Piloting assistance system and an aircraft

• US 9,244,649 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Inventors: Ott, Adrien, Germanetti, Serge, Boudier, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Braniff, Christopher T
• Application Number:
  US13/487,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20120314034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 10/00 Flight suits helmets in general A42B3/00; breathing helmets A62B18/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

The present invention relates to a piloting assistance system for an aircraft that is provided with a controller for determining piloting information. The system comprises at least one display system wearable on the head of a pilot, the display system being provided with a left display suitable for being viewed by a left eye of the pilot and a right display suitable for being viewed by a right eye of the pilot, the controller including a first processor for processing the information and a second processor for processing the information, the processors including stored instructions for causing the information to be displayed simultaneously and respectively on the left display and on the right display.

Claims

1. A piloting assistance system for an aircraft provided with determination means for determining piloting information, wherein the system comprises at least one display system wearable on the head of a pilot, the display system being provided with left display means suitable for being viewed by a left eye of the pilot and right display means suitable for being viewed by a right eye of the pilot, the determination means including first processor means for processing the information and second processor means for processing the same information, the first processor means being associated with the left display means but not the right display means and the second processor means being associated with the right display means but not the left display means, the first and second processor means including stored instructions for causing the information to be displayed simultaneously and respectively on the left display means and on the right display means, wherein one of the left display means and the right display means is configured to deactivate in response to a user input while the other of the left display means and the right display means continues to display the piloting information.

2. A system according to claim 1, including at least one primary data sensor connected to the first processor means and to the second processor means, the first processor means and the second processor means including stored instructions for determining at least one item of information relating to data to be selected from a list including at least:

a speed of rotation of a rotary wing;

an attitude of the aircraft;

an air speed of the aircraft;

a barometric altitude of the aircraft;

a height of the aircraft;

a quantity of fuel remaining on board the aircraft;

a load factor of the aircraft; and

first limit information for a power plant of the aircraft.

3. A system according to claim 1, including image capture means provided with at least one camera connected to the first processor means and to the second processor means, the first processor means and the second processor means including stored instructions for reconstituting an image of the outside of the aircraft by using the capture means.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the first processor means and the second processor means cause information including the image to be displayed simultaneously and respectively on the left display means and on the right display means.

5. A system according to claim 3, including a plurality of cameras, each pointing towards a respective sector of a sphere surrounding the aircraft.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein two adjacent cameras cover two sectors (S1, S2) that overlap partially.

7. A system according to claim 3, including positioning means for determining the position of the display system connected to the first processor means and to the second processor means, the first processor means and the second processor means including stored instructions for determining information including an image of the outside of the aircraft present in a field of view (S0) of the pilot.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the positioning means are capable of identifying a “

head-down”

position of the display system as occurs when a pilot looks at the inside of a cockpit of an aircraft, the first processor means and the second processor means including stored instructions for suspending the display of the image while in the “

head-down”

position.

9. A system according to claim 1, including a digital terrain model connected to the first processor means and to the second processor means, the first processor means and the second processor means including stored instructions for causing information to be displayed that includes a digital terrain representation simultaneously and respectively on the left display means and on the right display means.

10. A system according to claim 1, including deactivation means for deactivating the display of the information on at least one of the display means, the deactivation means being operable by the pilot in the event of a lack of similarity between the information displayed on the left display means and on the right display means.

11. A system according to claim 1, including at least one on-board fixed screen connected to the first and second processor means to display the information.

12. A system according to claim 1, including positioning means capable of identifying a “

head-down”

position of the display system as occurs when a pilot looks at the inside of a cockpit of an aircraft, and the first processor means and the second processor means include stored instructions for displaying a representation of a virtual instrument panel in response to the display system being in the “

head-down”

position.

13. A system according to claim 12, including touch screens arranged on the instrument panel of the aircraft.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor means and the second processor means for processing the information include stored instructions for causing the information to be displayed simultaneously and respectively on the left display means and on the right display means from a right-eye point of view and from a left-eye point of view so as to produce a stereoscopic display.

15. An aircraft, including a piloting assistance system according to claim 1.

16. The piloting assistance system of claim 1, wherein the first processor means includes a first microprocessor and the second processor means includes a second microprocessor.

17. A piloting assistance system for an aircraft provided with a controller for determining piloting information, wherein the system comprises at least one display system wearable on the head of a pilot, the display system being provided with a left display suitable for being viewed by a left eye of the pilot and a right display suitable for being viewed by a right eye of the pilot, the determination means including a first processor for processing the information and a second processor for processing the information, the first processor and the second processor being distinct processor units, the left display being associated with only one of the first processor and second processor, the right display being associated with only the other of the first processor and second processor, the processor means including stored instructions for causing the information to be displayed simultaneously and respectively on the left display and on the right display, wherein one of the left display means and the right display means is configured to deactivate in response to a user input while the other of the left display means and the right display means continues to display the piloting information.

18. An aircraft piloting assistance system comprising:

a wearable display system including a left display and a right display, the left display being viewable by a left eye of a pilot and the right display being viewable by a right eye of a pilot;

a first microprocessor in communication with the left display and a second microprocessor in communication with the right display, wherein the first processor and second processor are configured to process common piloting information and simultaneously display the common piloting information on the left display and right display, respectively, the first microprocessor displaying the common piloting information on the left display but not on the right display, the second microprocessor displaying the common piloting information on the right display but not on the left display; and

an interface configured to, in response to a user input, selectively deactivate one of the left display or the right display while leaving the other of the left display or the right display active and displaying piloting information.

19. The aircraft piloting assistance system of claim 18, wherein the common piloting information includes a speed of rotation of a rotary wing, an attitude of the aircraft, an air speed of the aircraft, a barometric altitude of the aircraft, a height of the aircraft, a quantity of fuel remaining on board the aircraft, a load factor of the aircraft, or limit information for a power plant of the aircraft.