METHOD FOR DETERMINING AN INSTANTANEOUS OR ANTICIPATED PROBABLE ZONE OF OCCUPANCY OF AN AIRCRAFT IN AN AIRPORT NAVIGATION ZONE

• US 20140236470A1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: LAFON, Stphanie, MICHEL, Franois
• Granted Patent: US 9,047,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 for taking-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

The general field of the invention is that of methods for determining safety zones surrounding an aircraft travelling or taking off from an airport zone, the safety zone being calculated at a determined instant that may be the present instant or the future instant. The method according to the invention comprises at least the following steps:

• • Step 0: Establishment of a convex safety envelope surrounding the aircraft on the basis of reference points taken on the aircraft;
  • Step 1: Establishment of a first convex envelope safety zone surrounding the aircraft on the basis of reference circles taken on the aircraft, each circle having as centre one of the reference points and as radius the value of the uncertainty in the exact position of the aircraft.

Other steps of the method make it possible to refine this first safety zone depending on whether the aircraft is in a taxiing or takeoff phase and depending on whether it is calculated at the present instant or at the future instant.

Claims

1. Method for determining a safety zone surrounding an aircraft travelling or taking off from an airport zone, the safety zone being calculated at a determined instant, wherein the method comprises at least the following steps:

Step 0;

Establishment of a convex safety envelope surrounding the aircraft on the basis of reference points taken on the aircraft;

Step 1;

Establishment of a first convex safety zone surrounding the aircraft on the basis of reference circles taken on the aircraft, each circle having as centre one of the reference points and as radius the value of the uncertainty in the exact position of the aircraft.

2. Method for determining a safety zone surrounding an aircraft travelling or taking off from an airport zone according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises a step 2 succeeding steps 0 and 1, comprising:

Step 2;

Establishment of a second convex safety zone surrounding the aircraft, the said second zone being equal to the first zone extended aft of the aircraft by a blast zone corresponding to the blast cone of the jets of the aircraft.

3. Method for determining a safety zone surrounding an aircraft travelling or taking off from an airport zone according to claim 2, wherein, when the aircraft has taken off, the method comprises a step 3 succeeding steps 0, 1, and 2 comprising:

Step 3;

Establishment of a third convex safety zone situated at ground level of the airport zone, the said third safety zone being equal to the aircraft'"'"'s wake turbulence zone, the size and the shape of this third safety zone depending on the determined instant situated after the instant of takeoff of the aircraft.

4. Method for determining a safety zone surrounding an aircraft travelling or taking off from an airport zone according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises a step 4 succeeding at least steps 0 and 1, comprising:

Step 4;

Establishment of a fourth convex safety zone surrounding the aircraft, the said fourth safety zone being equal to at least the first zone extended fore of the aircraft by a braking zone corresponding to the aircraft'"'"'s braking distance.

5. Method for determining a safety zone surrounding an aircraft travelling or taking off from an airport zone according to claim 1, wherein the determined instant is the present time of the aircraft.

6. Method for determining a safety zone surrounding an aircraft travelling or taking off from an airport zone according to claim 2, wherein, the determined instant being a future time of the aircraft, the method comprises a step 5 succeeding at least steps 1 and 2, comprising:

Step 5;

Establishment of a fifth safety zone surrounding the aircraft, the said fifth safety zone being equal to the convolution product of the first, of the second or of the fourth envelope surrounding the aircraft with at least one potential path that may be traversed in the airport zone by the aircraft at a determined speed for a duration commencing at the present instant and finishing at the future instant.

7. Method for determining a safety zone surrounding an aircraft travelling or taking off from an airport zone according to claim 6, wherein the said fifth safety zone is equal to the convolution product of the first or of the second or of the fourth safety zone surrounding the aircraft with the entirety of the potential paths that may be traversed in the airport zone by the aircraft at a determined speed for a duration commencing at the present instant and finishing at the future instant.

8. Cockpit viewing system comprising first means arranged so as to implement the method according to claim 1 and a viewing device comprising at least one representation of the airport zone, of the position of the aircraft and of a safety zone surrounding the aircraft.