Method and system for aiding landing of an aircraft

• US 20170158349A1
• Filed: 11/21/2016
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: MAYOLLE, Matthieu, PUISSACQ, Ccile, SCACCHI, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 10,384,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: B64D 45/08 optical
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0047 Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft details of equipment G08G5/0017
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A method for aiding the landing of an aircraft on a landing runway comprising the following steps implemented in an automatic manner by a processing unit: a) acquiring information relating to the landing runway; b) acquiring information relating to a current situation of the aircraft; f) determining a maximum roll angle, in absolute value, necessary to allow a flight of the aircraft along a trajectory between a current position and a target landing position on the landing runway; g) comparing this maximum roll angle with a predetermined limit; and h) as a function of the result of the comparison carried out in step g), commanding, if appropriate, the signaling of an alert by means of a signaling system of the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method for aiding the landing of an aircraft on a landing runway, the aircraft comprising a set of information sources, a flight management system, a processing unit and a signaling system, wherein the method comprises the following steps implemented in an automatic manner by the processing unit:

a) acquiring, from the flight management system, information relating to the landing runway;

b) acquiring, from the set of information sources, information relating to a current situation of the aircraft;

f) determining a maximum roll angle, in absolute value, necessary to allow a flight of the aircraft along a trajectory between a current position of the aircraft and a target landing position of the aircraft on the landing runway;

g) comparing this maximum roll angle with a predetermined roll angle limit; and

h) as a function of the result of the comparison carried out in step g), commanding, if appropriate, the signaling of an alert by means of the signaling system of the aircraft.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in step h), the processing unit commands the signaling of the alert if the maximum roll angle is greater, in absolute value, than the predetermined roll angle limit.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target landing position is situated on a central longitudinal axis of the landing runway.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the maximum roll angle is determined using the equation:

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the following steps:

i) determining, as a function of the information relating to the current situation of the aircraft and of the information relating to the landing runway, a landing position of the aircraft on a central longitudinal axis of the landing runway, this landing position being determined as a function of a trajectory determined between a current position of the aircraft and this landing position so as to comply with at least one constraint relating to a roll angle of the aircraft;

j) determining a parameter relating to said landing position of the aircraft on the central longitudinal axis of the landing runway;

k) determining a deviation between this parameter and a reference value;

l) comparing this deviation with a predetermined threshold; and

in step h), the processing unit commands the signaling of the alert if the maximum roll angle is greater, in absolute value, than the predetermined roll angle limit and if the deviation determined in step k) is greater than the predetermined threshold.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein steps a), b), f), g), h) are implemented in an automatic manner when a current height of the aircraft is less than a predetermined height threshold, the method furthermore comprising the following steps implemented in an automatic and repetitive manner by the processing unit when the current height of the aircraft is greater than this predetermined height threshold:

a) acquiring, from the flight management system, information relating to the landing runway;

b) acquiring, from the set of information sources, information relating to a current situation of the aircraft;

c) determining, as a function of the information relating to the current situation of the aircraft and of the information relating to the landing runway, at least one deviation between at least one parameter relating to a landing position of the aircraft on the landing runway and a reference relating to a central longitudinal axis of the landing runway;

d) comparing this deviation with a predetermined threshold; and

e) as a function of the result of the comparison carried out in step d), commanding if appropriate the signaling of an alert by means of the signaling system of the aircraft.

7. A system for aiding the landing of an aircraft on a landing runway, the aircraft comprising a set of information sources, a flight management system and a signaling system, the system for aiding landing comprising a processing unit configured to implement the following steps:

a) acquiring, from the flight management system, information relating to the landing runway;

b) acquiring, from the set of information sources, information relating to a current situation of the aircraft;

f) determining a maximum roll angle, in absolute value, necessary to allow a flight of the aircraft along a trajectory between a current position of the aircraft and a target landing position of the aircraft on the landing runway;

g) comparing this maximum roll angle with a predetermined roll angle limit; and

h) as a function of the result of the comparison carried out in step g), commanding if appropriate the signaling of an alert by means of the signaling system of the aircraft.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processing unit is configured so as to command the signaling of the alert if the maximum roll angle is greater, in absolute value, than the predetermined roll angle limit.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein, in step f), the target landing position is situated on a central longitudinal axis of the landing runway.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the maximum roll angle, in step f), using the equation:

11. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processing unit is configured so as to furthermore implement the following steps:

i) determining, as a function of the information relating to the current situation of the aircraft and of the information relating to the landing runway, a landing position of the aircraft on a central longitudinal axis of the landing runway, this landing position being determined as a function of a trajectory determined between a current position of the aircraft and this landing position so as to comply with at least one constraint relating to a roll angle of the aircraft;

j) determining a parameter relating to said landing position of the aircraft on the central longitudinal axis of the landing runway;

k) determining a deviation between this parameter and a reference value;

l) comparing this deviation with a predetermined threshold; and

in step h), the processing unit commands the signaling of the alert if the maximum roll angle is greater, in absolute value, than the predetermined roll angle limit and if the deviation determined in step k) is greater than the predetermined threshold.

12. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processing unit is configured so as to:

implement steps a), b), f), g), h) when a current height of the aircraft is less than a predetermined height threshold; and

implement the following steps in an automatic and repetitive manner when the current height of the aircraft is greater than this predetermined height threshold;

a) acquiring, from the flight management system, information relating to the landing runway;

b) acquiring, from the set of information sources, information relating to a current situation of the aircraft;

c) determining, as a function of the information relating to the current situation of the aircraft and of the information relating to the landing runway, at least one deviation between at least one parameter relating to a landing position of the aircraft on the landing runway and a reference relating to a central longitudinal axis of the landing runway;

d) comparing this deviation with a predetermined threshold; and

e) as a function of the result of the comparison carried out in step d), commanding if appropriate the signaling of an alert by means of the signaling system of the aircraft.

13. An aircraft comprising a system for aiding the landing, the aircraft comprising:

a set of information sources,

a flight management system and

a signaling system,

the system for aiding landing comprising a processing unit configured to implement the following steps;

a) acquiring, from the flight management system, information relating to the landing runway;

b) acquiring, from the set of information sources, information relating to a current situation of the aircraft;

f) determining a maximum roll angle, in absolute value, necessary to allow a flight of the aircraft along a trajectory between a current position of the aircraft and a target landing position of the aircraft on the landing runway;

g) comparing this maximum roll angle with a predetermined roll angle limit; and

h) as a function of the result of the comparison carried out in step g), commanding if appropriate the signaling of an alert by means of the signaling system of the aircraft.