System for assisting the ground navigation of an aeroplane in an airport

• US 8,165,810 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Fetzmann, Fabien, Coldefy, Pierre, Jacob, Armand, Collins, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US11/910,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20080147315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,217 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 340/995.1, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.17, 340/995.26, 340/995.27, 340/971, 340/972, 715/788
• US Class Current: 701/538
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0083 to help an aircraft pilot in the rolling phase
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A navigation system includes a display device displaying, on a cockpit pilot display unit, a set of indications including an aircraft symbol which illustrates the position of the aircraft and a map part which represents the airport and moves in relation to the aircraft symbol according to the current position of the aircraft in the airport, the aircraft symbol fixed on the cockpit pilot display unit in a centered position in a standard display. The system also has an actuating unit for deactivating the standard display to enable the aircraft symbol to be displaced on the cockpit pilot display unit, and an actuating unit for controlling a temporary displacement of the set of indications on the cockpit pilot display unit such that the aircraft symbol displayed moves away from the centered position.

Claims

1. A system for assisting the ground navigation of an airplane in an airport, said system comprising:

at least one unit configured to determine the current position of the airplane;

at least one cartographic database at least of the airport in which said airplane is situated;

a display device comprising at least one cockpit viewing screen which displays a display mode at least of a first type, for which said cockpit viewing screen presents a set of navigation indications comprising at least;

an airplane symbol which illustrates said current position of the airplane, and

a part of a map which represents at least partially the airport, said map part being mobile and tied to the motion of the airplane so as to move with respect to said airplane symbol in conformity with the current position of the airplane in said airport, said airplane symbol being fixed on said cockpit viewing screen at a predetermined centered position in a standard display;

a first actuation unit actuated by an operator, to deactivate said standard display to allow a movement of said airplane symbol on said cockpit viewing screen;

a second actuation unit actuated by an operator to control, when said first actuation unit is actuated, a temporary and unlimited range of movement of said set of navigation indications on said cockpit viewing screen so that the displayed airplane symbol is no longer situated at said centered position, a stop of said first actuation unit automatically causing a return to said standard display; and

a control unit which is automatically triggered when said first actuation unit is actuated and which automatically controls a return to the standard display if said second actuation unit is not actuated during a first predetermined duration after the triggering of said control unit.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display device is configured to display separately and successively a plurality of different display modes, and said system further comprises, a third actuation unit actuated by an operator so as to change display mode.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display device is configured to display, as display mode of the first type, a mode termed arc for which said fixed airplane symbol is situated at the bottom of the cockpit viewing screen, several circular arcs being centered on said airplane symbol.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display device is configured to display, as display mode of the first type, a mode termed rose for which said fixed airplane symbol is situated at the center of the cockpit viewing screen, several circles being centered on said airplane symbol.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display device configured to display a display mode of a second type, termed plan mode, for which the cockpit viewing screen presents at least one auxiliary map part which is fixed and an auxiliary airplane symbol which illustrates the current position of the airplane and which is mobile.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second actuation units form part of an actuation unit.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said actuation unit comprises a control mouse of a cursor of the cockpit viewing screen.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said actuation unit comprises a keyboard which comprises keys furnished with movement arrows corresponding to said second actuation unit.

9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said actuation unit comprises a keyboard comprising alphanumeric keys.

10. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said actuation unit comprises touch sensitive zones of said cockpit viewing screen.

11. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said actuation unit configured to allow the movement of a set of navigation indications when the display device displays a display mode of a second type, for which the cockpit viewing screen presents, as set of navigation indications, at least one auxiliary map part which is fixed and an auxiliary airplane symbol which illustrates the current position of the airplane and which is mobile.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein it is configured to automatically control a return to a standard display, if after an actuation of said second actuation unit, said first actuation unit is not stopped after a second predetermined duration.

13. An airplane, comprising a system specified under claim 1.