Terrain Avoidance Method and System For an Aircraft

• US 20080215195A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Jourdan, Christophe, Walter, Stephane, Fabre, Pierre, Lacaze, Isabelle
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/5
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0646 to follow the profile of undulating ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

The invention concerns a terrain avoidance method and system for an aircraft. The system comprises a collision alarm device (3) and an auto-pilot device (5) including means (7) for determining a climbing order with optimal slope for the aircraft, means (12) for checking whether a first altitude gain at the relief, by applying the optimal slope climbing order, is sufficient for clearing said relief, means (11) for finding if there exists at least one heading variation value, for which the corresponding altitude gain is sufficient to clear the relief, and means (17, 22) for applying to the aircraft, if the first altitude gain is sufficient, an optimal slope climbing order with an order to maintain the current heading and, if the first altitude gain is insufficient, a particular climbing order sufficient to clear the relief, with a heading order which corresponds to the selected heading variation value.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A terrain avoidance method for an aircraft (A), a method according to which there is used a collision warning device (3) which monitors the flight of the aircraft (A) with respect to the surrounding terrain (2) and which is able to transmit a warning signal when there is a risk of a collision between the aircraft (A) and a relief (4) of the terrain (2) by maintaining its current flight characteristics, a method according to which, when said collision warning device (3) transmits a warning signal, automatically:

A/ an optimal slope climb command for the aircraft (A) is determined;

B/ it is checked if a first altitude gain (Δ

HO) which is obtained at said relief (4) by the aircraft (A), by applying said optimal slope climb command to it with a command to maintain the current heading, is sufficient to clear said relief (4); and

C/ according to this check, if said first altitude gain (Δ

HO) is not sufficient to clear said relief (4), a search is carried out to see if there is at least one heading variation value (Δ

c1, Δ

c2) for which a second altitude gain (Δ

H1, Δ

H2) which is obtained at the relief (4) by the aircraft (A), on applying to it an optimal slope climb command, is sufficient to clear said relief (4),

wherein in step c/;

a) if said first altitude gain (Δ

HO) is sufficient to clear said relief (4), said optimal slope climb command is automatically applied to the aircraft with a command to maintain the current heading; and

b) if said first altitude gain (Δ

HO) is not sufficient to clear said relief (4), and if there is furthermore at least one heading variation value (Δ

c1,Δ

c2) for which a second altitude gain (Δ

H1, Δ

H2) which is obtained at the relief (4) by the aircraft (A), on applying to it an optimal slope climb command, is sufficient to clear said relief (4);

α

) one of said heading variation values (Δ

c1, Δ

c2) making it possible to clear the relief (4) is selected automatically; and

β

) a particular climb command which is sufficient to clear the relief (4) is applied to the aircraft (A) automatically, with a heading command which corresponds to the heading variation value thus selected.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said particular climb command that is applied to the aircraft (A), in step C.b.β

, corresponds to an optimal slope climb command.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein there is determined, as a particular climb command that is applied to the aircraft in step c.b.β

, a climb command generating an altitude gain (Δ

HR) at the relief which corresponds to an altitude gain that is necessary and sufficient to clear said relief (4).

21. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, in step C.b.α

, the heading variation value (Δ

c1) which is smallest in absolute value is selected.

22. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, in step c.b.α

, there is selected the heading variation value (Δ

c2) which corresponds to the lowest relief (4c) and which is situated within a predetermined heading variation range, defined on either side of the current heading (10) of the aircraft (A).

23. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, in step c.b.α

, there is selected the heading variation value for which the roll angle necessary for the corresponding change of heading is, in absolute value, less than a predetermined value.

24. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, in step c.b.β

, there is firstly applied said particular climb command, then there is applied said heading command generating a heading variation.

25. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, when said collision warning device (3) transmits a warning signal, the aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft (A) is modified in such a way as to increase the altitude gain at the relief (4), and there is determined, in step A, an optimal slope climb command, taking account of the new aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft (A).

26. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein when, in step C.b.β

, there is applied a heading command generating a heading variation, there is transmitted in the cockpit of the aircraft (A) an indicating signal to inform a pilot of the application of that heading command.

27. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, when a risk of collision disappears, the air-craft (A) is returned into an operational flight envelope.

34. An aircraft, comprising a system (1) capable of implementing the method claimed in claim 18.

28. A terrain avoidance system for an air-craft (A), said system (1) comprising:

a collision warning device (3) which monitors the flight of the aircraft (A) with respect to the surrounding terrain (2) and which is able to transmit a warning signal when there is a risk of collision between the aircraft (A) and a relief (4) of the terrain (2) if it maintains its current flight characteristics; and

an automatic piloting device (5) of the aircraft (A), comprising at least;

a first means (7) of determining an optimal slope climb command for the aircraft (A);

a second means (12) for checking if a first altitude gain (Δ

HO) which is obtained by the aircraft (A) at said relief (4), on applying to it said optimal slope climb command whilst maintaining the current heading, is sufficient to clear said relief (4);

a third means (11) to find out, when said first altitude gain (Δ

HO) is not sufficient to clear said relief (4), if there is at least one heading variation value (Δ

c1, Δ

c2) for which a second altitude gain (Δ

H1, Δ

H2) which is obtained at the relief by the aircraft (A), on applying to it an optimal slope climb command, is sufficient to clear said relief (4),

wherein said automatic piloting device (5) furthermore comprises;

a fourth means (13) for automatically selecting, if necessary, one of said heading variation values (Δ

c1,Δ

c2) making it possible to clear the relief (4); and

a fifth means (17, 22) for automatically applying to the aircraft (A) a climb command and a heading command, namely;

if said first altitude gain (Δ

HO) is sufficient to clear said relief (4), said optimal slope climb command with a command to maintain the current heading; and

if said altitude gain (Δ

HO) is not sufficient to clear said relief (4), a particular climb command which is sufficient to clear the relief (4), with a heading command which corresponds to the heading variation value selected by said fourth means (13).

29. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein it furthermore comprises a means (23) of automatically signaling the application of a heading command generating a heading variation.

30. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein it furthermore comprises a means of optimizing the aerodynamic configuration.

31. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein it furthermore comprises a means making it possible for the pilot to disengage it.

32. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein said automatic piloting device (5) is part of an automatic pilot of the aircraft (A).

33. An aircraft, comprising a system (1) such as claimed in claim 28.