Method And Device For Preventing An Anti-Collision System On Board An Airplane From Emitting Alarms, During An Altitude Capture Maneuver

• US 20110187562A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• 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: Sapin, Olivier, Bompart, Vincent, Botargues, Paule, Dal Santo, Xavier
• Granted Patent: US 8,446,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/970
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

According to the invention, the device (1) comprises means (4) for adapting the altitude capture maneuver, means (5) for first detecting the emission of a first type alarm, means (6) for determining a first alarm threshold and means (7) for establishing an activation height threshold from said first alarm threshold and airplane vertical speed at the time of the alarm emission, so that, when the height separating said aircraft (AC) from the altitude set level is strictly higher than said height threshold at the time of the alarm emission, said adaptation means (4) are disabled.

Claims

1. A method for preventing at least some alarms to be emitted by an anti-collision system on board (2) an airplane (AC) during an altitude capture maneuver comprising a phase for capturing an altitude set level (Zc), said anti-collision system (2) being able to detect at least one intrusive aircraft (AI) being located in the air environment of said airplane (AC), to calculate a theoretical collision time between said airplane (AC) and said intrusive aircraft (AI) and to emit alarms of the first type and alarms of the second type, when such a theoretical collision time is lower respectively than a first threshold and a second threshold,

said method being able to implement a step of adaptation of said altitude capture maneuver by a control of the vertical speed of said airplane (AC) so as to prevent at least some of said alarms from being emitted,

characterized in that:

A/ during said altitude capture maneuver, the emission of an alarm of the first type is first detected;

B/ said first alarm threshold (S1d) is determined from the altitude of said airplane (AC) at the time of the emission of said alarm of the first type and of said level of the reference altitude (Zc); and

C/ an activation height threshold (ha) is established from said first determined alarm threshold (S1d) and from the vertical speed of said airplane at the time of the emission of said alarm of the first type, so that;

when the height (h) separating said airplane (AC) from said altitude set level (Zc), at time of the emission of said alarm of the first type, is at the most equal to said determined height threshold (ha), said adaptation step is able to be implemented so as to prevent new alarms from being emitted; and

when the height (h) separating said airplane (AC) from said altitude set level (Zc), at the time of the emission of said alarm of the first type, is strictly higher than said height threshold (ha), said adaptation step of the altitude capture maneuver is inhibited.

2. The method according to claim 1

characterized in that said activation height threshold (ha) is defined by the equation:

3. A method according to claim 1,

characterized in that, in step B/:

the maximum altitude (Zmax) is determined between the altitude of said airplane (AC) at the time of the emission of said alarm of the first type and said altitude set level (Zc); and

there is associated to said first alarm threshold, as a function of said determined maximum altitude (Zmax), a predefined value of the alarm threshold belonging to a predefined set of values of alarm threshold, each one of said values being associated with a given altitude.

4. A method according to claim 3,

characterized in that said set comprises predetermined values of reference and approximate values, obtained through a linear approximation of at least some of said values of reference.

5. A device for preventing at least some alarms from being emitted by an anti-collision system on board (2) an airplane (AC) during an altitude capture maneuver comprising a phase for capturing an altitude set level (Zc), said anti-collision system being able to detect at least one intrusive aircraft (AI) being located in the air environment of said airplane (AC), to calculate a theoretical collision time between said airplane (AC) and said intrusive aircraft (AI) and to emit alarms of the first type and alarms of the second type, when such a theoretical collision time is lower respectively than a first threshold and a second threshold,

said device (1) comprising means (4) able to adapt said altitude capture maneuver by a control of the vertical speed of said airplane (AC) so as to prevent at least some of said alarms from being emitted,

characterized in that said device (1) further comprises:

means (5) for first detecting, during said altitude capture maneuver, the emission of an alarm of the first type;

means (6) for determining said first alarm threshold (S1d) from the altitude of said airplane at the time of the emission of said alarm of the first type and of said altitude set level (Zc); and

means (7) for establishing an activation height threshold (ha) from said first determined alarm threshold (S1d) and from the vertical speed of said airplane at the time of the emission of said alarm of the first type, so that;

when the height (h) separating said airplane (AC) from said altitude set level (Zc), at the time of the emission of said alarm of the first type, is at the most equal to said determined height threshold (ha), said adaptation means (4) are activated so as to be able to adapt said altitude capture maneuver; and

when the height (h) separating said airplane (AC) from said altitude set level (Zc), at the time of the emission of said alarm of the first type, is strictly higher than said height threshold (ha), said adaptation means (4) are disabled.

6. An aircraft,

characterized in that it comprises a device (1) such as specified in claim 5.