Method of forming a 3D safe emergency descent trajectory for aircraft and implementation device

• US 7,925,394 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Coulmeau, François, Deker, Guy, Marty, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US11/870,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3- 18, 244/175, 244/75.1, 244/76.R, 340/947, 340/948
• US Class Current: 701/18
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

The method in accordance with the invention is a method of providing a 3D emergency descent trajectory for aircraft comprising the steps of searching for at least one possible better trajectory allowing a secure continuation in relation to the relief and/or the surrounding conditions towards a homing point as soon as a situation requiring an unscheduled modification of the current trajectory occurs, wherein this trajectory is updated as a function of the alterations in the surrounding conditions, as a function of the information provided by the onboard sensors and/or outside information received.

Claims

1. A method of forming a 3D safe emergency descent trajectory for aircraft comprising the steps of:

searching for at least one possible better trajectory allowing a secure continuation in relation to the relief and/or the surrounding conditions towards a homing point as soon as a situation requiring an unscheduled modification of the current trajectory occurs,

wherein this trajectory is updated as a function of the alterations in the surrounding conditions, as a function of the information provided by the onboard sensors and/or outside information received.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the emergency descent trajectory results from a compromise between the obtaining of sufficient safety margins with respect to the surrounding terrain or to the zones to be avoided and the distance remaining to be travelled before a landing.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the appearance of a situation requiring an unscheduled modification of the current trajectory causes the acquisition and the characterization of conditions aboard the aircraft corresponding to a situation requiring an unscheduled descent to flight levels in proximity to reliefs.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the appearance of a situation requiring an unscheduled modification of the current trajectory causes the formulation of the vertical flight profile suited to the aerodynamic and structural possibilities of the aircraft for the management of the operational descent situation detected.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the appearance of a situation requiring an unscheduled modification of the current trajectory causes the formulation of the mapping of the geographical zones that can be reached according to the descent profile complying with the regulatory operational lateral margins with respect to the surrounding reliefs, to the controlled air navigation zones and to the risky atmospheric phenomena.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the appearance of a situation requiring an unscheduled modification of the current trajectory causes the sorting of the possible destinations for the aircraft according to priority rules imposed by the procedures applicable in the operational descent situation detected, the navigation capabilities of the aircraft, the determined geographical zones that can be reached as well as the preferences of the operating company.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the appearance of a situation requiring an unscheduled modification of the current trajectory causes the creation of an emergency flight plan section complying with the descent profile required and the regulatory operational margins.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the appearance of a situation requiring an unscheduled modification of the current trajectory causes the interaction with the crew allowing them to activate the functions used, to designate the desired destination for the aircraft and to select the activation of automation of the tracking of the trajectory thus scheduled.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising several levels of functional complexity.

10. A device for providing a 3D emergency trajectory for aircraft, comprising:

a computer,

an operational situation detection device connected to said computer,

a database of performance of the aircraft connected to said computer,

a navigation database connected to said computer,

a terrain database connected to said computer,

a device connected to said computer for calculating vertical descent and holding profiles, for calculating speed along this profile, for calculating flight times, and times of transit through determined points of the trajectory,

a device connected to said computer for drawing up the sorted list of the procedures implementable by the aircraft,

a device connected to said computer for drawing up the mapping of the zones that it is possible to reach,

a device connected to said computer determining the path required so as to reach the selected destination, and

a device connected to said computer for evaluating the operational situation.

11. The device according to claim 10, comprising at least one of the following elements:

a database of preference parameters of the company, data on the active aeronautical zones extracted from the navigation database or via the VHF or data communications, and a trajectory checking function.