Method of assisting in the navigation of an aircraft with an updating of the flight plan

• US 8,014,907 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Coulmeau, François
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/686,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20070219679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701 8- 9, 701/14, 701/4, 701/11, 701/200, 701/35, 701/116, 701/16, 731/78.R, 340/945, 340/961, 340947-948, 244/1.R, 244/76.R, 244/175, 244/181, 244/1, 244/189, 342/38
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of assisting in the navigation of an aircraft comprising a step for updating a flight plan according to a new clearance originating from an air traffic control authority and received on board by a ground/onboard communication system. The clearance comprises an action conditional on the flight plan linked to a floating point of the path defined by a time constraint of the aircraft; on receipt of the new clearance, the update is performed directly by means of the FMS linked to the communication system. This is a predictive method.

Claims

1. A method of assisting in navigation of an aircraft, comprising:

receiving, by a ground/onboard communication system, a new clearance originating from an air traffic control authority; and

updating, by a flight management system linked to the communication system upon receipt of the new clearance, without intervention of a pilot of the aircraft, a flight plan which includes a lateral path and a vertical profile associated with clearances, the flight plan being updated according to the new clearance, wherein the new clearance comprises an action conditional on the flight plan associated with a floating point of the lateral path and/or of the vertical profile, defined by a time constraint of the aircraft.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new clearance requests the aircraft to climb or descend to a determined level from a determined time.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new clearance requests the aircraft to reach a determined level at a determined time.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new clearance requests the aircraft to climb or descend to a determined level from a determined time and hold that level.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new clearance requests the aircraft to reach a determined level at a determined time and hold that level.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new clearance requests the aircraft to offset the lateral path by a determined distance from a first determined time to a second determined time.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new clearance requests the aircraft to, at a determined time, go directly to a determined position.

8. A method of modifying a flight plan of an aircraft by a flight management system onboard the aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving a clearance instruction from an air traffic control authority, the clearance instruction comprising an action to be performed upon occurrence of a condition;

generating at least one pseudo-waypoint in the flight plan at which the condition of the clearance instruction is estimated to occur;

determining if modifying the flight plan according to the clearance instruction and the pseudo-waypoint is achievable;

sending a rejection message to the air traffic control authority if it is determined that modifying the flight plan according to the clearance instruction and the pseudo-waypoint is not achievable; and

modifying the flight plan if it is determined that modifying the flight plan according to the clearance instruction and the pseudo-waypoint is achievable.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

modifying the at least one pseudo-waypoint; and

determining if modifying the flight plan according to the clearance instruction and the modified pseudo-waypoint is achievable.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the clearance instruction requests the aircraft to climb or descend to a determined level from a determined time, and the generation of the at least one pseudo-waypoint comprises generating the at least one pseudo-waypoint having a time parameter equals the determined time.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the clearance instruction requests the aircraft to reach a determined level at a determined time, and the generation of the at least one pseudo-waypoint comprises generating the at least one pseudo-waypoint having a time parameter equals the determined time.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the clearance instruction requests the aircraft to climb or descend to a determined level from a determined time and hold that level, and the generation of the at least one pseudo-waypoint comprises generating the at least one pseudo-waypoint having a time parameter equals the determined time.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the clearance instruction requests the aircraft to climb or descend to a determined level at a determined time and hold that level, and the generation of the at least one pseudo-waypoint comprises generating the at least one pseudo-waypoint having a time parameter equals the determined time.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the clearance instruction requests the aircraft to offset a lateral path of the flight plan by a determined distance from a first determined time to a second determined time, and the generation of the at least one pseudo-waypoint comprises generating a first pseudo-waypoint having a time parameter equals the first determined time and a second pseudo-waypoint having a time parameter equals the second determined time.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the clearance instruction requests the aircraft to start moving toward a determined position directly at a determined time, and the generation of the at least one pseudo-waypoint comprises generating the at least one pseudo-waypoint having a time parameter equals the determined time.