System for displaying on a first moving object a position indication dependent on a position of a second moving object

• US 20070027623A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Fouet, Guillaume, Winkler, Falk, Pellatiero, Nicolas, Menras, Didier
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/005 for aircraft positioning relative to other aircraft

Abstract

The system (1) comprises measurement means (2) for carrying out position measurements relating to at least one position dependent on the second moving object, processing means (3) mounted on the first moving object, and connected to the measurement means (2), and intended for the processing of said position measurements so as to produce a characteristic position, a display device (4) mounted on the first moving object, connected to the processing means (3), and presenting on a viewing screen (6), on a display illustrating at least partially the environment of the first moving object, a position indication which is situated at said characteristic position, and triggering means (7) for triggering the implementation of measurements by said measurement means (2).

Claims

1. A system for displaying on a first moving object (A), in particular a first aircraft, a position indication dependent on a position of a second moving object (B), in particular of a second aircraft, said system (1) comprising at least:

measurement means (2) for carrying out at least one position measurement, said measurement means (2) comprising a first element (35) which is arranged on said first moving object (A) and which is formed in such a way as to carry out a first position measurement, corresponding to the actual position of said first moving object (A);

processing means (3) which are mounted on said first moving object (A) and which are connected to said measurement means (2), said processing means (3) determining a characteristic position which is fixed;

a display device (4) which is mounted on said first moving object (A), which is connected to said processing means (3), and which presents, upon the generation of said characteristic position, on a viewing screen (6), on a display illustrating at least partially the environment of said first moving object (A), said position indication (30, 46) which is situated at said characteristic position; and

triggering means (7) for triggering the implementation of at least one measurement by said measurement means (2),

wherein said processing means (3) determine, as characteristic position, a fixed position (PF) which corresponds to a particular geographical position related to the trajectory (T2) of said second moving object (B), wherein said measurement means (2) comprise, moreover, a third element (37) which is also arranged on said first moving object (A) and which is formed in such a way as to measure, at the same instant as said first element (35), the relative position between said first and second moving object (A, B), and wherein said processing means (3) determine said fixed position (PF), on the basis of said first position measurement and of said measured relative position.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said triggering means (7) are formed in such a way as to periodically trigger the measurements carried out by said measurement means (2).

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said triggering means (7) comprise an interface means (32) arranged on said second moving object (B) and allowing an operator to produce at least one triggering order for triggering the measurements carried out by said measurement means (2), and wherein said system (1) furthermore comprises a device (14) for transmitting data between said first and second moving object (A, B), which makes it possible to transmit said triggering order to said-first moving object (A).

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein it furthermore comprises a recording means (9) for recording said fixed position (PF), determined by said processing means (3).