Methods of optimizing the location of an aircraft on the ground and in the take-off and landing phases

• US 8,190,310 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Coulmeau, François, Marty, Nicolas, Cordonnier, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph C
• Application Number:
  US12/366,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20090201197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/8, 701 15- 17, 342/357.02, 342/357.23, 342/357.28, 342/357.31
• US Class Current: 701/15
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/15 Aircraft landing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 for taking-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of methods and systems for optimizing the locating of an aircraft in airports and, more particularly, in the take-off and landing phases, and notably in the air-ground and ground-air transition phases. The method of optimizing the locating of an aircraft during the take-off or landing phase comprising a transition step (21), the latter being defined between two events (A0, AS), the first event being a condition of contact between the aircraft and the runway and the second event being a threshold condition defining a stabilized flight phase, is wherein the transition step (21) comprises the determination of at least one “transition position” of the aircraft by a weighting between the “ground position” (LOC_SOL) determined by the ground locating system and the “flight position” (LOV_VOL) determined by the in-flight locating system.

Claims

1. A method of locating an aircraft, the aircraft comprising an in-flight locating system and a ground locating system, the method comprising:

during a transition phase defined between (1) a first phase being a condition of contact between the aircraft and a runway and (2) a second phase being a threshold condition defining a stabilized flight phase,

determining a ground position using the ground locating system;

determining a flight position using the in-flight locating system; and

determining a transition position of the aircraft by a weighting between the ground position and the flight position;

during the first phase, omitting the flight position; and

during the second phase, omitting the ground position.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the transition phase, calculating a threshold position of the aircraft, beyond which the position of the aircraft is calculated in a hybrid manner; and

after the transition phase, when the aircraft is in contact with the runway, calculating the ground position of the aircraft by the ground locating system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first phase is triggered by a change of altitude of the aircraft.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first phase is triggered by a change of pressure on the aircraft landing gears.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the threshold condition is validated by a crossed altitude threshold.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the threshold condition is validated by a crossed rolling threshold.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the threshold condition is validated by a predetermined duration.

8. A method of locating an aircraft, the aircraft comprising an in-flight locating system and a ground locating system, the method comprising:

during a transition phase defined between (1) a first phase being a condition of contact between the aircraft and a runway and (2) a second phase being a threshold condition defining a stabilized flight phase,

determining a ground position using the ground locating system;

determining a flight position using the in-flight locating system; and

determining a transition position of the aircraft by a weighting between the ground position and the flight position,

wherein the method further comprising;

at a moment of throttle-up, determining a starting position of the aircraft by an onboard computer;

prior to the transition phase, when the aircraft accelerates, calculating ground position of the aircraft by the ground locating system;

after the transition phase step, calculating the flight position of the aircraft by the in-flight locating system.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method further comprising:

automatically realigning the starting position in the onboard computer based on a calculation of the difference measured between a designated take-off point and an actual position of the aircraft obtained, just before throttle-up, by the ground locating system.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

designating, in the onboard computer, an take-off position of the aircraft based on an airport database, the designation being produced in the preparation of the flight by a crew of the aircraft.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first phase is triggered by a change of altitude of the aircraft.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first phase is triggered by a change of pressure on the aircraft landing gears.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the threshold condition is validated by a crossed altitude threshold.

14. A method of locating an aircraft, the aircraft comprising an in-flight locating system and a ground locating system, the method comprising:

during a transition phase defined between (1) a first phase being a condition of contact between the aircraft and a runway and (2) a second phase being a threshold condition defining a stabilized flight phase,

determining a ground position using the ground locating system;

determining a flight position using the in-flight locating system; and

determining a transition position of the aircraft by a weighting between the ground position and the flight position,

wherein a transition position in the transition phase is calculated on the basis of a percentage of the ground position and a percentage of the flight position.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a latitude of the aircraft, denoted as “

Lat (aircraft),”

in the transition phase, is determined by the relation;

Lat(aircraft)=[PCT_VOL*Lat_VOL]+[(100−

PCT_VOL)*Lat_ROU],

in which a latitude calculated on the basis of the ground locating system is denoted Lat_ROU and a latitude calculated on the basis of the in-flight locating system is denoted Lat_VOL and in which PCT_VOL represents the percentage of the weighting of the position obtained from the in-flight locating system.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein a longitude of the aircraft, denoted as “

Long (aircraft),”

in the transition phase, is determined by the relation;

Long(aircraft)=[PCT_VOL*Long_VOL]+[(100−

PCT_VOL)*Long_ROU],

in which a longitude calculated on the basis of the ground locating system is denoted Long_ROU and a latitude calculated on the basis of the in-flight locating system is denoted Long_VOL, and in which PCT_VOL represents the percentage of the weighting of the position obtained from the in-flight locating system.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the percentage of the ground position and the percentage of the flight position are determined on the basis of an altitude-dependent linear relation.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a latitude LAT(Aeroplane) and a longitude LONG(Aeroplane) of a current position of the aircraft are determined by the following relations:

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the percentage of the first position and the percentage of the second position are determined on the basis of a time-dependent linear relation.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein a latitude LAT(Aeroplane) and a longitude LONG(Aeroplane) of a current position of the aircraft are determined by the following relations: