Method and device for aiding navigation for an aircraft in relation to obstacles

• US 8,249,799 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Flotte, Laurent, Marty, Nicolas, Vittoz, Fabien
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US12/479,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/7, 701/9, 701/10, 701/301, 340/946, 340/945
• US Class Current: 701/301
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of presenting zones at risk for an aircraft comprising a system of databases, a processor, an anticollision device and a viewing device, wherein to display on the viewing device the zones at risk in relation to the obstacles, the processor carries out the steps of: acquiring obstacle data, the data corresponding to obstacles situated in the aircraft'"'"'s close displacement zone; calculating the risk of collision with each of the obstacles of the displacement zone; calculating the limits of the zones at risk of collision in the close displacement zone, these limits representing the positions from which the anticollision device might possibly produce collision alerts in relation to the obstacles if the aircraft were to steer towards the obstacle while maintaining the instantaneous flight parameters; and displaying the limits of zones at risk.

Claims

1. A method of presenting zones at risk of collision with an aircraft, by use of a system of databases, a processor, an anticollision device and a viewing device, wherein, to display on the viewing device the zones at risk in relation to obstacles, the processor configured to carry out the steps of:

acquiring obstacle data, the obstacle data corresponding to obstacles situated in a close displacement zone of the aircraft;

calculating a risk of collision with each of the obstacles situated in the close displacement zone;

calculating limits of the zones at risk of collision in the close displacement zone for each obstacle, based on a position of the obstacle, wherein the limits of the zones at risk of collision represent positions from which the anticollision device would produce collision alerts in relation to the obstacles if the aircraft were to steer towards the obstacle while maintaining instantaneous flight parameters; and

displaying the limits of zones at risk of collision;

wherein the step of calculating the risk of collision with each of the obstacles further comprises the steps of;

extrapolating a trajectory of the aircraft with a plurality of straight lines in accord with one or more instantaneous flight parameters of the aircraft to produce extrapolated rectilinear trajectories, the plurality of straight lines effecting a horizontal angular scan of the close displacement zone according to a predefined sampling interval;

calculating points of intersection between the plurality of straight lines extrapolating the trajectory of the aircraft and the obstacle increased in altitude by a vertical margin;

declaring the obstacle as an obstacle at risk if there exists at least one point of intersection between the plurality of straight lines and the obstacle increased in altitude by the vertical margin, otherwise declaring the obstacle is free of danger; and

storing a direction of each of the straight lines that include at least one obstacle at risk.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calculating limits of the zones at risk of collision further comprises the steps of:

calculating a plurality of rectilinear trajectories of maximum climb of an aircraft tangential with an end of the obstacle that is highest and closest to the aircraft, increased in altitude by the vertical margin, wherein each of the rectilinear trajectories corresponds to each of the stored directions;

calculating points of intersection between the extrapolated rectilinear trajectories and the rectilinear trajectories of maximum climb; and

calculating the position of the limits of the zones at risk, these limits being positioned on the extrapolated rectilinear trajectories at a safety distance upstream of the point of intersection in a direction of the aircraft.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the aircraft comprises a processor to identify obstacles, and further to identify obstacles to be sidestepped if the point of intersection of the obstacle is positioned outside the close displacement zone.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the obstacles identified as an obstacle to be sidestepped are represented by symbols indicative of a danger.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein, when the distance between the point of intersection and a closest end of the obstacle is greater than a predefined distance, the point of intersection is shifted over the extrapolated rectilinear trajectory to the predefined distance from the closest end of the obstacle.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, for each of the obstacles at risk, the limit of the zone at risk is positioned on the extrapolated rectilinear trajectories and at the safety distance which is dependent on an instantaneous speed of the aircraft and a predefined anticipation time.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the aircraft comprises a processor to calculate a predefined avoidance trajectory for obstacles, the avoidance trajectory comprising several flight phases, each of the flight phases having a predefined duration, and wherein for each of the obstacles at risk, the risk zone limit is positioned at a distance upstream of the obstacle such that the avoidance trajectory comprises a climb phase that is tangential with the end of the obstacle that is highest and closest to the aircraft, the end of the obstacle increased in altitude by the vertical margin.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of displaying the limits of zones at risk further comprises identifying the risk zones by solid shapes distinct from the terrain data indications.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of displaying the operational flight margins of the aircraft around the limits of zones at risk.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of displaying the limits of zones at risk further comprises delimiting risk zones by symbols substantially in a shape of a polygonal line.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein only the limit of a risk zone closest to the aircraft for each of the stored directions is displayed.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the close displacement zone comprises a substantially half-disc centered on the position of the aircraft, oriented in a direction of a displacement of the aircraft, the half-disc having a diameter that varies in accordance with a speed of the aircraft, an anticipation time, and operational margins.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vertical margin represents a zone in which the anticollision device produces collision alerts in relation to the obstacle.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the vertical margin is variable over time and is dependent on the instantaneous flight parameters.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the vertical margin is variable over time and is dependent on the location of the aircraft.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the limits of the risk zones are displayed substantially simultaneously with the terrain risk zones.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle data originate from a device of radar type.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of acquiring obstacle data further comprises the step of eliminating from the calculation obstacles for which data are missing.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein a volume of an obstacle in the databases comprises a parallelepiped volume having a width and a height and by location coordinates information.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein an obstacle in the databases is identified by identification information and by information about an accuracy of the data.

21. A method of presenting zones at risk of collision with an aircraft, by use of a system of databases, a processor, an anticollision device and a viewing device, wherein, to display on the viewing device the zones at risk in relation to obstacles, the processor configured to carry out the steps of:

acquiring obstacle data, the obstacle data corresponding to obstacles situated in a close displacement zone of the aircraft;

calculating a risk of collision with each of the obstacles situated in the close displacement zone;

calculating limits of the zones at risk of collision in the close displacement zone for each obstacle, based on a position of the obstacle, wherein the limits of the zones at risk of collision represent positions from which the anticollision device would produce collision alerts in relation to the obstacles if the aircraft were to steer towards the obstacle while maintaining instantaneous flight parameters;

displaying the limits of zones at risk of collision; and

deactivating the display of the zones at risk of collision when a substantially critical collision alert is produced.