Method and device for generating a taxiing speed for an aircraft of a convoy

• US 8,026,833 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Villaume, Fabrice, Scacchi, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang; Son M
• Application Number:
  US12/475,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903, 340/961, 340/985, 340/992, 340/466, 701/3, 701 14- 16, 701120-122, 701300-301
• US Class Current: 340/961
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0083 to help an aircraft pilot in the rolling phase
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/06 for control when on the ground

Abstract

The device (1) comprises means (5) for calculating a controlled speed enabling the aircraft to observe a longitudinal separation relative to an aircraft of the convoy that precedes it.

Claims

1. A method of generating a controlled speed for a following aircraft (Ai) taxiing on the ground in a convoy of aircraft (CA), whereby the following successive steps are performed automatically and repetitively:

a) the current values of first parameters corresponding to parameters of at least one followed aircraft (Ai-1, A1) of said convoy (CA), which precedes said following aircraft (Ai) in said convoy (CA), are received;

b) at least one longitudinal separation (Di) which must be observed between said followed aircraft (Ai-1) and said following aircraft (Ai) is generated;

c) the current values of second parameters which correspond to parameters of said following aircraft (Ai) are measured; and

d) using said current values of the first and second parameters and said longitudinal separation (Di), a controlled speed is calculated which represents a longitudinal speed instruction enabling the following aircraft (Ai) to taxi along a trajectory (TR) common to said convoy (CA) while maintaining said longitudinal separation (Di) relative to said followed aircraft,

wherein, in the step d), said controlled speed v_i is calculated using the following expression;

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein, in the step b), a fixed value is received for said longitudinal separation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein, in the step b), said longitudinal separation Di is calculated using the following expression:

Di=di+ƒ

(vi)

in which;

di is a fixed distance to be observed between the followed aircraft and the following aircraft;

vi is the current speed of the following aircraft; and

ƒ

(vi) is a parameter that varies according to a function f that increases in relation to said current speed vi of the following aircraft.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said regulation parameter σ

_i is defined between 0 and 1 and can be used to adjust the predominance between a step-by-step command and a leader-referenced command.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said regulation parameter σ

_i corresponds to one of the following transitions;

a linear transition;

a sigmoidal transition; and

a pseudo-sigmoidal transition.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5,

wherein, in the step d), said gain k_i is determined so as to avoid a saturation in speed and in acceleration.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6,

wherein, in the step d), acceleration is monitored, so as to enable the deceleration authority of the following aircraft to be widened in case of risk of collision with a followed aircraft.

8. An automatic longitudinal guidance method for an aircraft (Ai) taxiing on the ground in a convoy of aircraft (CA),

wherein the following series of successive operations is performed automatically and repetitively:

A/ a controlled speed is generated, implementing the method specified as claimed in claim 1;

B/ set points are calculated that are likely to be applied to control means (11) that act on the speed of the aircraft (Ai), said set points being such that, when applied to said control means (11), the latter pilot the aircraft longitudinally according to said controlled speed; and

C/ the duly calculated set points are applied to said control means (11).

9. A device for generating a controlled speed for a following aircraft (Ai) taxiing on the ground in a convoy of aircraft (CA), said device (1) comprising:

first means (12) for receiving the current values of first parameters corresponding to parameters of at least one followed aircraft (Ai-1, Ai) of said convoy (CA), that precedes said following aircraft (Ai) in said convoy (CA);

second means (3) for generating at least one longitudinal separation (Di) which must be observed between said followed aircraft (Ai-1) and said following aircraft (Ai);

third means (4) for measuring the current values of second parameters which correspond to parameters of said following aircraft (Ai); and

fourth means (5) for calculating, using said current values of the first and second parameters and said longitudinal separation (Di), a controlled speed which represents a longitudinal speed instruction enabling the following aircraft (Ai) to taxi along a trajectory (TR) common to said convoy (CA) while maintaining said longitudinal separation (Di) relative to said followed aircraft,

wherein said fourth means (5) are formed in such a way as to calculate said controlled speed v_i using the following expression;

10. An automatic longitudinal guidance system for an aircraft (Ai) taxiing on the ground in a convoy of aircraft (CA),

which comprises:

a device (1) such as that specified under claim 9, for generating a controlled speed;

control means (11) which act on the speed of the aircraft;

means (12) for calculating set points likely to be applied to said control means (11), said set points being such that, when applied to said control means (11), the latter pilot the aircraft longitudinally according to said controlled speed; and

means (13) for applying the duly calculated set points to said control means (11).