Method and device for preventing collisions on the ground for aircraft

• US 8,121,786 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Morbey, Joao, Landman, Mathieu, Colin, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Will
• Application Number:
  US12/257,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 701300-302
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

The invention has as its object to determine a risk of collision on the ground between an aircraft and another object. The aircraft comprises at least one proximity detector and a communication system suitable for setting up a communication among several points, at least one of the points being able to be external to the aircraft. After having received at least one indication from the proximity detector relating to the presence of an object, a signal representing an acoustic alarm linked to the detection of the object is generated then transmitted to the warning system. A comparison advantageously is made between the indication received from the proximity detector and certain parameters of the aircraft, the signal representing an acoustic alarm linked to the detection of the object being generated in response to the result of this comparison.

Claims

1. A method for determining a risk of collision on the ground in an aircraft, the aircraft including at least one proximity detector, at least one warning device and a communication system that includes a plurality of access points and is configured to communicate between pairs of the plurality of access points, the method comprising:

receiving at least one indication from the proximity detector of a detection of an object;

comparing the at least one indication received from the proximity detector with at least one parameter of the aircraft;

generating, in response to a result of the comparison, at least one signal representing an alarm linked to the detection of the object; and

transmitting the alarm to the at least one warning device via the communication system, the at least one warning device being connected to one of the plurality of access points.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication system is configured to bidirectionally communicate between the pairs of the plurality of access points.

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising transmitting at least one audio-type signal between two of the plurality of access points.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the alarm includes a visual alarm that includes a symbolic representation of the aircraft and a symbolic representation of the detected object, and

a position of the symbolic representation of the detected object in relation to the symbolic representation of the aircraft is representative of a position of the detected object in relation to the aircraft.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter of the aircraft includes a speed of the aircraft.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter of the aircraft includes a direction in which the aircraft is travelling.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

the proximity detector detects the object positioned in the direction in which the aircraft is travelling, and

the signal representing the alarm linked to the detection of the object is generated.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein

the proximity detector detects the object positioned in a direction that is not the direction in which the aircraft is travelling, and

the signal representing the alarm linked to the detection of the object is not generated.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one warning device includes an acoustic alarm configured to generate three-dimensional sound.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a perceived source of the three-dimensional sound corresponds to a point of impact of a possible collision.

11. A device for determining a risk of collision on the ground in an aircraft that includes at least one warning system and a communication system that includes a plurality of access points and is configured to communicate between pairs of the plurality of access points, the device comprising:

a proximity detector configured to detect a proximity of at least one object and transmit an indication of a detection of the object;

the warning system configured to

compare the at least one indication received from the proximity detector with at least one parameter of the aircraft, and

generate, in response to a result of the comparison, at least one signal representing an alarm linked to the detection of the object; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the signal via the communication system, the at least one warning system being connected to an access point of the plurality of access points.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the communication system is configured to bidirectionally communicate between the pairs of the plurality of access points.

13. The device according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of access points is external to the aircraft.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein

the proximity detector is configured to detect a piece of information about a distance and/or position of the at least one object relative to the aircraft, and

the alarm includes an indication of the piece of information.