METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A PLURALITY OF PERFORMANCE INDICATORS RELATING TO THE FLIGHT OF AN AIRCRAFT, AND ASSOCIATED COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20150302671A1
• Filed: 10/17/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Sacle, Jrme, Goutelard, Harv, Delpy, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US14/517,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20150302671A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0095 Aspects of air-traffic control not provided for in the other subgroups of this main group

Abstract

A method and device for determining a plurality of performance indicators relating to the flight of an aircraft and an associated computer program product are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes calculating a first performance indicator based on an estimated time of arrival of the aircraft at the arrival location, an estimated flight time of the aircraft from its take-off until its arrival at the arrival location, and an estimated amount of fuel consumed by the aircraft up to the arrival location. The method further includes calculating at least one other performance indicator among second and third performance indicators. The second performance indicator is calculated based on a time difference between the estimated arrival time and the intended arrival time. The third performance indicator is calculated based on a consumption difference between the estimated amount of consumed fuel and the intended amount of consumed fuel and an additional quantity.

Claims

1. A method for determining a plurality of performance indicators relating to the flight of an aircraft to an arrival location, the method being applied by an electronic device, the aircraft comprising a memory configured to store a flight plan of the aircraft and a predetermined value of an intended amount of consumed fuel during the flight, the flight plan including an intended arrival time at the arrival location, the method comprising:

calculating a first performance indicator based on;

i) an estimated time of arrival of the aircraft at the arrival location, ii) an estimated flight time of the aircraft from its take-off until its arrival at the arrival location, and iii) an estimated amount of fuel consumed by the aircraft up to the arrival location; and

calculating at least one other performance indicator among second and third performance indicators,

wherein the second performance indicator is calculated based on a time difference between the estimated arrival time and the intended arrival time, and

wherein the third performance indicator is calculated based on;

i) a consumption difference between the estimated amount of consumed fuel and the intended amount of consumed fuel and ii) at least one additional quantity among the following;

a noise level generated by the aircraft and a duration of use of an auxiliary electric motor powered by turbines of the aircraft.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising calculating both of the second and third performance indicators.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a display screen and wherein the method further comprises displaying on the display screen at least one piece of information relating to each of the calculated performance indicators.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft is an airplane including a cabin and wherein the method further comprises calculating a fourth performance indicator based on:

i) the time difference and ii) at least one additional quantity among the following;

a cumulated duration for crossing turbulence areas and a measured value of the pressure inside the cabin.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises calculating a global indicator from the different calculated performance indicators.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein calculating the global indicator comprises multiplying each calculated performance indicator by a respective weighting coefficient, the global indicator satisfying the following equations:

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises generating an alert when at least one performance indicator among the different calculated performance indicators is outside a predetermined range of values.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a display screen and wherein the method further comprises:

determining at least one corrective action for improving at least one calculated performance indicator; and

displaying on the display screen each determined corrective action.

9. A computer program product including software instructions which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

calculating a first performance indicator based on;

i) an estimated time of arrival of an aircraft at an arrival location, ii) an estimated flight time of the aircraft from its take-off until its arrival at the arrival location, and iii) an estimated amount of fuel consumed by the aircraft up to the arrival location; and

calculating at least one other performance indicator among second and third performance indicators,

wherein the second performance indicator is calculated based on a time difference between the estimated arrival time and an intended arrival time, and

wherein the third performance indicator is calculated based on;

i) a consumption difference between the estimated amount of consumed fuel and an intended amount of consumed fuel and ii) at least one additional quantity among the following;

a noise level generated by the aircraft and a duration of use of an auxiliary electric motor powered by turbines of the aircraft.

10. An electronic device for determining a plurality of performance indicators relating to the flight of an aircraft to an arrival location,

the aircraft comprising a memory configured to store a flight plan of the aircraft and a predetermined value of an intended amount of fuel consumed during the flight, the flight plan including an intended arrival time at the arrival location,

the aircraft further comprising:

i) a first estimation module configured to estimate an arrival time of the aircraft at the arrival location, ii) a second estimation module configured to estimate a flight time of the aircraft from its take-off to its arrival at the arrival location, and iii) a third estimation module configured to estimate an amount of fuel consumed by the aircraft right up to the arrival location,

the device comprising;

a first calculation module configured to calculate a first performance indicator based on;

i) the estimated arrival time, ii) the estimated flight time and iii) the estimated consumed fuel amount; and

a second calculation module configured to calculate at least one other performance indicator among second and third performance indicators,

wherein the second performance indicator is calculated based on a time difference between the estimated arrival time and the intended arrival time, and

wherein the third performance indicator is calculated based on;

i) the consumption difference and ii) at least one additional quantity among the following;

a noise level generated by the aircraft and a duration of use of an auxiliary electric motor powered by turbines of the aircraft.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the performance indicators is calculated based on a plurality of elementary indicators and a plurality of weighting coefficients respectively corresponding to the elementary indicators.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein each elementary indicator is defined as a piecewise affine function of an estimated value of a considered flight variable.