Flight Management System Vector Functions

• US 20100250033A1
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avidyne Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avidyne Corporation
• Inventors: Keirnan, Michael, Ingram, Michael J., Lindsley, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/11
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for diverting from a flight plan without adjusting an autopilot by treating a heading change as the new leg of a flight plan. The present invention allows the pilot of an aircraft to enter a heading to follow into a flight management system, which treats the heading as the current leg of a flight plan otherwise being followed by the flight management system. The present invention graphically displays the heading leg as the predicted track so that the pilot is able to see the airplane'"'"'s expected path. Such a change allows the autopilot to continue following commands from the flight management system rather than being changed to a mode in which the autopilot follows heading commands directly from the pilot.

Claims

1. A method of guiding an aircraft via autopilot in roll steering mode comprising the computer implemented steps of:

determining a heading unrelated to a preprogrammed flight plan that is comprised of sequential legs;

providing the determined heading to a flight management system;

instructing the flight management system to treat the determined heading as an active leg of the flight plan;

defining an interception point of a leg of the preprogrammed flight plan from the determined heading; and

instructing the flight management system to resume the preprogrammed flight plan relative to the defined interception point.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein instructing the flight management system to resume the preprogrammed flight plan includes automatically resuming the preprogrammed flight plan when the aircraft intercepts a leg of the preprogrammed flight plan.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein instructing the flight management system to resume the preprogrammed flight plan includes providing instructions to the flight management system to either:

resume the preprogrammed flight plan when the aircraft intercepts a leg of the preprogrammed flight plan;

or

continue following the determined heading when the aircraft intercepts a leg of the preprogrammed flight plan.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the autopilot is maintained in roll steering mode.

5. A method for providing heading inputs unrelated to a preprogrammed flight plan to an aircraft autopilot in roll steering mode comprising:

communicating a course heading to a flight management system that is transmitting steering commands related to a preprogrammed flight plan to an autopilot operating in roll steering mode; and

instructing the flight management system to transmit steering commands related to the communicated course heading instead of the steering commands related to the preprogrammed flight plan to the autopilot, the autopilot remaining in roll steering mode.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein instructing the flight management system to transmit steering commands related to the communicated course heading instead of the steering commands related to the preprogrammed flight plan to the autopilot comprises pressing a single button on the flight management system.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein communicating a course heading to a flight management system includes at least one of:

turning a dial located on the Flight Management System (FMS);

turning a dial located on a Flight Management Computer (FMC);

turning a dial on a Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI); and

entering a course heading on a keypad.

8. Computer apparatus for providing heading commands to an autopilot of an aircraft, the autopilot having a roll steering mode and a heading mode, the apparatus comprising:

means for providing a heading vector; and

flight management means for (i) enabling the autopilot in roll steering mode to follow a preprogrammed flight plan, and (ii) for generating a heading command in response to the provided heading vector, the flight management means forwarding the generated heading command to the autopilot to follow the heading command while in roll steering mode such that heading of the heading command is effectively treated as part of the preprogrammed flight plan.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the flight management means further subsequently determines an interception point of a leg of the preprogrammed flight plan from the heading of the heading command, and resumes the preprogrammed flight plan relative to the determined interception point.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the autopilot is responsive to the heading command in roll steering mode and is responsive to the heading vector in heading mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the autopilot is maintained in roll steering mode.