Method and device for constructing a vertical profile for a descent and/or an approach of an aircraft

• US 9,378,645 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Berrajaa, Jaouad, Le Gall, Virginie, Buisson, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/549,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 701/18
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0005 with arrangements to save energy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/02 Automatic approach or landing aids, i.e. systems in which flight data of incoming planes are processed to provide landing data landing aids fitted in or to aircraft B64D45/04; visual or acoustic landing aids B64F1/18
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

This relates to a method and device for constructing a vertical profile for an aircraft descent and/or approach. The construction device comprises a data-capture unit configured to provide, for at least one of a plurality of parameters, a value relating to a user strategy. A construction unit is configured to automatically construct a vertical profile for an aircraft descent and/or approach, using the value thus provided.

Claims

1. A method of constructing, using a processor, a vertical profile for an aircraft descent and/or approach, the method comprising a first set of steps and a second set of steps, the first set of steps using values of a plurality of reference parameters, the first set of steps comprising:

providing, for at least one of a plurality of strategic parameters, a value relating to a user strategy, said strategic parameters corresponding to at least some of said reference parameters, the values of a parameter corresponding to all the possible options offered for setting this parameter; and

in automatically constructing said vertical profile using the value thus provided,

the method additionally comprising a second set of steps carried out during a flight of the aircraft and comprising;

a) presenting the crew of the aircraft with the values of a plurality of parameters referred to as tactical parameters, which have been used to calculate the vertical profile, the tactical parameters corresponding to at least some of said reference parameters;

b) modifying at least one of said tactical-parameter values presented in step a); and

c) automatically reconstructing the vertical profile using the value modified in step b); and

further comprising an additional step, forming part of the second set of steps, situated between steps b) and c), and comprising verifying and validating each tactical parameter value modified in step b), and wherein only modified values that have been verified and validated are used in step c).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the strategic parameters comprise at least one parameter relating to at least one of the following elements:

at least one type of vertical profile;

at least one final approach speed strategy;

at least one aircraft configuration sequence;

at least one deceleration assumption; and

at least one assumption regarding the use of the aircraft airbrakes.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said tactical parameters comprise at least one parameter relating to at least one of the following elements:

at least one type of vertical profile;

at least one final approach speed strategy;

at least one aircraft speed stabilization altitude;

at least one aircraft configuration sequence;

at least one deceleration assumption; and

at least one assumption regarding the use of the aircraft airbrakes.

4. A device for constructing, using a processor, a vertical profile for an aircraft descent and/or approach, said device comprising:

a construction unit configured to construct a vertical profile using values of a plurality of reference parameters;

a data capture unit configured to provide, for at least one of a plurality of parameters referred to as strategic parameters, a value relating to a user strategy, the strategic parameters corresponding to at least some of the reference parameters, the values of a parameter corresponding to all the possible options offered for setting this parameter, the construction unit being configured to automatically construct the vertical profile using the value thus provided;

a display unit configured to present the crew, during a flight of the aircraft, with the values of a plurality of parameters referred to as tactical parameters, which are used to calculate the vertical profile, the tactical parameters corresponding to at least some of the reference parameters;

an auxiliary data-capture unit configured to allow the crew to modify at least one of the tactical parameter values presented by the display unit;

verifying and validating each modified tactical parameter value to produce a set of verified values; and

an auxiliary construction unit configured to automatically reconstruct the vertical profile using the set of verified values.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the strategic parameters comprise at least one parameter relating to at least one of the following elements:

at least one type of vertical profile;

at least one final approach speed strategy;

at least one aircraft configuration sequence;

at least one deceleration assumption; and

at least one assumption regarding the use of the aircraft airbrakes.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the tactical parameters comprise at least one parameter relating to at least one of the following elements:

at least one type of vertical profile;

at least one final approach speed strategy;

at least one aircraft speed stabilization altitude;

at least one aircraft configuration sequence;

at least one deceleration assumption; and

at least one assumption regarding the use of the aircraft airbrakes.