PROCESS TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION A LOCAL AND FAVORABLE METEOROLOGICAL SITUATION NOT CONFORMING TO A GENERAL METEOROLOGICAL FORECAST

• US 20070179703A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: COULMEAU, Francois, SOUSSIEL, Olivier
• Application Number:
  US11/627,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179703A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning

Abstract

This invention concerns a process taken into consideration when a nominal route is being followed between a departure airport and an arrival airport, of a flight plan established on the basis of a general meteorological forecast covering an area of the airspace containing the nominal route and in a time frame beginning before the date of the departure of the aircraft from the departure airport, for a local meteorological situation that is unfavorable and not conforming to the general meteorological forecast. According to the invention, the process includes detecting during in the following of the nominal route of the flight plan, unfavorable local situations not conforming to the general meteorological situation forecast and seeking an alternate route diverting around the local unfavorable meteorological situation detected, while taking into consideration the general meteorological situation forecast.

Claims

1. A process taken into consideration when a nominal route is being followed between a departure airport and an arrival airport, of a flight plan established on the basis of a general meteorological forecast covering an area of the airspace including the nominal route and in a time frame beginning before the date of the departure of the aircraft from the departure airport, for a local meteorological situation that is unfavorable and not conforming to the general meteorological forecast,

comprising the following steps:

detecting during in the following of the nominal route of the flight plan, unfavorable local situations not conforming to the general meteorological situation forecast;

seeking an alternate route diverting around the local unfavorable meteorological situation detected, while taking into consideration the general meteorological situation forecast.

2. The process according to claim 1, when the flight plan includes at least one passage waypoint with a required time constraint, keeping to the set time constraint while following the nominal route of the flight plan is facilitated by taking into consideration the general meteorological situation forecast.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein the general meteorological situation forecast includes data concerning the direction of the wind.

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein the general meteorological situation forecast includes data concerning the strength of the wind.

5. The process according to claim 1 wherein the general meteorological situation forecast includes data concerning the atmospheric pressure.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein the general meteorological situation forecast includes data concerning the temperature of the air.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the general meteorological situation forecast is acquired on the basis of meteorological data values at positions of the airspace transmitted to the aircraft and by interpolations of these meteorological data values accomplished on the aircraft.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the general meteorological situation forecast is generated on the ground on the basis of meteorological data values at waypoints of the airspace and interpolations of the meteorological data values then transmitted to the aircraft in the form of meteorological data development law parameters.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the time range begins at the latest one hour before the scheduled departure time of the aircraft from the departure airport.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein the time range ends at the earliest three hours after the scheduled arrival time of the aircraft at the destination airport.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein the spatial domain has borders that are at least 100 nautical miles away from the nominal route.

12. The process according to claim 1, wherein a general meteorological situation forecast is loaded onto the aircraft before the aircraft leaves the departure airport, to establish the original general meteorological situation forecast.

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein a general meteorological situation forecast is loaded onto the aircraft after the aircraft leaves the departure airport, to replace the original general meteorological situation forecast.

14. The process according to claim 2, wherein the general meteorological situation forecast includes data concerning the direction of the wind.

15. The process according to claim 2, wherein the general meteorological situation forecast includes data concerning the strength of the wind.

16. The process according to claim 2, wherein the general meteorological situation forecast includes data concerning the atmospheric pressure.

17. The process according to claim 2, wherein the general meteorological situation forecast includes data concerning the temperature of the air.

18. The process according to claim 2, wherein the general meteorological situation forecast is acquired on the basis of meteorological data values at positions of the airspace transmitted to the aircraft and by interpolations of these meteorological data values accomplished on the aircraft.

19. The process according to claim 2, wherein the general meteorological situation forecast is generated on the ground on the basis of meteorological data values at waypoints of the airspace and interpolations of the meteorological data values then transmitted to the aircraft in the form of meteorological data development law parameters.

20. The process according to claim 2, wherein a general meteorological situation forecast is loaded onto the aircraft after the aircraft leaves the departure airport, to replace the original general meteorological situation forecast.