Method for controlling the piloting of an aircraft

• US 20130304283A1
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• 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: Puyou, Guilhem, Eberle, Matthias, Perrin, Fabien, Manjon Sanchez, Javier
• Granted Patent: US 9,096,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0808 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft

Abstract

A method for controlling the piloting of an aircraft comprising the steps of receiving at least one first instruction for modification of a current velocity vector of the aircraft, determining a target velocity vector of the aircraft, on the basis of said at least one first instruction received, and determining, on the basis at least of said target velocity vector, at least one actuation command intended for at least one actuator of the aircraft in order to modify the movement of the aircraft according to said at least one first instruction received.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the piloting of an aircraft comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one first instruction for modification of the orientation of a current velocity vector of the aircraft,

determining a target velocity vector of the aircraft, on the basis of said at least one first instruction received, and

determining, on the basis at least of said target velocity vector, at least one actuation command intended for at least one actuator of the aircraft in order to modify the movement of the aircraft according to said at least one first instruction received,

the method further comprising the following steps of;

receiving an instruction for modification of the orientation of the predetermined target velocity vector, and

modifying the target velocity vector as a function of said command received, said actuation command being determined on the basis of the thus-modified target velocity vector.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which said at least one actuator is capable of setting a control surface of the aircraft in motion.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one instruction for modification of the current velocity vector of the aircraft relates to a flight path track angle.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one instruction for modification of the current velocity vector of the aircraft relates to a flight path angle.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a setting in motion of a piloting interface,

determining said at least one modification instruction as a function of the movement detected.

6. The method according to claim 1, also comprising a step of generating at least one graphic piloting interface display signal comprising a representation of said current velocity vector, said signal being configured to cause the display of a representation of the target velocity vector.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of generating a display signal configured to cause the display of an element to aid alignment with a target piloting path, said element being associated with said graphic representation of the target velocity vector.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of generating a warning signal in the event of an anomaly in alignment with at least one of the target path and an anomaly in correlation between the target velocity vector and the target path.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said at least one signal is configured to cause the display of the representation of the target velocity vector simultaneously with the display of the representation of said current velocity vector.

10. A computer program comprising instructions for the implementation of a method according to claim 1, when it is loaded in non-transient memory and executed by an aircraft piloting control system processor.

11. An aircraft piloting control system comprising a processing unit configured to receive at least one first instruction for modification of the orientation of a current velocity vector of the aircraft, to determine a target velocity vector of the aircraft, on the basis of said at least one first instruction received, and to determine, on the basis at least of said target velocity vector, at least one actuation command intended for at least one actuator of the aircraft in order to modify the movement of the aircraft according to said at least one first instruction received, said processing unit being moreover configured to receive an instruction for modification of the orientation of the target velocity vector determined, and modify the target velocity vector as a function of said received command, said actuation command being determined on the basis of the thus-modified target velocity vector.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit is moreover configured to generate at least one graphic piloting interface display signal comprising a representation of said current velocity vector, said signal being configured to cause the display of a representation of the target velocity vector.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the processing unit is moreover configured to generate a display signal configured to cause the display of an element for aiding alignment with a target piloting path, said element being associated with said graphic representation of the target velocity vector.

14. An aircraft comprising a system according to claim 11.