Navigation Aid System for a Drone

• US 20110257813A1
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: GOMEZ, Stéphane, COULMEAU, François, MARTY, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

A system for aiding the navigation of an aircraft able to be piloted remotely by an operator includes means for transmitting data allowing the operator to dialogue with an air traffic controller according to at least one mode of dialogue and means for monitoring the flight parameters, notably aircraft state parameters and navigation parameters. The system also includes a means for detecting flight events, a means for formulating a message corresponding to a flight event, a means for scheduling the message in a list of messages, and a means for synthesizing the message in a mode of dialogue.

Claims

1. A system for aiding the navigation of an aircraft able to be piloted remotely by an operator comprising means for transmitting data allowing the operator to dialogue with an air traffic controller according to at least one mode of dialogue and means for monitoring the flight parameters including aircraft state parameters and navigation parameters, comprising:

means for detecting flight events,

means for formulating a message corresponding to a flight event,

means for scheduling the message in a list of messages, and

means for synthesizing the message in the mode of dialogue, the transmission means being able to send the message in the mode of dialogue to the operator and/or the controller.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein a first mode of dialogue is of voice type and the means for synthesizing the message is able to generate the voice phraseology corresponding to the message.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein a second mode of dialogue is of textual type and the means for synthesizing the message is able to generate the message according to a textual communication standard, notably of CPDLC type.

4. The system according to claim 3, the means for transmitting data comprising a first communication means able to transmit voice messages and a second communication means able to transmit messages according to a textual communication standard notably of CPDLC type, and further comprising a means for converting voice messages into text data and a means for synthesizing the text data as a message according to the textual communication standard.

5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a means for identifying the voice messages originating from the first communication means so as to select solely the voice messages intended for the operator.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the function for detecting a flight event is able to detect a flight event on the basis of data arising from a geo-location means, further comprising a means for monitoring the flight parameters, a trajectory management means, and an information database for navigation in a flight space.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a means of flight command activation in response to a text message.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a means of flight command activation in response to a detected flight event.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein a flight event is related to the state of the aircraft.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein a flight event is related to the navigation of the aircraft.