Method for Monitoring the Flight of an Aircraft

• US 20100073199A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus, Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Merle, Jean-Michel, Marques, Andre, Raynaud, Garance, Christophe, Laure, Caule, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 8,248,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/963
• 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: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method for monitoring the flight of an aircraft consisting in triggering a warning representative of hazardous meteorological conditions liable to face the aircraft while the navigation screen is displaying the terrain-following information.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the flight of an aircraft using two navigation screens respectively dedicated to the pilot and to the copilot of said aircraft, of the type consisting in displaying on said screens, depending on the choice of the pilot and copilot, at least information relating to the following of terrain, notably the trajectory, by said aircraft or information relating to the meteorological conditions that the aircraft is likely to encounter during its flight and that is supplied by a meteorological radar on board said aircraft,

wherein, when said navigation screens of said pilot and copilot simultaneously display the terrain-following information, it further consists in triggering at least one warning representative of hazardous meteorological conditions detected by said radar and liable to be encountered by said aircraft, and in displaying said warning on at least one of said navigation screens.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said warning appears in the form of a message displayed on said navigation screen.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said warning appearing on said navigation screen is accompanied by the automatic opening of a window corresponding to said meteorological conditions and displayed on said navigation screen, partially or totally replacing the window relating to the following of terrain.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said warning appearing on said navigation screen is accompanied by a bright area corresponding to said meteorological conditions and displayed on said navigation screen above the information relating to the following of terrain.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said warning appearing on said navigation screen is accompanied by a change of scale and of mode of representation of the information relating to the meteorological conditions displayed on said navigation screen.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said warning appearing on said navigation screen is accompanied by an audible alarm.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1,

which consists in triggering said warning when the information relating to the hazardous meteorological conditions is located in a predetermined volume relative to said aircraft.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7,

which consists in providing a plurality of warning levels in said predetermined volume.