METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING A FLIGHT PLAN OF AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20080027629A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Peyrucain, Eric, Taravella, Gautier, Haas, Philippe, Roan, Veronique
• Granted Patent: US 8,050,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/206
• 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: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

Method and device for displaying a flight plan of an aircraft.

The display device (1) comprises means (4) making it possible to identify the flight phase of each waypoint of a flight plan which is displayed on a screen (6), and means (16) making it possible to directly access a corresponding flight phase page.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a flight plan of an aircraft, according to which method:

the flight plan of the aircraft is determined, comprising a plurality of successive waypoints (3);

at least one main page (7) comprising at least part of a set of indications (8) which illustrates said flight plan is presented on at least one viewing screen (6) of the aircraft, this set of indications (8) making it possible to identify said waypoints (3) and providing additional information (9, 10, 11) relating to these waypoints (3);

means (12) making it possible to scroll said set of indications (8) presented on the viewing screen (6) are made available to an operator;

for each of said waypoints (3), a flight phase which is associated with this waypoint (3) is determined; and

a plurality of indication means (20), associated with said set of indications (8), is moreover presented on said viewing screen (6), each of said indication means (20) being such that;

it comprises an identification zone (19) which designates a particular flight phase; and

said identification zone (19) is positioned on the viewing screen (6) alongside one or more waypoints (3) which form part of the flight phase designated by this identification zone (19) so that, with each waypoint (3) of the flight plan is associated the corresponding flight phase, wherein;

the identification zone (19) of each of said indication means (20) is of interactive type so that, when this identification zone (19) is activated, the viewing screen (6) replaces said main page (7) with a flight phase page which provides information about the particular flight phase designated by said identification zone (19); and

means (16) making it possible to activate an identification zone (19) are made available to an operator.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein means are provided for instructing a direct return from a flight phase page to the main page (7).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1,s

wherein on the viewing screen (6) is presented moreover at least one auxiliary indication;

which is situated on said set of indications (8) at a datum of a waypoint (3) of the flight plan;

which is of interactive type; and

which allows an operator to directly access a particular modification page making it possible to directly modify the value of said datum.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said set of indications (8) presents a textual form and comprises lists (L1A, L2A, L3A, L4A) of waypoints (3) and of associated information (9, 10, 11), which are viewed vertically on the viewing screen (6).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said set of indications (8) presents a textual and graphical binary form comprising:

a graphical view which illustrates a vertical. plane and which presents graphically, by way of a main plot (22), said flight plan in said vertical. plane; and

textual data relating to the waypoints (3) and which are associated with said main plot (22).

6. The method as claimed in claim 5,

wherein an auxiliary plot illustrating the profile of the terrain which is situated under said flight plan is moreover presented on said set of indications (8).

7. The method as claimed in claim 5,

wherein additional information relating to particular constraints is moreover presented on said set of indications (8).

9. An aircraft,

which comprises a device (1) able to implement the method specified under claim 1.

8. A device for displaying a flight plan of an aircraft, said device comprising:

first means (5) for determining the flight plan of the aircraft which comprises a plurality of successive waypoints (3);

second means (4) for presenting, on at least one viewing screen (6) of the aircraft, at least one main page (7) comprising at least part of a set of indications (8) which illustrates said flight plan, this set of indications (8) making it possible to identify said waypoints (3) and providing additional information (9, 10, 11.) relating to these waypoints;

third means (12) enabling an operator to scroll said set of indications (8) presented on the viewing screen (6); and

fourth means (14) which are able to determine, for each of said waypoints (3), a flight phase which is associated with this waypoint (3), said second means (4) being formed in such a way as to moreover present, on said viewing screen (6) , associated with said set of indications (8) a plurality of indication means (20), each of said indication means (20) being such that;

it comprises an identification zone (19) which designates a particular flight phase; and

said identification zone (19) is positioned on the viewing screen (6) alongside one or more waypoints (3) which form part of the flight phase designated by this identification zone (19) so that, for each waypoint (3) of the flight plan, the corresponding flight phase is known,

wherein;

said second means (4) are such that said identification zone (19) of each of said indication means (20) is of interactive type so that, when this identification zone (19) is activated, the viewing screen (6) replaces said main page (7) with a flight phase page which provides information about the particular flight phase designated by said identification zone (19); and

said device (1) moreover comprises fifth means (16) enabling an operator to activate an identification zone (19).

10. An aircraft,

which comprises a device (1) such as that specified under claim 8.