Method And Device For Aiding The Piloting Of An Aircraft During A Final Approach Phase

• US 20110184595A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Azoulai, Laurent, Albert, Nicolas, Rouquette, Patrice, Rambach, Diane
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

Method and device for aiding the piloting of an aircraft during a final approach phase.

The device (1) comprises means (3) for automatically selecting an approach that will be used during the landing on an airport.

Claims

1. A method for aiding the piloting of an aircraft during an approach final phase for a landing on an airport, said approach final phase being implemented according to one of a plurality of different approaches, to each one of which is associated one particular decision height, a method wherein:

a) means allowing a crew member to select a landing way of the airport, that will be used during the landing are provided;

b) amongst the possible approaches, an approach for the landing on said selected landing way is automatically selected, that is generally one approach;

which presents the lowest decision height; and

which is technically likely to be implemented by the aircraft, by checking if detection means likely to detect signals that have to be used during this approach, are available on board the aircraft, and if these detection means suitably detect said signals; and

c) the thus selected approach for the activation of an approach which will effectively be implemented by the aircraft is used.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, at step b):

b1) from a database (8) containing the characteristics of the existing approaches, those that are associated to the selected landing way are selected;

b2) among these extracted approaches, the one presenting the lowest decision height is selected; and

b3) it is checked if the approach selected at step b2) can be technically implemented by the aircraft, and if so, this approach is considered to represent said selected approach, while on the contrary if not, said steps b2) and b3) are repeated for the approach presenting the immediately higher decision height,

these steps b2) and b3) being repeated in an ascending order of decision height until a selected approach likely to be implemented, representing then said selected approach is obtained.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, at step b):

from a database (8) containing the characteristics of the existing approaches, those that are associated to the selected landing way are selected;

amongst these extracted approaches, all those that can technically be implemented by the aircraft are checked and

amongst the extracted approaches likely to be implemented is selected that presenting the lowest decision height.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, at step b):

means for receiving from an air traffic controller a recommended approach are provided;

from a database (8) containing the characteristics of the existing approaches, those being associated to the selected landing way are extracted and the approaches are sorted by growing decision height, by placing the recommended approach overhead of this sorting; and

in this sorting is selected the first approach likely to be technically implemented by the aircraft.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, at step b):

means for receiving from an air traffic controller a recommended approach are provided;

from a database (8) containing the characteristics of the existing approaches, those that are associated to the selected landing way are selected;

among these extracted approaches, all those that can technically be implemented by the aircraft are checked;

if the recommended approach can be technically implemented, this latter is selected;

otherwise, among these extracted approaches likely to be implemented is selected that presenting the lowest decision height.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at step c), the approach selected at step b) is automatically activated.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at step c), the approach selected at step b) is presented to a member of the aircraft crew, and means allowing the crew member to manually validate this approach are provided.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at step c), approaches are presented to a member of the aircraft crew, and means allowing this crew member to manually select an approach are provided.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, at step b), a sorting is performed according to at least one of the following criteria:

the type of approach;

the approach means.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, to check if an approach is technically likely to be implemented, it is checked:

if the means likely to detect signals that have to be used during this approach are available on board the aircraft and are in an operational condition; and

if such means suitably detect said signals.

11. A device for aiding the piloting of an aircraft during an approach final phase for a landing on an airport, said approach final phase being implemented according to one of a plurality of different approaches, to each one of which is associated a particular decision height, said device (1) comprising:

means (2) allowing a crew member to select a landing way of the airport, that will be used upon landing;

means (3) for automatically selecting among the possible approaches, an approach for the landing on said selected landing way, that is generally an approach;

which is technically likely to be implemented by the aircraft; and

which presents the lowest decision height,

said means (3) comprising means (7) to check if the detection means likely to detect signals that have to be used during this approach, are available on board the aircraft and if these detection means suitably detect said signals; and

means (4) for using the thus selected approach for activating one approach which will effectively be implemented by the aircraft.