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System for piloting an aircraft, at least for piloting the aircraft during an autonomous approach for the purpose of landing

  • US 9,587,960 B2
  • Filed: 01/10/2007
  • Issued: 03/07/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for piloting an aircraft during an autonomous approach for the purpose of landing, said piloting system comprising:

  • information sources comprised of;

    a flight management computer that extracts information from a database connected to the flight management computer and determines from the extracted information a virtual approach axis for the aircraft, anda positioning system configured for determining an actual three-dimensional position of the aircraft from onboard devices and for determining precision and integrity levels of the actual three-dimensional position of the aircraft;

    a processor comprising a flight guidance computer,wherein said flight guidance computer comprises;

    i) a first calculator that receives information characterizing the virtual approach axis determined by the flight management computer and the actual three-dimensional position of the aircraft determined by the positioning system, and directly calculates, from the received information characterizing the actual three-dimensional position of the aircraft and the virtual approach axis, perpendicular linear distances between the actual three-dimensional position of the aircraft and the virtual approach axis, wherein the perpendicular linear distances represent a first distance calculated in a horizontal plane and a second distance calculated in a vertical plane,ii) a second calculator that further receives the information characterizing the virtual approach axis determined by the flight management computer and the actual three-dimensional position of the aircraft determined by the positioning system, and calculates, from the received information characterizing the actual three-dimensional position of the aircraft and the virtual approach axis, lateral and vertical angular deviations between the actual three-dimensional position of the aircraft and the virtual approach axis, andiii) a third calculator that calculates aircraft piloting setpoints from the perpendicular linear distances calculated by said first calculator;

    a piloting aid configured to receive the aircraft piloting setpoints and assist in guiding the aircraft to land according to the aircraft piloting setpoints;

    a display and control system that displays the lateral and vertical angular deviations calculated by the second calculator; and

    a warning and surveillance system that carries out surveillance from the lateral and vertical angular deviations.

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