System for displaying on a first moving object a position indication dependent on a position of a second moving object

• US 7,739,043 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Pellatiero, Nicolas, Fouet, Guillaume, Winkler, Falk, Menras, Didier
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMPLE, JONATHAN L
• Application Number:
  US11/491,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211, 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/215
• US Class Current: 701/211
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/005 for aircraft positioning relative to other aircraft

Abstract

System for displaying on a first moving object a position indication dependent on a position of a second moving object.

The system (1) comprises measurement means (2) for carrying out position measurements relating to at least one position dependent on the second moving object, processing means (3) mounted on the first moving object, and connected to the measurement means (2), and intended for the processing of said position measurements so as to produce a characteristic position, a display device (4) mounted on the first moving object, connected to the processing means (3), and presenting on a viewing screen (6), on a display illustrating at least partially the environment of the first moving object, a position indication which is situated at said characteristic position, and triggering means (7) for triggering the implementation of measurements by said measurement means (2).

Claims

1. A system for displaying on a first moving object a position indication dependent on a position of a second moving object, said system comprising:

a measurement device that carries out at least one position measurement and is arranged exclusively on the first moving object, said measurement device comprising a first element which is configured to carry out a first position measurement, corresponding to the actual position of said first moving object;

a processing device mounted on said first moving object and connected to said measurement device, said processing device determining a characteristic position which is fixed;

a display device mounted on said first moving object, which is connected to said processing device, and which presents, upon the generation of said characteristic position, on a viewing screen, on a display illustrating at least partially the environment of said first moving object, said position indication which is situated at said characteristic position; and

a triggering device that triggers the implementation of at least one measurement by said measurement device, wherein said processing device determines, as a characteristic position, a fixed position which no longer displaces onward at the instant generated and which corresponds to a particular geographical position related to a trajectory of said second moving object, wherein said measurement device comprises a third element which is configured to measure, at a same instant as said first element, a relative position between said first and second moving objects, and wherein said processing device determines said fixed position, on the basis of said first position measurement and of said measured relative position.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said triggering device is configured to periodically trigger the measurements carried out by said measurement device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said triggering device comprises an interface device arranged on said second moving object and allows an operator to produce at least one triggering order for triggering the measurements carried out by said measurement device, and wherein said system further comprises a transmitting device that transmits data between said first and second moving object to transmit said triggering order to said-first moving object.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprises a recording device that records said fixed position determined by said processing device.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first moving object is a first aircraft and the second moving object is a second aircraft.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the characteristic position remains in a same viewing position on the display device.

5. A system for displaying on a first moving object, a position indication dependent on a position of a second moving object, said system comprising:

a measurement device carrying out at least one position measurement and arranged exclusively on the first moving object, said measurement device comprising a first element configured to carry out a first position measurement, corresponding to the actual position of said first moving object;

a processing device mounted on said first moving object and connected to said measurement device, said processing device determining a characteristic position which is fixed;

a display device mounted on said first moving object, which is connected to said processing device, and which presents, upon the generation of said characteristic position, on a viewing screen, on a display illustrating at least partially the environment of said first moving object, said position indication which is situated at said characteristic position; and

a triggering device triggering the implementation of at least one measurement by said measurement device, wherein said processing device determines, as a characteristic position, a fixed position which no longer displaces onward at the instant of generation and which marks specific points of a trajectory and corresponds to at least one of a drop point, a start of descent or start of climb point, an objective point for search or rescue operations, and a change-of-trajectory point, wherein said measurement device comprises a third element which is configured to measure, at a same instant as said first element, a relative position between said first and second moving object, and wherein said processing device determines said fixed position, on the basis of said first position measurement and of said measured relative position.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first moving object is a first aircraft and the second moving object is a second aircraft.

9. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the characteristic position remains in a same viewing position on the display device.

10. A system for displaying on a first moving object, a position indication dependent on a position of a second moving object, said system comprising:

a measurement device that carries out at least one position measurement, said measurement device comprising a first element which is arranged on said first moving object and which is configured to carry out a first position measurement, corresponding to the actual position of said first moving object;

a processing device mounted on said first moving object and connected to said measurement device, said processing device determining a characteristic position which is fixed;

a display device mounted on said first moving object, which is connected to said processing device, and which presents, upon the generation of said characteristic position, on a viewing screen, on a display illustrating at least partially the environment of said first moving object, said position indication which is situated at said characteristic position; and

a triggering device that triggers the implementation of at least one measurement by said measurement device, wherein said processing device determines, as a characteristic position, a fixed position which remains in a same viewing position on the display device from the instant generated and which corresponds to a particular geographical position related to a trajectory of said second moving object, wherein said measurement device comprises a third element which is arranged on said first moving object and which is configured to measure, at a same instant as said first element, a relative position between said first and second moving objects, and wherein said processing device determines said fixed position, on the basis of said first position measurement and of said measured relative position.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said triggering device is configured to periodically trigger the measurements carried out by said measurement device.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said triggering device comprises an interface device that is arranged on said second moving object and that allows an operator to produce at least one triggering order for triggering the measurements carried out by said measurement device, and wherein said system further comprises a device for transmitting data between said first and second moving object to transmit said triggering order to said-first moving object.

13. The system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a recording device recording said fixed position determined by said processing device.