Method for optimizing the exit of an aircraft in a holding circuit

• US 8,280,564 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Sacle, Jérôme, Gutierrez-Castaneda, Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US12/113,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

The method of optimizing the exit of an aircraft traversing for a known duration (D) a holding circuit forming a racecourse comprising two parallel branches of the same distance, the branches being traversed in a first time (t1), and two arcs of the same radius linking respectively the ends of each branch, the two arcs being traversed in a second time (t2), the holding circuit comprising an exit point situated at the end of one of the branches is characterized in that the distance of the branches of the holding circuit for the last two loops performed are adjusted so that the aircraft is substantially in proximity to the exit point when the duration (D) has elapsed.

Claims

1. Method for optimizing an exit of an aircraft traversing, for a predetermined duration, a holding circuit forming a racecourse, said predetermined duration comprising a time constraint given by the air traffic controller (ATC) in advance for exit from the holding circuit and being defined by the duration remaining to be flown in the holding circuit before going to the exit point at the time constraint received by the aircraft from the ATC, said racecourse comprising two parallel branches of the same distance, the branches being traversed in a first time, t1, and two arcs of the same radius linking respectively ends of each branch, the two arcs being traversed in a second time, t2, the holding circuit comprising an exit point situated at the end of one of the branches, a loop of the holding circuit traversed by the aircraft being defined as starting and ending at the exit point, the method comprising:

automatically adjusting, using a computer during flight of the aircraft, the distance of the branches of the holding circuit for the last two loops traversed by the aircraft as a function of said predetermined duration so that the aircraft is substantially in proximity to the exit point when the predetermined duration has elapsed;

determining a duration D corresponding to a duration between a first pass of the aircraft and a last pass of the aircraft through the exit point;

calculating a number of whole loops of the holding circuit remaining to be traversed before reaching the exit point after a duration D, the number of whole loops being denoted by n and corresponding to the integer part of D/(t1+t2), wherein the number of whole loops is equal to or greater than one;

determining a number of loops of the holding circuit with a modified length, the number of loops of the holding circuit with a modified length being 1 or 2; and

calculating the length of the branches of the last two loops.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein determining the number of loops comprises the comparison of the value of a remaining duration R with the value of the second time t2, the duration R arising from the difference between the duration D and a duration corresponding to the elapsed time to cover the maximum of whole loops of the racecourse, this difference being equal to [D−

n·

(t1+t2)].

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein calculating the length of the branches defines in

a first case, where a remaining duration R is greater than or equal to the second time t2, a second duration P equal to the difference between the remaining duration R and the second time t2, such that the last loop is formed of two circular arcs, the last loop being performed in a time t2 and two portions of branches performed in a duration shortened by half of the second duration, i.e. P/2;

a second case, where the remaining duration R is less than the second time t2, a third duration P₁, such that the penultimate and the last loop are performed for shortened and equal durations, the two arcs of each loop being traversed in a time t2 and each shortened branch of the last two loops is performed in a time P₁ equal to

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein calculating the length of the branches defines in

a first case, where a remaining duration R is greater than or equal to the second time t2, a fourth duration P equal to the difference between the remaining duration R and the second time t2, such that the last loop is formed of two circular arcs performed in a time t2 and two portions of branches performed in a duration shortened by half of the fourth duration, i.e. P/2;

a second case, where the remaining duration R is less than the second time t2, a fifth duration P₂ such that the last loop of the holding circuit is performed for a shortened duration equal to t2 corresponding to a traversal of the two circular arcs and a penultimate loop comprising two branches each traversed in a duration P₂ equal to

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the last two loops of the holding circuit are identical.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the distance of the parallel branches in the last loop is adjusted to be zero so that the last loop is a circle.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein in the last loop, when the aircraft traverses a last turn of the holding circuit, a message advises a crew of the aircraft that exit is imminent.