Method and device for monitoring a horizontal position of an aircraft rolling on the ground

• US 8,416,100 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Azoulai, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US12/599,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20100219986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/357.22, 342/357.2, 701/4
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence

Abstract

A method and device performs onboard monitoring of a horizontal position of a taxiing aircraft, in which the monitoring of the horizontal position is based on separately determined height differences of the aircraft. A predetermined threshold value is compared with a first height difference calculated using repetitively determined first current height positions received by an onboard positioning device over a first duration. The predetermined threshold value is also compared with calculated second height differences calculated from two successively measured second current height positions determined by an altimeter over a second duration that is less than or equal to the first duration. A warning signal, signaling a problem with the reliability of the monitored horizontal position of the taxiing aircraft, is emitted in the event none of the second height differences is greater than the threshold value, and the first height difference is greater than the threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for onboard monitoring of a horizontal position of an aircraft taxiing on the ground during an airport navigation, comprising the steps of:

determining said horizontal position in part by determining first current height positions of the aircraft, wherein said first current height positions are repetitively determined over a first duration by an onboard positioning device that receives aircraft position information from an associated receiver that cooperates with a satellite positioning system, wherein the following steps are carried out automatically and repeatedly by an onboard monitoring device;

a) repeatedly measuring second current height positions using at least one onboard altimeter for a second duration which is less than or equal to said first duration;

b) calculating, using the second current height positions measured in step a), a plurality of second height differences which correspond to the respective differences between two successively measured second current height positions;

c) comparing each of the calculated second height differences with a predetermined threshold value which depends at least on characteristics of said altimeter;

d) calculating a first height difference which corresponds to a difference between said repetitively determined first current height positions determined by said onboard positioning device;

e) comparing the first height difference with said threshold value; and

f) emitting a warning signal which signals a problem with the reliability of said monitored horizontal position of said taxiing aircraft, in the event none of said second height differences is greater than said threshold value, but said first height difference is greater than said threshold value.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said threshold value is greater than at least three times a measurement noise of said altimeter and is less than a predetermined value.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said altimeter is a radio altimeter.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said altimeter is a barometric altimeter.

5. An onboard monitoring system for monitoring a horizontal position of an aircraft taxiing on the ground during an airport navigation, comprising:

an onboard positioning device configured to repetitively determine said horizontal position, including current height positions of the aircraft, which are repetitively determined over a first duration, with the onboard positioning device further configured to receive aircraft position information from an associated receiver that cooperates with a satellite positioning system,

an onboard monitoring device, linked to the onboard positioning device, wherein the onboard monitoring device comprises;

at least one altimeter configured to repeatedly measure second current height positions over a second duration which is less than or equal to the first duration;

second height difference calculating means, linked to the altimeter, and configured to calculate, using the second current height positions measured by said altimeter, a plurality of second height differences, which correspond to the respective differences between two successively measured second current height positions;

second comparing means, linked to the second height difference calculating means, and configured to compare each of the second height differences calculated by said first second height differ means with a predetermined threshold value which depends at least on characteristics of said altimeter;

first height difference calculating means, linked to the onboard positioning device, and configured to calculate a first height difference, which corresponds to a difference between said repetitively determined first current height positions determined by said onboard positioning device;

first comparing means, linked to said first height difference calculating means and configured to compare the first height difference calculated by said first height difference calculating means with said threshold value; and

warning means, linked to said first and second comparing means, and configured to emit a warning signal which signals a problem with the reliability of said monitored horizontal position of said taxiing aircraft, in the event that none of said second height differences is greater than said threshold value, but said first height difference is greater than said threshold value.

6. An onboard aircraft location system for locating an aircraft taxiing on the ground during an airport navigation, said system comprising:

a positioning device configured to repeatedly determine aircraft position as a horizontal position indication and a height indication, using information detected at repeated moments by an associated receiver which cooperates with a satellite positioning system;

an inertial system that generates inertial data of the aircraft;

a position element, linked to the positioning device and the inertial system, which determines a current horizontal position of the aircraft using the horizontal position indication determined by said positioning device and using the inertial data generated by said inertial system;

a monitoring device, linked to the onboard positioning device, which monitors the horizontal position determined by said positioning device, wherein the onboard monitoring device comprises;

at least one altimeter configured to repeatedly measure second current height positions over a second duration which is less than or equal to the first duration,

second height difference calculating means, linked to the altimeter, and configured to calculate, using the second current height positions measured by said altimeter, a plurality of second height differences, which correspond to the respective differences between two successively measured second current height positions,

second comparing means, linked to the second height difference calculating means, and configured to compare each of the second height differences calculated by said first second height differ means with a predetermined threshold value which depends at least on characteristics of said altimeter,

first height difference calculating means, linked to the onboard positioning device, and configured to calculate a first height difference, which corresponds to a difference between said repetitively determined first current height positions determined by said onboard positioning device,

first comparing means, linked to said first height difference calculating means and configured to compare the first height difference calculated by said first height difference calculating means with said threshold value, and

warning means, linked to said first and second comparing means, and configured to emit a warning signal, which signals a problem with the reliability of said monitored horizontal position of said taxiing aircraft, in the event that none of said second height differences is greater than said threshold value, but said first height difference is greater than said threshold value; and

a prevention element, linked to the monitoring device, and configured to prevent said position element from using said horizontal position indication to determine the current horizontal position of the aircraft in the event said monitoring device emits a warning signal.

7. The onboard aircraft location system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said prevention element is integrated in said position element and is configured to reject the horizontal position indication received from said positioning device in the event said monitoring device emits a warning signal.

8. The onboard aircraft location system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said prevention is integrated in said positioning device and is configured to prevent transmission of the horizontal position indication to said position element in the event said monitoring device emits a warning signal.