DEVICE FOR ASSISTING IN THE CHOICE OF A DIVERSION AIRPORT

• US 20100161156A1
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Coulmeau, François, Sacle, Jérôme, Caillaud, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for assisting in the choice of a diversion airport for an aircraft piloted by a crew (200), said aircraft comprising a flight management system including location means (207) calculating the position of the aircraft, said device comprising a navigation database (202) and a performance database (203) of the aircraft, said device being characterized in that it comprises:

• • a company database (201) comprising airports and characteristics of said airports,

means (205) of calculating a list of airports, called candidate airports, from the airports in the company database, from the navigation database and from the selected characteristics by the crew,

• • means (204) for calculating remaining flight time and fuel consumption predictions for each of the candidate airports from the position of the aircraft, from weather conditions and from the performance database,

an interface giving the favoured airports for diversion according to pre-established criteria or determined in real time using the interface.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. Device for assisting in the choice of a diversion airport for an aircraft piloted by a crew, said aircraft comprising a flight management system including location means calculating the position of the aircraft, said device comprising a navigation database and a performance database of the aircraft, said device comprising:

a company database comprising airports and characteristics of said airports,

means of calculating a list of airports, called candidate airports, from the airports in the company database, from the navigation database and from the selected airport characteristics,

means for calculating remaining flight time and fuel consumption predictions for each of the candidate airports from the position of the aircraft, from weather conditions and from the performance database,

means of interaction with the crew for selecting characteristics to be observed by each of the candidate airports and for displaying said candidate airports.

11. Device according to claim 10, comprising display means on a navigation screen representing:

the aircraft, airports identified by different colours, a first colour identifying the airports that meet all the selected characteristics, a second colour identifying the airports that do not have all the selected characteristics and a third colour identifying the airports that are unsuitable for a diversion.

12. Device according to claim 10, comprising a display representing a list of airports and, for each of the airports:

the direction of the airport, the distance between the aircraft and the airport, the characteristics of the airport and the associated predictions for reaching it.

13. Device according to claim 12, wherein the display representing a list of airports comprises, for each airport, a series of symbols associated with characteristics, a symbol being coloured according to a colour code indicating a degree of conformity of the airport with regard to a characteristic, a first colour indicating full conformity, a second colour indicating partial conformity and a third colour indicating nonconformity.

14. Device according to claim 10, comprising means of selecting the characteristics used by the means of calculating a list of airports situated on the ground and enabling a company operating the aircraft to determine said characteristics.

15. Device according to claim 10, comprising means for calculating and displaying a prediction of the integrity of the satellite navigation means for each of the candidate airports.

16. Device according to claim 10, wherein the company database, the means of calculating a list of airports, the means for calculating predictions and the means of interaction with the crew are implemented in the flight management system of the aircraft.

17. Device according to claim 10 wherein the company database, the means of calculating a list of airports and the means of interaction with the crew are implemented in a computer connected to the flight management system, the means for calculating predictions being implemented in the flight management system of the aircraft.

18. Device according to claim 10 wherein the company database, the means of calculating a list of airports, the means for calculating predictions and the means of interaction with the crew are implemented in an independent application of the flight management system, said application being executed on at least one computer of the aircraft.