Device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft

• US 8,467,966 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Coulmeau, Franois, Klotz, Julien, Sacle, Jrme, Barnetche, Bertrand
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALHARBI, ADAM MOHAMED
• Application Number:
  US12/900,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/532
• 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: G08G 5/003 Flight plan management

Abstract

A device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft includes a navigation display, a personalized database capable of storing navigation-aid data, each datum comprising a classification type representative of a family or of one or more categories of navigation-aid data, one or more periods of validity of the said datum, information relating to at least one geographic zone of the said datum, one graphic and/or textual representation of the said datum, selection means allowing an operator to choose one (or more) type(s) of classification, called selected type(s), extraction means capable of extracting from the personalized database the navigation-aid datum or data called extracted data of which the type is equal to at least one selected type, of which at least one geographic zone is situated at a distance, from the flight plan or from the aircraft, that is less than a predetermined maximum distance and of which at least one period of validity verifies a predefined display time criterion, the said extraction means transmitting the said extracted datum or data to the said navigation display capable of displaying the representations of the said extracted data.

Claims

1. A device for aiding flight management of an aircraft comprising a navigation display and a flight management system comprising means for computing a flight plan that the aircraft is assumed to have to follow, wherein said device further comprises:

a personalized database storing navigation-aid data, each datum comprising a classification type representative of a family or of one or more categories of navigation-aid data, one or more periods of validity of the datum, information relating to at least one geographic zone of the datum, at least one graphic and textual representation of the datum, and a visibility slot;

selection means allowing an operator to choose at least one type of classification defined as a selected type; and

extraction means extracting from the personalized database the navigation-aid datum defined as extracted data of which the type is equal to at least one selected type, of which at least one geographic zone is situated at a distance, from the flight plan or from the aircraft, that is less than a predetermined maximum distance, of which at least one period of validity verifies a predefined display time criterion, and of which at least one visibility slot comprises external visibility,

wherein said extraction means further being configured for transmitting the extracted datum or data to the navigation display, the navigation display configured for displaying the representations of the extracted data.

2. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the family of a navigation-aid datum is either a family of textual data, or a family of geographic data taken from a family of air-traffic management data or a family of piloting-aid geographic data.

3. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 2, wherein the navigation display is configured for displaying a window dedicated to the representations of the extracted data belonging to at least one of the family of textual data and a navigation-specific window dedicated to displaying representations of elements of the flight plan and representations of the extracted data belonging to a family of geographic data.

4. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the extraction means are configured for extracting the navigation-aid datum or data in which the geographic zone is situated at a distance, from the flight plan or from the aircraft, that is less than the maximum distance and is also at least partly included in a predetermined geographic zone of display.

5. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein a period of validity of a navigation-aid datum verifies the display time criterion when an intersection between the period of validity of the datum and a period of flight, during which the aircraft is assumed to have to follow the flight plan, is not zero.

6. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein a period of validity of a navigation-aid datum verifies the display time criterion when at least one estimated time of passage at a point of intersection between at least one geographic zone of the datum and the flight plan is included in at least one period of validity of the datum.

7. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 5, wherein the extraction means are configured for extracting the navigation-aid datum or data in which also at least one period of validity includes the current time.

8. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 6, wherein the extraction means are configured for extracting the navigation-aid datum or data in which also at least one period of validity includes the current time.

9. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 3, wherein a navigation-aid datum also comprises a range of display scales and the extraction means are configured for extracting the navigation-aid datum or data in which also the range of display scales comprises a display scale of a navigation window defined by a ratio between a size of a display zone and a size of the navigation display.

10. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the personalized database comprises a homologated storage space containing data which have been validated by an operator outside a crew and the extraction means are configured for extracting the navigation-aid datum or data also being stored in the homologated storage space.

11. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein a navigation-aid datum also comprises a display context and the extraction means are configured for extracting the navigation-aid datum or data in which also the display context corresponds to a context of the aircraft relative to the load of the aircraft, the presence of failures or a flight phase.

12. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 2, wherein the families of navigation-aid data are divided into categories.

13. A device for aiding flight management of an aircraft comprising a navigation display and a flight management system comprising a computer configured to generate a flight plan that the aircraft is assumed to have to follow, wherein said device further comprises:

a personalized database storing navigation-aid data, each datum comprising a classification type representative of a family or of one or more categories of navigation-aid data, one or more periods of validity of the datum, information relating to at least one geographic zone of the datum, at least one graphic and textual representation of the datum, and a visibility slot;

a selection device configured to allow an operator to choose at least one type of classification defined as a selected type; and

an extraction device configured to extract from the personalized database the navigation-aid datum defined as extracted data of which the type is equal to at least one selected type, of which at least one geographic zone is situated at a distance, from the flight plan or from the aircraft, that is less than a predetermined maximum distance, of which at least one period of validity verifies a predefined display time criterion, and of which at least one visibility slot comprises external visibility,

wherein said extraction device further being configured for transmitting the extracted datum or data to the navigation display, the navigation display configured for displaying the representations of the extracted data.

14. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 13, wherein the family of a navigation-aid datum is either a family of textual data, or a family of geographic data taken from a family of air-traffic management data or a family of piloting-aid geographic data.

15. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 14, wherein the navigation display is configured for displaying a window dedicated to the representations of the extracted data belonging to at least one of the family of textual data and a navigation-specific window dedicated to displaying representations of elements of the flight plan and representations of the extracted data belonging to a family of geographic data.

16. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 13, wherein the extraction device is configured for extracting the navigation-aid datum or data in which the geographic zone is situated at a distance, from the flight plan or from the aircraft, that is less than the maximum distance and is also at least partly included in a predetermined geographic zone of display.

17. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 13, wherein a period of validity of a navigation-aid datum verifies the display time criterion when an intersection between the period of validity of the datum and a period of flight, during which the aircraft is assumed to have to follow the flight plan, is not zero.

18. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 13, wherein a period of validity of a navigation-aid datum verifies the display time criterion when at least one estimated time of passage at a point of intersection between at least one geographic zone of the datum and the flight plan is included in at least one period of validity of the datum.

19. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 17, wherein the extraction device is configured for extracting the navigation-aid datum or data in which also at least one period of validity includes the current time.

20. The device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft according to claim 18, wherein the extraction device is configured for extracting the navigation-aid datum or data in which also at least one period of validity includes the current time.