Low-noise flight support system

• US 7,383,104 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
• Original Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
• Inventors: Okuno, Yoshinori, Funabiki, Kohei, Gomi, Hiromi, Ishii, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dager; Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/196,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20060111818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 701/10, 701/3, 701/4, 244/1, 244/194, 340/965, 340/945, 381/941
• US Class Current: 701/3
• 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

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system that is used to provide support so that a pilot can perform flight operations that reduce noise pollution, by devising this system so that noise conditions on the ground are calculated and displayed on the basis of map information for the flight area in which facilities and the like are described, environmental conditions in the flight area such as the wind direction and wind velocity, or the temperature and density of the atmosphere, and noise generation data for the aircraft itself. The apparatus for supporting low-noise flight according to the present invention comprises means for estimating the noise generated by an aircraft using flight data such as the flight speed, the climb and descent rates, the engine power and the like of the aircraft, means for calculating the level at which the noise generated by the aircraft is propagated in the respective regions on the ground, and means for displaying the calculation results on a map in quantitative terms.

Claims

1. A low-noise flight support system comprising:

means for estimating the noise generated by an aircraft using flight data for the aircraft,

means for calculating a level at which the noise generated by the aircraft is propagated in various regions on the ground, and

means for displaying the calculation results on a map, and means for obtaining meteorological information,

wherein said meteorological information comprises at least one of air pressure, air temperature, wind direction and wind velocity, for the flight area, and

said means for calculating the level at which the noise generated by the aircraft is propagated in various regions on the ground performs calculations with the environmental conditions being taken into account, and

wherein the level of the noise generated by the aircraft in the respective regions on the ground is quantitatively and numerically displayed to the pilot operating the aircraft.

2. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 1, wherein the means for displaying the noise level on the ground on a map is means in which a display is installed in the instrument panel of the aircraft, and in which the noise level on the ground is displayed in real time in a contour configuration with this noise level superimposed on a map.

3. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 1, further comprising means for cumulatively calculating noise data on the ground, and comprising a function to select either instantaneous values of noise or cumulative noise data for noise to display the noise level.

4. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 2, further comprising means for cumulatively calculating noise data on the ground, and comprising a function to select either instantaneous values of noise or cumulative noise data for noise to display the noise level.

5. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 3, further comprising means for receiving cumulative noise data on the ground for other aircraft, and comprising a function to selectively display cumulative noise data on the ground with either cumulative values of noise over time generated by the aircraft or values obtained by adding together the cumulative values for the other aircraft within a specified time period.

6. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 4, further comprising means for receiving cumulative noise data on the ground for other aircraft, and comprising a function to selectively display cumulative noise data on the ground with either cumulative values of noise over time generated by the aircraft or values obtained by adding together the cumulative values for the other aircraft within a specified time period.

7. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 1, further comprising means for setting noise reference values that are applied according to the land utilization configuration on the ground and means for calculating the difference between the absolute values of noise and these reference values, and comprising a function to select the display configuration of the noise level from among the display of the absolute values of noise and display of the difference.

8. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 2, further comprising means for setting noise reference values that are applied according to the land utilization configuration on the ground and means for calculating the difference between the absolute values of noise and these reference values, and comprising a function to select the display configuration of the noise level from among the display of the absolute values of noise and display of the difference.

9. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 3, further comprising means for setting noise reference values that are applied according to the land utilization configuration on the ground and means for calculating the difference between the absolute values of noise and these reference values, and comprising a function to select the display configuration of the noise level from among the display of the absolute values of noise and display of the difference.

10. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 4, further comprising means for setting noise reference values that are applied according to the land utilization configuration on the ground and means for calculating the difference between the absolute values of noise and these reference values, and comprising a function to select the display configuration of the noise level from among the display of the absolute values of noise and display of the difference.

11. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 1, comprising a function configured to perform a numerical display on a map for specified points where it is desired to ascertain the noise conditions in quantitative terms.

12. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 11, wherein the numerical display in cases exceeding a threshold value is performed by means of an alarm display in order to evoke caution.

13. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 11, further comprising a function to superimpose the numerical display on a contour display.

14. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 12, superimposing the numerical display on a contour display.

15. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 11, further comprising noise regulation value data established for specified facility areas, wherein the means for calculating the level at which the noise generated by the aircraft is propagated in the respective regions on the ground is means which calculates the noise that is permitted for the aircraft and outputs a display of this noise.

16. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 1, comprising a function configured to perform a numerical display on a map for specified points where it is desired to ascertain the noise conditions in quantitative terms.

17. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 16, wherein the numerical display in cases exceeding a threshold value is performed by means of an alarm display in order to evoke caution.

18. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 16, superimposing the numerical display on a contour display.

19. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 17, superimposing the numerical display on a contour display.

20. The low-noise flight support system according to claim 16, further comprising noise regulation value data established for specified facility areas, wherein the means for calculating the level at which the noise generated by the aircraft is propagated in the respective regions on the ground is means which calculates the noise that is permitted for the aircraft and outputs a display of this noise.