Aircraft vertical guidance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10838431-B2
Application number	US-201815940753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A method implemented by computer for the management of the descent of an aircraft, comprises the steps of: receiving a descent profile; determining a search band comprising a plurality of flight segments of the profile; and selecting a flight segment in the search band. Various selection criteria are described, in particular the consideration of the commands of pitch-up and/or separation with respect to the active segment (anticipation distance). Other developments comprise the fact that the search band is configurable, the consideration of the load factor, modalities of tangent capture (trajectory with no segment crossing), compliance with altitude constraints, the determination of capture parabola modeling the trajectory, as well as the activation of the segment selected as control reference. System aspects and software aspects are described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method implemented by computer for management of a descent of an aircraft, comprising the steps of:
receiving a theoretical trajectory;
determining a search band dimensioned to correspond to inertial characteristics of the aircraft and/or to satisfy trajectory constraints, said search band comprising one or more segments of the theoretical trajectory; and
selecting a segment in the search band,
wherein a number of flight segments of the search band being configurable; and
said method further comprising a step of activating the selected segment, said step of activating the selected segment triggering guidance of the aircraft, by one of a flight management system of F.M.S. avionics type, an electronic flight bag or E.F.B. type or a digital tablet to send instructions to an automatic pilot to follow the selected segment.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the selected segment being a search band flight segment associated with a pitch-up command.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the selected segment being the search band's first flight segment associated with a pitch-up command.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the selected segment being a first segment exiting said search band.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said activation being conditional.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the activation of the selected segment being conditioned upon a fact that a load factor required for a tangent capture of this segment by the aircraft is greater or less than a predefined value.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said activation being conditioned upon compliance with one or more previously received altitude constraints.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a step of determining a so-called capture parabola trajectory, said capture parabola modeling the trajectory of the aircraft in a course of the transition following the activation of the selected segment, said activation being performed when the capture parabola ensures that one does not pass at more than a certain predefined value of an altitude of the end on selected segment.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said segments comprise horizontal segments.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said segments comprise longitudinal segments.

11. A computer program product, said computer program product comprising non-transitory code instructions making it possible to perform the steps of the method as claimed in claim 1 , when the non-transitory code instructions of said program product are executed on a computer.

12. A system for implementing the steps of the method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a flight management system of F.M.S. avionics type.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 , comprising a non-avionics system of one of the following: an electronic flight bag or E. F. B. type or a digital tablet.

14. A method implemented by computer for management of a descent of an aircraft, comprising the steps of:
receiving a theoretical trajectory;
determining a search band dimensioned to correspond to inertial characteristics of the aircraft and/or to satisfy trajectory constraints, said search band comprising one or more segments of the theoretical trajectory; and
selecting a segment in the search band,
wherein a number of flight segments of the search band being configurable; and
wherein said segments comprise one of the following: horizontal segments or longitudinal segments; and
said method further comprising a step of activating the selected segment, said step of activating the selected segment triggering guidance of the aircraft, by one of a flight management system of F.M.S. avionics type, an electronic flight bag or E.F.B. type or a digital tablet to send instructions to an automatic pilot to follow the selected segment.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the selected segment being a search band flight segment associated with a pitch-up command.

16. A computer program product, said computer program product comprising non-transitory code instructions making it possible to perform the steps of the method as claimed in claim 14 , when the non-transitory code instructions of said program product are executed on a computer.

17. A system for implementing the steps of the method as claimed in claim 14 , comprising of one of the following: a flight management system of F.M.S. avionics type, an electronic flight bag or E.F.B. type or a digital tablet.

Assignees

• Thales Sa

Inventors

• Durand Geoffrey
• Caudron De Coquereaumont Bertrand
• Boyer Johan

Classifications

• G05D1/0676 Primary

  specially adapted for landing · CPC title

• B64D45/04

  Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface · CPC title