System and method for computing an equi-distance point (EDP) for aircrafts

• US 8,442,704 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Group India Private Limited
• Original Assignee: Airbus Engineering Centre India Co.
• Inventors: Narasimhulu, Veeresh Kumar Masaru, Kushwaha, Dinesh Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/388,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/4, 701/8, 701/10, 701/11, 701/13, 701/15, 701/16, 701/120, 701/122, 701/123, 701/301, 701/411, 701/467, 701/528, 701/532, 701/533, 244/76.R, 244/175, 244/186, 340/945, 455/66.1, 455/98
• US Class Current: 701/3
• 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

Abstract

A method for dynamically computing an equi-distance point (EDP) for an aircraft includes receiving at least two reference points for landing the aircraft upon an occurrence of an emergency, determining a remaining flight path for the aircraft based on a current location of the aircraft and a flight plan serviced by a flight management system (FMS) of the aircraft, and generating the EDP for the aircraft by locating a point on the remaining flight path which is equidistant from the at least two reference points.

Claims

1. A method of a flight management system (FMS) for dynamically computing an equi-distance point (EDP) for an aircraft, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, at least two reference points for landing the aircraft upon an occurrence of an emergency;

determining, by the processor, a remaining flight path for the aircraft based on a current location of the aircraft and a flight plan serviced by the flight management system (FMS) of the aircraft; and

generating, by the processor, the EDP for the aircraft by locating a point on the remaining flight path which is equidistant from the at least two reference points.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two reference points are received from a pilot of the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two reference points comprise a departure airport and an arrival airport for the aircraft by default.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two reference points for landing the aircraft comprises an airport.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two reference points comprise a first reference point and a second reference point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the locating the point on the remaining flight path comprises:

forming a straight line between the first reference point and the second reference point;

generating and extending a bisector line perpendicular to the straight line; and

locating the point on the remaining flight path where the bisector line intersects.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the straight line is formed using a first equation Y_ref=M_refX_ref+C_ref in Cartesian coordinates with

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the bisector line is generated using a second equation Y_perp=M_perpX_perp+C_perp in Cartesian coordinates with

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the remaining flight path comprises a plurality of way points and a plurality of legs, and wherein each of the plurality of legs is based on a third equation Y_wpt=M_wptX_wpt+C_wpt in Cartesian coordinates with

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating the EDP comprises:

finding an intersection point of the bisector line and the each of the plurality of legs using the second equation and the third equation;

comparing a length of the each of the plurality of legs with a distance between a start point of the each of the plurality of legs and the intersection point; and

determining the intersection point as the EDP when the length of the each of the plurality of legs is greater than the distance between the start point of the each of the plurality of legs and the intersection point.

11. An article, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions, that when executed by a computing platform of a flight management system (FMS), result in execution of a method for dynamically computing an equi-distance point (EDP) for an aircraft, comprising;

receiving at least two reference points for landing the aircraft upon an occurrence of an emergency;

determining a remaining flight path for the aircraft based on a current location of the aircraft and a flight plan serviced by a flight management system (FMS) of the aircraft; and

generating the EDP for the aircraft by locating a point on the remaining flight path which is equidistant from the at least two reference points.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the at least two reference points comprise a first reference point and a second reference point.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the locating the point on the remaining flight path comprises:

forming a straight line between the first reference point and the second reference point;

generating and extending a bisector line perpendicular to the straight line; and

locating the point on the remaining flight path where the bisector line intersects.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the straight line is formed using a first equation Y_ref=M_refX_ref+C_ref in Cartesian coordinates with

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the bisector line is generated using a second equation Y_perp=M_perpX_perp+C_perp in Cartesian coordinates with

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the remaining flight path comprises a plurality of way points and a plurality of legs, and wherein each of the plurality of legs is based on a third equation Y_wpt=M_wptX_wpt+C_wpt in Cartesian coordinates with

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the generating the EDP comprises:

finding an intersection point of the bisector line and the each of the plurality of legs using the second equation and the third equation;

comparing a length of the each of the plurality of legs with a distance between a start point of the each of the plurality of legs and the intersection point; and

determining the intersection point as the EDP when the length of the each of the plurality of legs is greater than the distance between the start point of the each of the plurality of legs and the intersection point.

18. A flight management system (FMS) for dynamically computing an equi-distance point (EDP) for an aircraft, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured for storing a set of instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving at least two reference points for landing the aircraft upon an occurrence of an emergency;

determining a remaining flight path for the aircraft based on a current location of the aircraft and a flight plan serviced by a flight management system (FMS) of the aircraft; and

generating the EDP for the aircraft by locating a point on the remaining flight path which is equidistant from the at least two reference points.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least two reference points are received from a pilot of the aircraft.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least two reference points comprise a departure airport and an arrival airport for the aircraft by default.