METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ASSISTING IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RELATIVE SPACING BETWEEN AIRCRAFT

• US 20100152996A1
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Coulmeau, Francois, Blanchon, Xavier, Gutierrez-Castaneda, Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

The invention presents a method providing for the optimized regulation of the relative spacing between aircraft. This method can be implemented by a system whose physical architecture can rely mainly on existing computers on board most current aircraft.

The method according to the invention comprises a main step of determining the changing trend of the relative spacing, in distance or in time, between a target aircraft (C) and a following aircraft (S).

Claims

1. Method for assisting in the management of the relative spacing between aircraft, implemented in a following aircraft located on an approach trajectory substantially identical to that of a target aircraft preceding it, comprising the following steps:

the collection, at regular time intervals, of information relating to the successive positions of the target aircraft, constituting a first series of the successive positions of the target aircraft associated with the corresponding successive times,

the analysis of said first series, comprising;

calculating the successive values of the relative spacing, in distance or in time, between the following aircraft and the target aircraft and comparing them to a required relative spacing,

constructing a second series comprising the predictive successive relative spacings, at successive times separated by said regular time interval, between the following aircraft and the target aircraft,

determining whether the second series is increasing, which indicates that the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft is increasing, whether the second series is decreasing, which indicates that the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft is reducing, or whether the second series is constant, which indicates that the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft is stable,

the determination of a speed setpoint of the following aircraft so as to;

control the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft so that it observes the required relative spacing, to within a tolerance.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein said second series is made up of terms, each corresponding, at a given instant at which the information relating to the position of the target aircraft is collected, to the difference between the distance traveled by the following aircraft and the distance traveled by the target aircraft over the time interval preceding said given instant.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein second series is made up of terms, each corresponding, at a given instant at which the information relating to the position of the target aircraft is collected, to the difference between the time of passage of the following aircraft and the time of passage of the target aircraft at the point at which the target aircraft was located at said given instant.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein said second series is made up of terms, each corresponding, at a given instant at which the information relating to the position of the target aircraft is collected, to the distance between the following aircraft and the target aircraft at said given instant.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein said second series is made up of terms, each corresponding, at a given instant at which the information relating to the position of the target aircraft is collected, to the time elapsed between said given instant and the future estimated time of passage of the following aircraft at the position occupied by the target aircraft at said given instant.

6. Method according to one of claim 1, wherein said first series also comprises the speed of the target aircraft associated with the successive positions concerned.

7. Method according to one of claim 1, wherein, in the first series, there is associated with each successive position of the target aircraft the associated speed of the target aircraft, calculated as being equal to the average speed of the target aircraft over the time interval preceding the position concerned.

8. Method according to one of claim 6, wherein said control of the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft comprises the following steps:

if the current relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft observes the requires spacing, to within the tolerance;

the speed setpoint of the following aircraft is equal to the speed of the target aircraft at the next known position of the target aircraft available in the first series;

if the current relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft is greater than the required relative spacing and;

if the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft increases or is stable, the speed setpoint of the following aircraft is the speed of the target aircraft at the next known position augmented by a correction value;

if the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft decreases and;

if the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft tends to become less than the required relative spacing, the speed setpoint of the following aircraft is the speed of the target aircraft at the next known position;

if the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft tends to remain greater than the required spacing, the speed setpoint of the following aircraft is the speed of the target aircraft at the next known position augmented by a correction;

if the current relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft is less than the required relative spacing and;

if the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft decreases or is stable, the speed setpoint of the following aircraft is the speed of the target aircraft at the next known position minus a correction value;

if the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft increases and;

if the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft tends to become greater than the required relative spacing, the speed setpoint of the following aircraft is the speed of the target aircraft at the next known position;

if the relative spacing between the following aircraft and the target aircraft tends to remain less than the required spacing, the speed setpoint of the following aircraft is the speed of the target aircraft at the next known position minus a correction.

9. System for assisting in the management of the flight of an aircraft, comprising means making it possible to implement the method in the management of the relative spacing between the aircraft according to any one of claim 1.

10. System according to claim 9, comprising:

means (for checking that the conditions making it possible to implement the method according to the invention are met, said conditions comprising at least the actual reception of the information relating to the successive positions of the target aircraft,

means for acquiring and storing said information relating to the successive positions of the target aircraft, corresponding to the construction of the first series,

means for generating a flight profile, comprising at least the determination of a speed setpoint of the following aircraft, aiming to observe the required relative spacing,

means for checking that the speed setpoint of the following aircraft is likely to allow for the required relative spacing to be observed,

means for interacting with the crew of the aircraft.

11. System according to claim 10, having an operating mode that can be:

“

advice only”

, corresponding to a mode of operation in which the system simply presents to the crew the information relating to the target aircraft that has been collected;

in this mode, the crew is responsible for determining the setpoint speed of the following aircraft,

“

check relative spacing”

, corresponding to a mode of operation in which the system additionally performs a check aiming to check whether the speed setpoint of the following aircraft determined by the crew makes it possible to ensure observance of the required relative spacing,

“

assisted planning”

, corresponding to a mode of operation in which the system additionally determines the setpoint speed of the following aircraft.

12. System according to claim 10, wherein said means for interacting with the crew of the following aircraft comprises a man-machine interface enabling at least said crew to select the target aircraft.

13. System according to claim 11, wherein said means for interacting with the crew of the aircraft comprises a man-machine interface enabling at least said crew to select the mode of operation of the system.