System for Assisting the Ground Navigation of an Aeroplane in an Airport

• US 20080147315A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Fetzmann, Fabien, Coldefy, Pierre, Jacob, Armand, Collins, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• 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: G05D 1/0083 to help an aircraft pilot in the rolling phase
• 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

The invention relates to a system comprising a display device displaying, on a cockpit pilot display unit (7), a set of indications (10) containing an aeroplane symbol (8) which illustrates the position of the aeroplane and a map part (9) which represents the airport and moves in relation to the aeroplane symbol (8) according to the current position of the aeroplane in the airport, the aeroplane symbol (8) being fixed on the cockpit pilot display unit (7) in a centered position (12) in a standard display. The inventive system also comprises actuating means for deactivating the standard display in such a way as to enable the aeroplane symbol (8) to be displaced on the cockpit pilot display unit (7), and actuating means for controlling a temporary displacement of the set of indications (10) on the cockpit pilot display unit (7) in such a way that the aeroplane symbol (8) displayed moves away from the centered position (12).

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A system for assisting the ground navigation of an airplane in an airport, said system (1) comprising:

at least one means (2) for determining the current position of the airplane;

at least one cartographic database (3) at least of the airport in which said airplane is situated; and

a display device (4) comprising at least one cockpit viewing screen (7) which is capable of displaying a display mode at least of a first type, for which said cockpit viewing screen (7) presents a set of navigation indications (10) comprising at least;

an airplane symbol (8) which illustrates said current position of the airplane; and

a part of a map (9) which represents at least partially the airport, said map part (9) being mobile and always tied to the motion of the airplane so as to move with respect to said airplane symbol (8) in conformity with the current position of the airplane in said airport,

said airplane symbol (8) being fixed on said cockpit viewing screen (7) at a predetermined centered position (12, 13) in a standard display,

wherein said system (1) moreover comprises;

first actuation means (14) which are capable of being actuated by an operator, so as to deactivate said standard display in such a way as to allow a movement of said airplane symbol (8) on said cockpit viewing screen (7); and

second actuation means (16) which are capable of being actuated by an operator, so as to control, when said first actuation means (14) are actuated, a temporary movement of said set of navigation indications (10) on said cockpit viewing screen (7) so that the displayed airplane symbol (8) is then no longer situated at said centered position (12, 13), a relaxation of said first actuation means (14) automatically causing a return to said standard display.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15,

wherein said display device (4) is formed so as to be able to display separately and successively a plurality of different display modes, and said system (1) comprises, moreover, third actuation means (18) capable of being actuated by an operator so as to change display mode.

17. The system as claimed in claim 15,

wherein said display device (4) is formed so as to be able to display, as display mode of the first type, a mode termed arc for which said fixed airplane symbol (8) is situated at the bottom of the cockpit viewing screen (7), several circular arcs (21) being centered on said airplane symbol (8).

18. The system as claimed in claim 15,

wherein said display device (4) is formed so as to be able to display, as display mode of the first type, a mode termed rose for which said fixed airplane symbol (8) is situated at the center of the cockpit viewing screen (7), several circles (25) being centered on said airplane symbol (8).

19. The system as claimed in claim 15,

wherein said display device (4) is formed so as to be able to display a display mode of a second type, termed plan mode, for which the cockpit viewing screen (7) presents at least one auxiliary map part which is fixed and an auxiliary airplane symbol which illustrates the current position of the airplane and which is mobile.

20. The system as claimed in claim 15,

wherein said first and second actuation means (14, 16) form part of an actuation unit (27).

21. The system as claimed in claim 20,

wherein said actuation unit (27) comprises a control mouse of a cursor of the cockpit viewing screen.

22. The system as claimed in claim 20,

wherein said actuation unit (27) comprises a keyboard which comprises keys furnished with movement arrows corresponding to said second actuation means (16).

23. The system as claimed in claim 20,

wherein said actuation unit (27) comprises a keyboard comprising alphanumeric keys.

24. The system as claimed in claim 20,

wherein said actuation unit (27) comprises touch sensitive zones of said cockpit viewing screen (7).

25. The system as claimed in claim 20,

wherein said actuation unit (27) is formed so as also to allow the movement of a set of navigation indications when the display device (4) displays a display mode of a second type, for which the cockpit viewing screen (7) presents, as set of navigation indications, at least one auxiliary map part which is fixed and an auxiliary airplane symbol which illustrates the current position of the airplane and which is mobile.

26. The system as claimed in claim 15,

wherein it comprises, moreover, a control means which is automatically triggered when said first actuation means (14) are actuated and which automatically controls a return to a standard display if said second actuation means (16) are mot actuated during a first predetermined duration after the triggering of said control means.

27. The system as claimed in claim 15,

wherein it is formed so as automatically to control a return to a standard display, if after an actuation of said second actuation means (16), said first actuation means (14) are not relaxed after a second predetermined duration.

28. An airplane,

wherein it comprises a system (1) such as that specified under claim 15.