System for activating the distress beacon of an aircraft

• US 9,562,963 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Colin, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHELLEY
• Application Number:
  US14/534,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20150134154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 701/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/20 Releasing of crash position indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0231 Emergency, distress or locator beacons

Abstract

A system for activating the distress beacon determines a positional difference between a theoretical position of the aircraft determined from data of the flight plan and a real position of the aircraft determined from the navigation and monitoring equipment installed in the aircraft. This system delivers an instruction to arm the distress beacon when one or more conditions are met, among which is the condition that the positional difference exceeds a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A system for activating a distress beacon of an aircraft,

the system being configured to determine a positional difference between a theoretical position of the aircraft determined from data of a flight plan and a real position of the aircraft determined from navigation and monitoring equipment installed in the aircraft and

a control being configured to deliver an instruction to arm the distress beacon when one or more conditions are met, one of such conditions being that the determined positional difference exceeds a first predetermined value,

wherein after the arming of the distress beacon, the control delivers another instruction to activate the distress beacon when an amplitude of a signal delivered by an acceleration sensor of the distress beacon exceeds a second predetermined value, and

before the arming of the distress beacon, the control deactivates at least one cockpit warning based on a comparison between a first predetermined time period after the positional difference has exceeded the first predetermined value, and a second predetermined time period after the first predetermined time period when a false warning associated with the distress beacon is detected.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further configured to deliver the instruction to arm the distress beacon when at least one of the following additional conditions is met:

the real position of the aircraft is above a water or land surface by a distance less than or equal to a third predetermined value;

the real position of the aircraft is greater than a predetermined distance from an airport zone;

the at least one cockpit warning, triggered at a fixed time after the positional difference has exceeded the first predetermined value, has not been deactivated within a specified period following the fixed time.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, comprising a flight warning system capable of generating said cockpit warning.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, comprising a touch screen capable of generating said cockpit warning.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, further configured to deliver an instruction to arm the distress beacon when a surface proximity warning is detected.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data of the flight plan for determining the theoretical position of the aircraft are delivered by the flight management system.

7. An aircraft comprising a distress beacon and a system for activating the distress beacon,

the system being configured to determine a positional difference between a theoretical position of the aircraft determined from data of a flight plan and a real position of the aircraft determined from navigation and monitoring equipment installed in the aircraft and

a control being configured to deliver an instruction to arm the distress beacon when one or more conditions are met, one of such conditions being that the determined positional difference exceeds a first predetermined value,

wherein after the arming of the distress beacon, the control delivers another instruction to activate the distress beacon when an amplitude of a signal delivered by an acceleration sensor of the distress beacon exceeds a second predetermined value, and

before the arming of the distress beacon, the control deactivates at least one cockpit warning based on a comparison between a first predetermined time period after the positional difference has exceeded the first predetermined value, and a second predetermined time period after the first predetermined time period when a false warning associated with the distress beacon is detected.

8. A method for activating a distress beacon of an aircraft, comprising the following steps:

determining a positional difference between a theoretical position of the aircraft determined from data of a flight plan and a real position of the aircraft determined from navigation and monitoring equipment installed in the aircraft;

delivering an instruction to arm the distress beacon when one or more conditions are met, one of the conditions being the positional difference exceeds a first predetermined value;

after the arming of the distress beacon, delivering another instruction to activate the distress beacon when an amplitude of a signal delivered by an acceleration sensor of the distress beacon exceeds a second predetermined value; and

before the arming of the distress beacon, deactivating at least one cockpit warning based on a comparison between a first predetermined time period after the positional difference has exceeded the first predetermined value, and a second predetermined time period after the first predetermined time period when a false warning associated with the distress beacon is detected.