Method for automatically controlling a vehicle for the lateral avoidance of a fixed zone

• US 6,173,219 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sextant Avionique
• Original Assignee: Sextant Avionique
• Inventors: Deker, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arthur, Gertrude
• Application Number:
  US09/147,355
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 701/7, 701/9, 701/11, 701/13, 701/14, 701/15, 701/16, 701/120, 701/200, 701/201, 701/226, 701/300, 701/301, 701/302, 701/3, 701/23, 244/75.R, 244/158.R, 340/945, 340/961
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/00 Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00 measuring distance traversed on the ground by a vehicle G01C22/00; control of position, course, altitude or attitude of vehicles G05D1/00; traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft

Abstract

A method for laterally avoiding a fixed zone in an aircraft. The contour of the zone to be avoided is modeled by a convex polygon shape. The planned route is located with respect to the modeled zone. The port and starboard sections of the route for exit and return of the planned route are computed. A predetermined angle is formed which meets with a corner point of the contour to obtain two avoidance routes formed by the exit and return sections of the route and by the portions of the contour. One of the two avoidance routes is then selected.

Claims

1. Method for piloting a vehicle for avoidance of a fixed zone, said fixed zone having at least a portion intersecting an initially planned route, wherein said method comprising the following successive steps:

modeling a polygon contour of the fixed zone approximating an actual contour of the fixed zone, said polygon having a succession of segments, with each segment being at least a predetermined length and extending between polygon corner points without bending toward an inner part of the fixed zone;

locating the planned route with respect to the polygon contour;

determining two avoidance routes as port and starboard side routes leaving the planned route before the fixed zone, with the port side route passing around a left side of the fixed zone and the starboard side route passing around a right side of the fixed zone, and the port side route and the starboard side route returning to the planned route after the fixed zone, each side route including an exit portion extending from an exit point on the planned route to a polygon corner point with each exit point being chosen in order that each exit portion forms a predetermined angle with the planned route at each exit point, a return portion extending from a polygon corner point to a return point on the planned route with each return point being chosen in order that each return portion forms a predetermined angle with the planned route at each return point, and portions of the polygon contour respectively connecting the port and starboard exit and return portions; and

selecting one of the port and starboard side routes according to a predetermined criterion.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the port and starboard exit and return portions connect to corner points of the polygon contour which are situated on either side of the planned route and which are closest to points of intersection of the planned route and the polygon contour.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the determining of the two avoidance routes includes determining the two avoidance routes to have common exit and return points and then determining which of the two avoidance routes is shorter and using the shorter determination as the predetermined criterion for selecting an avoidance route.

4. Method according to claim 2, further comprising an initial step of searching for a section of the planned route traversing the fixed zone and computing a planned point of entry into the fixed zone, wherein the determining of the two avoidance routes is performed if the vehicle lies sufficiently far from the planned point of entry relative to current vehicle speed.

5. Method according to claim 2, further comprising confirming a selected avoidance route by a pilot and periodically computing and displaying a distance between a current position of the vehicle and a point of exit from the planned route to the selected avoidance route.

6. Method according to claim 2, further comprising periodically computing and displaying a distance between a current position of the vehicle and the fixed zone if the exit point from the planned route to a selected avoidance route has been passed without the selected avoidance route having been confirmed and displaying an alert message if the vehicle actually enters the fixed zone.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the two avoidance routes includes determining the two avoidance routes to have common exit and return points and then determining which of the two avoidance routes is shorter and using the shorter determination as the predetermined criterion for selecting an avoidance route.

8. Method according to claim 7, further comprising an initial step of searching for a section of the planned route traversing the fixed zone and computing a planned point of entry into the fixed zone, wherein the determining of the two avoidance routes is performed if the vehicle lies sufficiently far from the planned point of entry relative to current vehicle speed.

9. Method according to claim 7, further comprising confirming a selected avoidance route by a pilot and periodically computing and displaying a distance between a current position of the vehicle and a point of exit from the planned route to the selected avoidance route.

10. Method according to claim 7, further comprising periodically computing and displaying a distance between a current position of the vehicle and the fixed zone if the exit point from the planned route to a selected avoidance route has been passed without the selected avoidance route having been confirmed and displaying an alert message if the vehicle actually enters the fixed zone.

11. Method according to claim 1, further comprising an initial step of searching for a section of the planned route traversing the fixed zone and computing a planned point of entry into the fixed zone, wherein the determining of the two avoidance routes is performed if the vehicle lies sufficiently far from the planned point of entry relative to current vehicle speed.

12. Method according to claim 11, further comprising confirming a selected avoidance route by a pilot and periodically computing and displaying a distance between a current position of the vehicle and a point of exit from the planned route to the selected avoidance route.

13. Method according to claim 11, further comprising periodically computing and displaying a distance between a current position of the vehicle and the fixed zone if the exit point from the planned route to a selected avoidance route has been passed without the selected avoidance route having been confirmed and displaying an alert message if the vehicle actually enters the fixed zone.

14. Method according to claim 1, further comprising confirming a selected avoidance route by a pilot and periodically computing and displaying a distance between a current position of the vehicle and a point of exit from the planned route to the selected avoidance route.

15. Method according to claim 14, further comprising periodically computing and displaying a distance between a current position of the vehicle and the fixed zone if the exit point from the planned route to a selected avoidance route has been passed without the selected avoidance route having been confirmed and displaying an alert message if the vehicle actually enters the fixed zone.

16. Method according to claim 1, further comprising periodically computing and displaying a distance between a current position of the vehicle and the fixed zone if the exit point from the planned route to a selected avoidance route has been passed without the selected avoidance route having been confirmed and displaying an alert message if the vehicle actually enters the fixed zone.

17. Method according to claim 1, further comprising determining and having the vehicle follow a curved change of heading trajectory passing through said each polygon contour corner point for a selected avoidance route, wherein each curved change is determined as a curve passing through each corresponding polygon contour corner, with each determined curve having a turning center lying on an interior bisector of an angle formed by the polygon contour sections which meet to form each corresponding polygon contour corner point.

18. Method according to claim 17, wherein the curved change of heading trajectory determined for at least one of the polygon contour corner points is joined with a curved linking trajectory and the curved linking trajectory is determined as a linking curve having a same turning radius as that of the change of heading trajectory curve, with the linking curve being tangent to the change of heading trajectory curve and to a further portion of the selected avoidance route.

19. Method according to claim 17, further comprising linking a second curved change of heading trajectory corresponding to a second pentagon contour corner to a first change of heading trajectory corresponding to a first pentagon contour corner by a rectilinear linking trajectory tangent to the two curved change of heading trajectories when there are two closely-spaced changes of heading.

20. Method according to claim 17, further comprising computing a turning radius as a function of vehicle speed and to comply with a predetermined angle of roll of the vehicle.