Process to avoid confusion between landing runways

• US 7,797,086 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Bertheau, Stéphane, Lorido, Didier
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/614,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/16
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

The process according to the invention is one of identifying the landing runway for which an aircraft is heading, wherein on the basis of on-board information and at least one database relative to the configuration of the landing airport zone, it is possible to dynamically evaluate the aircraft touchdown point on the ground to identify the runway for which the aircraft is heading.

Claims

1. A process of avoiding landing runway confusion when approaching an airport having several runways with parallel center-lines, comprising the steps of:

calculating a touchdown point of an aircraft on the ground using information relative to the situation of the aircraft and intention of a pilot of landing on a given runway; and

using airport runway configuration information to determine whether the touchdown point identifies the given runway.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of the touchdown point is by correlation with airport data stored in an on-board database.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the airport runway identification obtained is correlated with said information relative to the situation of the aircraft and the intentions of the pilot of landing on the given runway to detect any inconsistency between the intentions of the crew and the maneuvering of the aircraft.

4. The process according to claim 3, wherein the process is implemented to avoid landing on a landing runway which is not the given runway on the airport having several runways with center-lines near each other.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein an on-board computer of the aircraft indicates the identification of the given runway towards which the aircraft is heading.

6. The process according to claim 5, wherein the identification of the given runway towards which the aircraft is heading results in its display on an aircraft display system(s).

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the identification of the given runway towards which the aircraft is heading is correlated with information configured on-board.

8. The process according to claim 7, wherein a computer produces an appropriate visual and/or audible alarm in the event of there being a risk of landing on a runway which is not the given runway.