DISPLAYING METHOD AND DEVICE FOR AN AIRCRAFT FOLLOWING A FLIGHT PLAN

• US 20100023258A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Laveant, Nolween, Have, Didier, Le Tellier, Arnaud, Rouquette, Patrice
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/202
• 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

Abstract

A device comprises means for computing the air-craft (A) current position means for determining at least one maximum permitted deviation (E1) around a set position of the flight path of the flight plan according to accuracy and integrity performances of said current position computation and to the restriction of a flight range authorised in a flight corridor (6A, 6B), and a display system (7) for displaying at least one a distance scale (9) on a viewing screen (8), at least one a fixed symbol (10) displaying the current position and two movable pointers (13, 14) displaying the limits of said maximum permitted deviation (E1).

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A display method for an aircraft which follows a flight plan, wherein the following series of successive steps is carried out in an automatic and repetitive manner:

a) the actual position of the aircraft (A) is calculated;

b) at least one maximum permitted deviation (E1) about a setpoint position on a flight trajectory (5) arising from said flight plan is determined as a function, on the one hand, of performance regarding accuracy and integrity of calculating said actual position of the aircraft (A) and, on the other hand, of a constraint regarding flight zone permitted in a flight corridor (6A, 6B) associated with said flight plan; and

c) at least one distance scale (9) and, on this distance scale (9), at least the following are presented on at least one viewing screen (8);

a first symbol (10) which is fixed and which indicates said actual position which is taken as reference position; and

two indicators (13, 14) which indicate the limits (15A, 15B) of said maximum permitted deviation said indicators (13, 14) being mobile and situated with respect to said first symbol (10) each time in conformity with the results of the processings carried out in said steps a) and b).

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein, if said indicators (13, 14) move with respect to said first symbol (10) so that said first symbol (10) is no longer situated between these indicators (13, 14), a first alert signal is emitted.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

in step b), a setpoint position of the aircraft (A), corresponding to a position required by the flight plan is moreover determined; and

in step c) , a second symbol (12) which indicates said setpoint position on the distance scale (9) is presented, moreover, on said viewing screen (8) , said second symbol (12) being mobile and situated with respect to said first symbol (10) each time in conformity with the results of the processings carried out in said steps a) and b).

25. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

in step b), an auxiliary deviation is moreover determined which illustrates a guidance performance of the aircraft (A), as a function of a piloting mode activated to pilot the aircraft (A); and

in step c), two markers (25, 26) which indicate on the distance scale (9) the limits (39A, 39B) of said auxiliary deviation are presented, moreover, on said viewing screen (8), said markers (25, 26) being mobile and situated with respect to said first symbol (10) each time in conformity with the results of the previous processing.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein:

said maximum permitted deviation (E1) is compared with said auxiliary deviation; and

if said maximum permitted deviation (E1) becomes less than said auxiliary deviation, a second alert signal is emitted.

27. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said maximum permitted deviation is a maximum permitted lateral deviation (E1) and said flight trajectory is a lateral flight trajectory (5).

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein in step b), the smallest of the following three differences is determined as maximum permitted lateral deviation (E1):

a difference between a corridor constraint (CV) relating to the flight corridor (6A, 6B) and an uncertainty in the calculated actual position;

a difference between twice said corridor constraint (CV) and a horizontal integrity limit; and

a difference between twice said corridor constraint (CV) and a probability relating to a transverse navigation error.

29. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said maximum permitted deviation is a maximum permitted vertical deviation and said flight trajectory is a vertical flight trajectory.

30. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said maximum permitted deviation is a longitudinal deviation according to the flight trajectory.

31. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said distance scale (9) is invariable.

32. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein in step c), one or more of the following distance scales (9) is or are presented:

a lateral scale;

a longitudinal scale; and

a vertical scale.

33. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein in step c), a combined display of lateral and longitudinal deviations is carried out on one and the same distance scale (9), corresponding to a horizontal deviation.

41. An aircraft, wherein it comprises a device (1) capable of implementing the method specified under claim 22.

34. A display device for an aircraft which follows a flight plan, said display device comprising:

a first means (2) for calculating the actual position of the aircraft (A);

a third means (4) for determining at least one maximum permitted deviation (E1) about a setpoint position on a flight trajectory (5) arising from said flight plan, as a function, on the one hand, of performance regarding accuracy and integrity of calculating said actual position of the aircraft (A) and, on the other hand, of a constraint regarding flight zone permitted in a flight corridor (6A, 6B) associated with said flight plan; and

a display system (7) for presenting, on at least one viewing screen (8), at least one distance scale (9) and, on this distance scale (9);

a first symbol (10) which is fixed and which indicates said actual position which is taken as reference position; and

two indicators (13, 14) which indicate the limits (15A, 15B) of said maximum permitted deviation (E1),

said display system (7) being formed so as to move said indicators (13, 14) which are mobile so that they are situated with respect to said first symbol (10) each time in conformity with the results of the processings carried out by said first and third means (2, 4).

35. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein it comprises, moreover, a second means (3) for determining a setpoint position of the aircraft (A), corresponding to a position required by the flight plan, and said display system (7) presents, moreover, on said viewing screen (8) a second symbol (12) which indicates said setpoint position on the distance scale (9), said display system (7) being formed sa as to move said second symbol (12) which is mobile so that it is situated with respect to said first symbol (10) each time in conformity with the results of the processings carried out by said first and second means (2, 3).

36. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein it comprises, moreover, a fourth means (24) for determining an auxiliary deviation which illustrates a guidance performance of the aircraft as a function of an activated piloting mode, and said display system (7) presents moreover on said viewing screen (8), two markers (25, 26) which indicate on the distance scale (9) the limits (39A, 39B) of said auxiliary deviation, said display system (7) being formed so as to move said markers (25, 26) which are mobile so that they are situated with respect to said first symbol (10) each time in conformity with the results of the processings carried out by said fourth means (24).

37. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein it comprises, moreover, means (18) capable of emitting at least one alert signal.

38. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein it comprises, moreover, a database (23) comprising constraint values (CV), relating to a flight corridor (6A, 6B) associated with a flight plan.

39. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein at least said third means (3) forms part of a flight management system of the aircraft (A).

40. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein said viewing screen (8) is a primary piloting screen.

42. An aircraft, wherein it comprises a device (1) such as that specified under claim 34.