Aircraft control system for reaching a waypoint at a required time of arrival
First Claim
1. A system for controlling the flight of an aircraft to enable the aircraft to reach a waypoint substantially at a predetermined time, the system comprising a speed profile generator in communication with a trajectory generator;
- said speed profile generator configured to receive a nominal speed command signal, a time error signal and a sensitivity signal and to produce a speed profile signal in response to said nominal speed command signal, said time error signal and said sensitivity signal;
said trajectory generator configured to receive said speed profile signal and a required time of arrival signal to produce a time error signal and a sensitivity signal in response to said speed profile signal and said required time of arrival signal, said sensitivity signal representing the sensitivity of said time error signal to changes in said speed profile signal.
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Abstract
The instant invention provides a system and method for controlling the flight of an aircraft to meet an RTA. The system comprises a speed profile generator that communicates with a trajectory generator to produce a speed profile signal that enables the aircraft to reach a waypoint substantially at a predetermined time. In the system of the instant invention, the speed profile generator receives a nominal speed command signal, a time error signal and a sensitivity signal. Based on these inputs, the speed profile generator produces a speed profile signal. The trajectory generator receives the speed profile signal and a required time of arrival signal. Based on these signals, the trajectory generator produces a time error signal and a sensitivity signal. This sensitivity signal represents the sensitivity of the time error signal to changes in the speed profile signal.
115 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A system for controlling the flight of an aircraft to enable the aircraft to reach a waypoint substantially at a predetermined time, the system comprising a speed profile generator in communication with a trajectory generator;
- said speed profile generator configured to receive a nominal speed command signal, a time error signal and a sensitivity signal and to produce a speed profile signal in response to said nominal speed command signal, said time error signal and said sensitivity signal;
said trajectory generator configured to receive said speed profile signal and a required time of arrival signal to produce a time error signal and a sensitivity signal in response to said speed profile signal and said required time of arrival signal, said sensitivity signal representing the sensitivity of said time error signal to changes in said speed profile signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
- said speed profile generator configured to receive a nominal speed command signal, a time error signal and a sensitivity signal and to produce a speed profile signal in response to said nominal speed command signal, said time error signal and said sensitivity signal;
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34. A method of controlling the flight of an aircraft to cause the aircraft to reach a waypoint substantially at a predetermined time, the method comprising:
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producing a time error signal in response to a required time of arrival signal and a speed profile signal, revising said speed profile signal in response to said time error signal, producing a sensitivity signal in response to said revised speed profile signal, and further revising said speed profile signal in response to said sensitivity signal, wherein said further revising said speed profile signal comprises;
estimating a speed adjustment increment, estimating a sensitivity of said time error signal to said speed adjustment increment, and determining a refined speed adjustment increment, wherein said estimating a sensitivity includes determining a variability of said sensitivity. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A method of controlling the flight of an aircraft to cause the aircraft to reach a waypoint substantially at a predetermined time, the method comprising:
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producing a time error signal in response to a required time of arrival signal and a speed profile signal, revising said speed profile signal in response to said time error signal, producing a sensitivity signal in response to said revised speed profile signal, and further revising said speed profile signal in response to said sensitivity signal, wherein said speed profile signal is determined according to a percentage airspeed method.
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37. A method of controlling the flight of an aircraft to cause the aircraft to reach a waypoint substantially at a predetermined time, the method comprising:
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producing a time error signal in response to a required time of arrival signal and a speed profile signal, revising said speed profile signal in response to said time error signal, producing a sensitivity signal in response to said revised speed profile signal, further revising said speed profile signal in response to said sensitivity signal, detecting variations in said sensitivity signal and producing a variability signal in response thereto. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A method of controlling the flight of an aircraft to cause the aircraft to reach a waypoint substantially at a predetermined time, the method comprising:
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producing a time error signal in response to a required time of arrival signal and a speed profile signal, revising said speed profile signal in response to said time error signal, producing a sensitivity signal in response to said revised speed profile signal, and further revising said speed profile signal in response to said sensitivity signal, wherein said step of revising said speed profile signal includes;
a first operation including initializing a status for each waypoint to either an active status or an inactive status and revising said speed profile signal for each waypoint having an active status, a second operation comprising determining whether the status of each waypoint is proper and correcting the status of each improperly statused waypoint, and a third operation comprising repeating said first operation and said second operation until the status of each waypoint is proper.
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Specification