moments contained in the received mission plan, and the display step further including the display of each detected time range.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, during the search step, the second predefined criterion is the positioning of the mission object associated with the searched identifier within a cylindrical volume around the current position of the aircraft, the cylindrical volume extending vertically.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the search according to the second predefined criterion is done only among the acquired meteorological message or messages containing observed meteorological information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein each meteorological message is chosen from among a METAR message and a SPECI message.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises calculating, from the received mission plan, an estimated trajectory of the aircraft from its current position, and

during the search step, the third predefined criterion is the position of the mission object associated with the searched identifier within at least one cylinder positioned around at least one portion of the estimated trajectory of the aircraft from its current position.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the search according to the third predefined criterion is done only among the acquired meteorological message or messages containing estimated meteorological information.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein each meteorological message is chosen from among a TAF message and a VOLMET message.

15. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a computer program product including software instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method, comprising:

acquiring at least one message from among a meteorological message and an aeronautical information message, each message including at least one mission object identifier;

searching, among the mission object identifier or identifiers contained in each acquired message, for at least one mission object identifier verifying at least one criterion from among first, second and third predefined criteria, the first criterion depending on a received mission plan, the second criterion depending on the current position of the aircraft, and the third criterion depending on both the current position of the aircraft and the received mission plan; and

when at least one mission object identifier is detected verifying at least one of the first, second and third predefined criteria, displaying each detected mission object identifier.

16. An electronic system for displaying information relative to an aircraft, the electronic system comprising:

an electronic developing device for developing said information relative to the aircraft, the electronic developing device comprising;

a display module for acquiring at least one message from among a meteorological message and an aeronautical information message, each message including at least one mission object identifier;

a processor for searching, among the mission object identifier or identifiers contained in each acquired message, for at least one mission object identifier verifying at least one criterion from among first, second and third predefined criteria, the first criterion depending on a received mission plan, the second criterion depending on the current position of the aircraft, and the third criterion depending on both the current position of the aircraft and the received mission plan; and

a module for developing, when at least one mission object identifier is detected verifying at least one of the first, second and third predefined criteria, an information message including each detected mission object identifier; and

a display module for displaying said developed information.