Method to determine and guide aircraft approach trajectory

• US 7,330,781 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Artini, Franck, Strongman, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLDFARB, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/123,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 701 16- 18, 701/202, 701205-207, 701209-210, 701/11, 340/947, 340/951, 340/970, 340/977, 244/3.15
• US Class Current: 701/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0646 to follow the profile of undulating ground
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing

Abstract

A method to determine, and guide an aircraft on, an intermediate trajectory between a first trajectory, for low-altitude flight, and a second trajectory, from which a tactical landing is carried out, may include determining a point of transition which lies on the first trajectory. The point of transition represents the start of the intermediate trajectory and corresponds to the point where the aircraft must exit the first flight trajectory so as to reach an initial point of the second flight trajectory, under predetermined flight conditions. Upon determining the point of transition, the aircraft is guided along the intermediate trajectory interconnecting the point of transition and the initial point of the second trajectory.

Claims

1. A method of determining, and guiding an aircraft over, an intermediate trajectory between a first flight trajectory, for low-altitude flight, and a second flight trajectory, which starts at an initial point and from which a tactical landing is carried out, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, information of the aircraft'"'"'s first flight trajectory and the initial point of the second flight trajectory;

determining, with the processor, a point of transition from the first flight trajectory to the intermediate trajectory where the aircraft must depart from the first flight trajectory so as to reach the initial point of the second flight trajectory under predetermined flight conditions; and

automatically guiding, with an automatic guidance system, the aircraft along the intermediate trajectory defined by the endpoints of the point of transition and the initial point of the second flight trajectory, wherein;

to determine the point of transition, the processor;

computationally idealizes a first straight line having a positive slope and a second straight line having a negative slope that are projected into an upstream vertical plane of the aircraft'"'"'s flight from the initial point of the second flight trajectory;

identifies all points at which either the first straight line or the second straight line intersect the first flight trajectory in the upstream vertical plane; and

selects the point of intersection closest to the initial point of the second flight trajectory as the point of transition,

the slopes of the first and second straight lines are determined in accordance with the predetermined flight conditions, and

the intermediate trajectory corresponds to a straight line segment connecting the point of transition and the initial point of the second flight trajectory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined flight conditions include at least one of the following aircraft flight conditions:

a predetermined speed;

a predetermined altitude;

a predetermined aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft; and

a rate of deceleration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined point of transition is presented to a pilot of the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic guidance for following the intermediate trajectory is triggered at the point of transition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the processor, an auxiliary point where the aircraft must decelerate so as to reach the initial point of the second flight trajectory in accordance with the predetermined flight conditions; and

automatically decelerating the aircraft, using the automatic guidance system, at the determined auxiliary point, wherein;

the processor determines the auxiliary point based upon the received information of the aircraft'"'"'s first flight trajectory and initial point.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the processor, an auxiliary point where the aircraft must change its aerodynamic configuration so as to reach the initial point of the second flight trajectory in accordance with the predetermined flight conditions; and

automatically changing the aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft, using the automatic guidance system, at the determined auxiliary point, wherein;

the processor determines the auxiliary point based upon the received information of the aircraft'"'"'s first flight trajectory and initial point.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor computationally interposes the second flight trajectory into a low-altitude flight section comprising the first flight trajectory and a third flight trajectory that is downstream of the second flight trajectory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented by avionics of the aircraft.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the section for aiding the guidance of the aircraft comprises a visualization section that presents the point of transition on a display screen.

9. A device for determining, and guiding an aircraft over, an intermediate trajectory between a first flight trajectory, for low-altitude flight, and a second flight trajectory, which starts at an initial point and from which a tactical landing is carried out, the device comprising:

a processor that determines, from information of the aircraft'"'"'s first flight trajectory and the initial point of the second flight trajectory, a point of transition from the first flight trajectory to the intermediate trajectory where the aircraft must depart from the first flight trajectory so as to reach the initial point of the second flight trajectory under predetermined flight conditions; and

a section that aids the guidance of the aircraft along the intermediate trajectory defined by the endpoints of the point of transition and the initial point of the second flight trajectory, wherein;

to determine the point of transition, the processor;

computationally idealizes a first straight line having a positive slope and a second straight line having a negative slope that are projected into an upstream vertical plane of the aircraft'"'"'s flight from the initial point of the second flight trajectory;

identifies all points at which either the first straight line or the second straight line intersect the first flight trajectory in the upstream vertical plane; and

selects the point of intersection closest to the initial point of the second flight trajectory as the point of transition,

the slopes of the first and second straight lines are determined in accordance with the predetermined flight conditions, and

the intermediate trajectory corresponds to a straight line segment connecting the point of transition and the initial point of the second flight trajectory.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the section for aiding the guidance of the aircraft comprises an automatic guidance system that automatically guides the aircraft along the intermediate trajectory.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the device is integrated within avionics of the aircraft.