Navigation system for an aircraft and associated command process

• US 8,027,758 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Van Boven, Machiel, Ferro, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diacou; Ari M
• Application Number:
  US11/334,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/14, 701/16, 701/18, 340/945, 340/973, 244/182, 244/183
• US Class Current: 701/18
• 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

Abstract

A navigation system for an aircraft, including a calculator of an estimated flight path for the aircraft; a device for determining an estimated value of a flight parameter that corresponds to an estimated speed for the extension of at least a portion of the high-lift devices of the aircraft; and a display of an indication for such estimated value. A command process for such a system and an aircraft equipped with such a system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A navigation system for an aircraft with high-lift devices, comprising:

means for calculating an estimated flight path for the aircraft;

means for determining an estimated value of a flight parameter that corresponds to an estimated speed, an extension of at least a portion of the high-lift devices of the aircraft being performed in view of the estimated value;

means for displaying on a display screen a symbol at a position representative of said estimated value,

wherein the estimated value is a unique value of the flight parameter and the symbol is positioned on the display screen so as to distinctly represent the unique estimated value and show, in advance, a specific time for the extension of the portion of the high-lift devices of the aircraft.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the flight parameter is the altitude of the aircraft.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said extension of at least a portion of the high lift devices coincides with a transition from a fully retracted position to a first intermediate position.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the flight parameter is the speed of the aircraft.

5. The navigation system according to claim 4, wherein said extension of at least a portion of the high-lift devices corresponds to a transition of a first intermediate position to a second intermediate position.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, 2 or 4, wherein the symbol is displayed at said estimated value on a scale of the parameter displayed on the display screen.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the flight parameter is the position of the aircraft in a horizontal plane.

8. The navigation system according to claim 7, wherein the symbol is situated in the representative position of said estimated value on a flight plan displayed on the display screen, said flight plan being a projection in a horizontal plane of the estimated flight path.

9. The navigation system according to claim 1 wherein the displayed symbol depends upon the portion of the high-lift devices involved.

10. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said estimated speed is a function of a limit speed for stability before said extension of at least a portion of the high-lift devices.

11. The navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the estimated speed is said limit speed multiplied with a coefficient between 1.01 and 1.1.

12. The navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the estimated speed is said limit speed plus a margin between 1 kt and 10 kt.

13. The navigation system according to claim 1, comprising means for conducting said extension of at least a portion of the high-lift devices when the actual value of the flight parameter reaches said estimated value.

14. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the means for calculating said estimated flight path determine a vertical flight path from a given lateral path.

15. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein the vertical flight path comprises at least two joined segments with associated glide slopes and wherein said estimated value corresponds to the value of the parameter at the junction of these two segments.

16. An aircraft comprising a navigation system according to claim 1.

28. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said means for displaying include means for displaying on said display screen a current position for said aircraft in a horizontal plane and for further displaying a plurality of symbols on said display screen simultaneously with said current position, each of said symbols representing an estimated future position for the aircraft in said horizontal plane, said estimated position corresponding to an anticipated configuration modification for said high-lift devices of said aircraft.

29. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said means for displaying include means for displaying on said display screen an altitude scale indicating a current altitude for said aircraft and for displaying said symbol at a position relative to said altitude scale so as to indicate an estimated future altitude for said aircraft corresponding to an anticipated configuration modification for said high-lift devices of said aircraft.

30. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said means for displaying include means for displaying on said display screen a speed scale indicating a current speed for said aircraft and for displaying said symbol at a position relative to said speed scale so as to indicate an estimated future speed for said aircraft corresponding to an anticipated configuration modification for said high-lift devices of said aircraft.

35. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the symbol is part of a flight plan displayed on the display screen, said flight plan including data from a current air position of the aircraft to an expected final landing position of the aircraft.

17. A command process of a navigation system for an aircraft comprising the following steps:

calculating an estimated flight path for the aircraft;

determining an estimated value of a flight parameter that corresponds to an estimated speed, an extension of at least a part of the high-lift devices of the aircraft being performed in view of the estimated value;

displaying on a display screen a symbol at a position representative of said estimated value,

wherein the estimated value is a unique value of the flight parameter and the symbol is positioned on the display screen so as to distinctly represent the unique estimated value and show, in advance, a specific time for the extension of the part of the high-lift devices of the aircraft.

18. The command process according to claim 17, wherein the flight parameter is the altitude of the aircraft.

19. The command process according to claim 18, wherein said extension of at least a part of the high-lift devices corresponds to a transition from a fully retracted position to a first intermediate position.

20. The command process according to claim 17, wherein the flight parameter is the speed of the aircraft.

21. The command process according to claim 20, wherein said extension of at least a part of the high-lift devices corresponds to a transition from a first intermediate position to a second intermediate position.

22. The command process according to claim 17, wherein the symbol is displayed at said estimated value on a scale of the parameter displayed on the display screen.

23. The command process according to claim 17, wherein the flight parameter is the position of the aircraft in a horizontal plane.

24. The command process according to claim 23, wherein the symbol is situated at the representative position of said estimated value on a flight plan displayed on the display screen, said flight plan being a projection in a horizontal plane of the estimated flight path.

25. The command process according to claim 17, comprising a step of automatically extending the high-lift devices involved when the actual value of the flight parameter reaches said estimated value.

26. The command process according to claim 17, wherein the calculating of the estimated flight path includes a step of determining a vertical flight path from a given lateral path.

27. An aircraft comprising a device that can implement a process according to claim 17.

31. A navigation system for an aircraft with high-lift devices, comprising:

means for calculating an estimated flight path for the aircraft;

means for determining an estimated value of a flight parameter that corresponds, on said estimated flight path, to an estimated speed, an extension of at least a part of the high-lift devices of the aircraft being performed in view of the estimated value; and

means for displaying an indication of said estimated value.

33. The navigation system according to claim 31, wherein,

the flight parameter is the position of the aircraft in a horizontal plane, and

a symbol is situated in the representative position of said estimated value on a flight plan displayed on a display screen, said flight plan being a projection in a horizontal plane of the estimated flight path.

32. A command process of a navigation system for an aircraft comprising the following steps:

calculating an estimated flight path for the aircraft;

determining an estimated value of a flight parameter that corresponds, on said estimated flight path, to an estimated speed, an extension of at least a part of the high-lift devices of the aircraft being performed in view of the estimated value;

displaying an indication of said estimated value.

34. The command process according to claim 32, wherein,

the flight parameter is the position of the aircraft in a horizontal plane, and

a symbol is situated at the representative position of said estimated value on a flight plan displayed on a display screen, said flight plan being a projection in a horizontal plane of the estimated flight path.