Method and device for aiding the flow of a craft on the surface of an airport

• US 20070078591A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Marty, Nicolas, Meunier, Hugues
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0083 to help an aircraft pilot in the rolling phase
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

The invention relates to aiding airport navigation by emission of an alert reminding the pilot of a craft moving on the surface of an airport of the circulation constraints encountered locally over his route. The method comprises the following steps: partitioning of the circulation surfaces of the airport into elementary circulation constraint zones each enclosing a set of adjoining points subject to the same local circulation constraints, identifications of the elementary zones and of their specific circulation constraints, detection of the encroachment of the craft into the elementary zones, and upon each encroachment of the craft into an elementary zone, reminder by alert generation, to the commander of the craft, of one at least of the circulation constraints specific to the elementary zone concerned.

Claims

1. A method for aiding the flow of a craft on the surface of an airport subject to local flow constraints, the craft being provided with a geographical locating rig and with an airport database cataloguing the flow surfaces of the airport and the associated local flow constraints, comprising the following steps:

partitioning of the flow surfaces of the airport into elementary flow constraint zones each enclosing a set of adjoining points subject to the same local flow constraints,

identifying the elementary zones and specific flow constraints thereof,

detecting encroachment of the craft into the elementary zones, by likening the craft to a girth surface encompassing its current position and by searching for the intersections of a girth surface with a set of elementary zones of the flow surfaces of the airport, and

upon each encroachment of the craft into an elementary zone providing a reminder to a commander of the craft, of a flow constraints specific to the elementary zone concerned.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensitivity of the encroachment detection is adjusted by means of a threshold dependent on the magnitude of the surface of an intersection.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the search for the intersections of the girth surface of the craft with the elementary zones is done by charting the girth surface and the elementary zones on one and the same geographical locating grid and by searching for the existence of a mesh cell of the grid common to the girth surface and to an elementary zone.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a minimum number of common mesh cells is taken as threshold of detection of encroachment of the craft into an elementary zone.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an elementary flow constraint zone is identified by the most restrictive flow constraint affecting it.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flow constraints taken into account include several levels of severity of prohibition.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein certain flow constraints taken into account take account of the characteristics of the craft.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape and the dimensions of the girth surface take account of the movement of the craft.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape and the dimensions of the girth surface take account of the uncertainties in the determination of the position and of the heading of the craft.

10. A device including a computer system configured for aiding the flow of a craft on the surface of an airport subject to local flow constraints, the craft being provided with a geographical locating rig and with an airport database cataloguing the flow surfaces of the airport and the associated flow constraints, formulating unit for formulating on the basis of the elements of the airport database, a partitioning of the flow surfaces of the airport into elementary flow constraint zones each enclosing a set of adjoining points subject to the same local flow constraints,

an identifying unit for identifying the elementary zones and their specific flow constraints,

a formulating unit for formulating a girth surface related to the craft, encompassing its current position,

a likening unit for likening the encroachment of the craft into the elementary zones to the intersections of the girth surface with the set of elementary zones of the flow surfaces of the airport and

wherein upon each encroachment of the craft into an elementary zone, a generating unit generates an alert reminding the commander of the craft of one of the flow constraints of the elementary zone concerned.