Method and device for assisting the lateral control of an aircraft running on a runway

• US 20070032924A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Albert, Eric, Innocent, Simon, Foucart, Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 7,787,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/13
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

Method and device for assisting the lateral control of an aircraft running on a runway.

The system (1) comprises a detector (3) for measuring a lateral deviation of the aircraft relative to a lateral alignment beam transmitted by a radio transmitter installed on the ground, the lateral deviation representing an angular deviation between a straight line passing through the radio transmitter and the detector (3) and the centerline of the runway, a calculating means (7) for calculating a first distance which is defined along the runway, between the position of the pilot in the cockpit and the radio transmitter, a central unit (9) for determining from said lateral deviation and said first distance a line intended to correspond with the centerline of the runway, and a head up display device (13) for displaying that line on a display screen (15), superimposed on the environment existing in front of the aircraft, this line being displayed such that it is shown superimposed on said centerline of the runway.

Claims

1. A method for assisting the lateral control of an aircraft (A) running on the ground on a runway (2), according to which method:

there is measured a lateral deviation (LOCDEV) of the aircraft (A) relative to a lateral alignment beam, which is transmitted by a radio transmitter (4) installed on the ground downstream of the downstream end (2A) of said runway (2), said lateral deviation (LOCDEV) representing an angular deviation defined in a horizontal plane between, on the one hand, a straight line (5) passing through said radio transmitter (4) and through a detector (3) which is installed on the aircraft and which is able to detect said lateral alignment beam and, on the other hand, the centerline (6) of the runway (2);

there is calculated a first distance (DLOC) which is defined in the horizontal plane, along the runway (2), between the position (Pp) of the pilot in the cockpit (8) of the aircraft (A) and said radio transmitter (4);

there is determined, at least from said lateral deviation (LOCDEV) thus measured and from said first distance (DLOC) thus calculated, a line (12) intended to correspond to the centerline (6) of the runway (2); and

this line (12) is displayed on a display screen (15) of a head up display device (13) of the aircraft (A), superimposed on the environment existing in front of the aircraft (A), this line (12) being displayed as a true representation such that it is shown superimposed on said centerline (6) of the runway (2),

wherein, in order to determine said line (12), there is determined a first point (P1) and a second point (P2), said first point (P1) corresponding to the position of said radio transmitter (4), seen by the pilot of the aircraft (A) and being positioned horizontally according to a lateral deviation value (DEVL) and vertically according to an elevation value (Vsite), said second point (P2) illustrating the orientation on the ground of said lateral alignment beam and being placed on a horizon line (17) provided with a heading scale (26) relative to the heading (18) of the aircraft (A), and wherein said line (12) is displayed on said display screen (15) in such a way as to pass through said first and second points (P1, P2).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elevation value Vsite is determined using the following expression:

Vsite=arctg(H/DLOC)

in which;

arctg represents the inverse of the tangent;

H is a predetermined height between the ground and the eyes of the pilot of the aircraft (A) in the cockpit (8); and

DLOC is said first distance.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lateral deviation value DEVL is determined using said measured lateral deviation LOCDEV and said calculated first distance DLOC.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said lateral deviation value DEVL is determined using the following expressions:

DEVL=LOCDEVc+A1
LOCDEVc=arctg[tg(LOCDEV)+(Δ

X.sinB1+Δ

Y.cos B1)/DLOC]

in which, in addition;

A1 represents an angular deviation in a horizontal plane between the heading of the aircraft (A) and the orientation of said lateral alignment beam;

arctg represents the inverse of the tangent tg;

Δ

Y and Δ

X illustrate the predetermined longitudinal and lateral distances respectively between, on the one hand, the position (Pp) of the pilot in the cockpit (8) of the aircraft (A) and, on the other hand, the position (Pd) on said aircraft (A) of said detector (3) intended to measure said lateral alignment beam; and

B1 represents an angle which is determined by the difference between the heading of the aircraft (A) and the lateral deviation LOCDEV.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, during a takeoff phase, said first distance DLOC is calculated using the following expression:

DLOC=B2+RWYL−

TS1−

D1(t)

in which;

B2 represents the distance between the downstream end (2A) of the runway (2) and the position (Pr) of said radio transmitter (4) transmitting said lateral alignment beam;

RWYL represents the length of the runway (2);

TS1 represents the distance between the upstream end (2B) of the runway (2) and a predetermined position; and

D1(t) corresponds to the integral with respect to time of the ground speed of the aircraft (A), between the time when the pilot opens the throttles during the takeoff phase and the current time.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, during a landing phase, said first distance DLOC is calculated using the following expression:

DLOC=B2+RWYL−

TS2−

D2(t)

in which;

B2 represents the distance between the downstream end (2A) of the runway (2) and the position (Pr) of said radio transmitter (4) transmitting said lateral alignment beam;

RWYL represents the length of the runway (2);

TS2 represents the distance between the upstream end (2B) of the runway (2) and a predetermined position; and

D2(t) corresponds to the integral with respect to time of the ground speed of the aircraft (A) between the time when the aircraft (A) passes the threshold of the runway (2) and the current time.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first distance DLOC is calculated during a takeoff phase using the latitudes and longitudes of the aircraft (A) and of the radio transmitter (4).

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first distance DLOC is calculated during a landing phase using the latitudes and longitudes of the aircraft (A) and of the radio transmitter (4).

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is determined and displayed on said display screen (15) in the form of a characteristic sign (30) an assistance point which is such that said line (12) passes through this characteristic sign (30) on said display screen (15) when the aircraft (A) is aligned on the centerline (6) of the runway (2).

11. An aircraft, wherein it comprises a system (1) which is able to implement the method as claimed in claim 1.

10. A system for assisting the lateral control of an aircraft (A) running on a runway (2), said system (1) comprising:

a detector (3) for measuring a lateral deviation (LOCDEV) of the aircraft (A) with respect to a lateral alignment beam, which is transmitted by a radio transmitter (4) installed on the ground downstream of the downstream end (2A) of said runway (2), said lateral deviation (LOCDEV) representing an angular deviation defined in a horizontal plane between, on the one hand, a straight line (5) passing through said radio transmitter (4) and said detector (3) and, on the other hand, the centerline (6) of said runway (2);

a calculating means (7) for calculating a first distance (DLOC) which is defined in the horizontal plane, along said runway (2), between the position (Pp) of the pilot in the cockpit (8) of the aircraft (A) and said radio transmitter (4);

a central unit (9) for determining, at least from said measured lateral deviation (LOCDEV) and said first calculated distance (DLOC), a line (12) intended to correspond with the centerline (6) of the runway (2); and

a head up display device (13) for displaying that line (12) on a display screen (15), superimposed on the environment existing in front of the aircraft (A), this line (12) being displayed according to a true representation in such a way as to be shown superimposed on said centerline (6) of the runway (2),

wherein;

said central unit (9) is produced in such a way as to determine a first point (P1) and a second point (P2), said first point (P1) corresponding to the position of said radio transmitter (4), seen by the pilot of the aircraft (A) and being positioned horizontally according to a lateral deviation value DEVL and vertically according to an elevation value Vsite, said second point (P2) illustrating the orientation on the ground of said lateral alignment beam and being placed on a horizon line (17) provided with a heading scale (26) relative to the heading (18) of the aircraft (A); and

said display device (13) is produced in such a way that said line (12) is displayed on said display screen (15) in such a way as to pass through said first and second points (P1, P2).

12. An aircraft, wherein it comprises a system (1) as claimed in claim 10.