Method for determining an instantaneous or anticipated probable zone of occupancy of an aircraft in an airport navigation zone

• US 9,047,770 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Lafon, Stphanie, Michel, Franois
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US13/857,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 for taking-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

The general field of the invention is that of methods for determining safety zones surrounding an aircraft travelling or taking off from an airport zone, the safety zone being calculated at a determined instant that may be the present instant or the future instant. The method according to the invention comprises at least the following steps:

• • Step 0: Establishment of a convex safety envelope surrounding the aircraft on the basis of reference points taken on the aircraft;
  • Step 1: Establishment of a first convex envelope safety zone surrounding the aircraft on the basis of reference circles taken on the aircraft, each circle having as center one of the reference points and as radius the value of the uncertainty in the exact position of the aircraft.

Other steps of the method make it possible to refine this first safety zone depending on whether the aircraft is in a taxiing or takeoff phase and depending on whether it is calculated at the present instant or at the future instant.

Claims

1. A method for determining a safety zone surrounding an aircraft taxiing around an airport or taking off from an airport zone at a determined instant, the method comprising:

establishing, by an avionics system, a convex safety envelope surrounding the aircraft based on reference points taken on the aircraft, wherein the reference points are situated at extremities of the aircraft, wherein at least one of the reference points corresponds to a front extremity of a fuselage of the aircraft, wherein at least one of the reference points corresponds to extremities of wings of the aircraft, and wherein at least one of the reference points corresponds to a tailplane of the aircraft; and

establishing, by the avionics system, a first convex safety zone surrounding the aircraft based on reference circles taken on the aircraft, each circle having a center that is one of the reference points and a radius that is equivalent to a value of a measurement uncertainty of a position of the aircraft, wherein the value is larger than one meter.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, by the avionics system, a second convex safety zone surrounding the aircraft, the second zone being equal to the first zone extended aft of the aircraft by a blast zone corresponding to a blast cone of the aircraft,

wherein the second convex safety zone is established by the avionics system after the convex safety envelope and the first convex safety zone have been established by the avionics system.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

establishing, by the avionics system, a third convex safety zone situated at a ground level of the airport zone, the third safety zone being equal to a wake turbulence zone of the aircraft, a size and a shape of the third safety zone depending on the determined instant being an instant of takeoff of the aircraft,

wherein the third convex safety zone is established by the avionics system after the convex safety envelope, the first convex safety zone, and the second convex safety zone have been established by the avionics system.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

establishing, by the avionics system, a fifth safety zone surrounding the aircraft, the fifth safety zone being equal to a convolution product of at least one of the first zone, the second zone, or the fourth zone and one or more potential paths that may be traversed in the airport zone by the aircraft at a determined speed for a duration commencing at a present instant and finishing at a future instant.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the fifth safety zone is equal to the convolution product of at least one of the first zone, the second zone, or the fourth zone and a plurality of the one or more potential paths.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, by the avionics system, a fourth convex safety zone surrounding the aircraft, the fourth safety zone being equal to at least the first zone extended fore of the aircraft by a braking zone corresponding to a braking distance of the aircraft,

wherein the fourth convex safety zone is established by the avionics system after the convex safety envelope and the first convex safety zone have been established by the avionics system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first determined instant is a present time of the aircraft.

8. A cockpit viewing system comprising:

an avionics system and a viewing device,

the avionics system configured to determine a safety zone surrounding an aircraft taxiing around an airport or taking off from an airport zone at a determined instant, wherein determining the safety zone surrounding the aircraft comprises;

establishing, by the avionics system, a convex safety envelope surrounding the aircraft based on reference points taken on the aircraft, wherein the reference points are situated at extremities of the aircraft, wherein at least one of the reference points corresponds to a front extremity of a fuselage of the aircraft, wherein at least one of the reference points corresponds to extremities of wings of the aircraft, and wherein at least one of the reference points corresponds to a tailplane of the aircraft; and

establishing, by the avionics system, a first convex safety zone surrounding the aircraft based on reference circles taken on the aircraft, each circle having a center that is one of the reference points and a radius that is equivalent to a value of a measurement uncertainty of a position of the aircraft, wherein the value is larger than one meter, and

the viewing device comprising at least one representation of the airport zone, the position of the aircraft, and the safety zone surrounding the aircraft.