DEVICE FOR GUIDING AN AIRCRAFT ALONG A FLIGHT TRAJECTORY

• US 20100332111A1
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: De Menorval, Jean-Louis, Averseng, Didier, Closse, Julien
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

The guidance device (1) comprises a flight computer (7) which comprises means (15) for formulating all the guidance orders for the aircraft, irrespective of the guidance mode selected.

Claims

1. A device for guiding an aircraft along a flight trajectory comprising a plurality of successive segments, said device comprising:

at least one navigation database;

at least one flight management system which comprises means for determining at least one flight trajectory of the aircraft with the aid of data received from said navigation database;

a flight computer which carries out processing operations intended for guiding the aircraft along said flight trajectory; and

means of actuation of control members of the aircraft,

wherein said flight computer comprises at least the following integrated means;

means for receiving said flight trajectory from said flight management system;

means for determining the segment of said flight trajectory which is active;

means for formulating errors of position between the actual position of the aircraft and the position that it would have if it were on said active segment; and

means which comprise all the guidance laws for the aircraft, corresponding respectively to the various guidance modes capable of being selected and applied to the aircraft, and which are formed in such a way as to formulate all the guidance orders for the aircraft, doing so regardless of the guidance mode which is selected, said guidance orders being transmitted to said means of actuation.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein:

said device comprises, moreover, at least one display system capable of displaying said flight trajectory and a monitoring system capable of carrying out processing operations relating to said flight trajectory; and

said flight management system communicates the same flight trajectory in one and the same format to said flight computer, to said display system and to said monitoring system.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said flight management system communicates to the flight computer all the flight trajectories available to it, and which are of the low-altitude type, and wherein said flight computer comprises means for recording these low-altitude flight trajectories.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said flight management system determines a four-dimensional flight trajectory comprising a three-dimensional trajectory and indications of corresponding times of passage, and wherein said flight computer comprises means for comparing this four-dimensional flight trajectory with the actual position of the aircraft and with the current time, and for deducing therefrom speed directives forming part of said guidance orders.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1,

which comprises, moreover, means for sending at least said flight trajectory out of the aircraft.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1,

which comprises two flight management systems and verification means for checking the data sent by theses two flight management systems.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1,

which comprises, moreover, means for formulating a four-dimensional flight trajectory making it possible to comply with a particular spacing with respect to at least one other aircraft.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1,

which comprises, moreover, means which are integrated into the flight computer and which are formed in such a way as to generate guidance orders making it possible to adapt the energy of the aircraft during a descent, by taking account of information relating to the air brakes of this aircraft.

9. An aircraft,

which comprises a device such as that specified under claim 1.