Control system and method for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185448-A1
Application number	US-201514808453-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 24, 2015
Priority date	Jul 25, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control system and method for an aircraft configured to operate according to a first mode of operation corresponding to an automatic piloting of the aircraft and a second mode of operation corresponding to a manual piloting of the aircraft, the system including a selection member. The system is configured to operate according to the first mode of operation when the selection member is not actuated continuously and to operate according to the second mode of operation when the selection member is actuated continuously.

First claim

1 . A control system for an aircraft configured to operate according to a first mode of operation corresponding to an automatic piloting of the aircraft and a second mode of operation corresponding to a manual piloting of the aircraft, the system comprising a selection member that can be actuated by a pilot of the aircraft, wherein:
the system is configured to operate according to the first mode of operation when the selection member is not actuated continuously; and the system is configured to operate according to the second mode of operation when the selection member is actuated continuously.

2 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , configured such that, when the system operates according to the first mode of operation, the system controls display of a flight director on a screen of a cockpit of the aircraft and, when the system operates according to the second mode of operation, the sytem disables the display of the flight director.

3 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , configured to control attitude and/or roll angles of the aircraft, the system being further configured such that, upon switching from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation because of an actuation of the selection member, the system continues to control attitude and/or roll angles that are unchanged until the system receives a control signal originating from a control member of the aircraft and corresponding to a modification of the value of at least one of the attitude and/or roll angles.

4 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , configured to display information on a screen of a cockpit of the aircraft when the system operates according to the second mode of operation, the information corresponding to a guidance of the aircraft which would be produced by the control system if the system were to revert to the first mode of operation because the actuation of the selection member was stopped.

5 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , configured to store at least one current guidance objective upon switching from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation because of an actuation of the selection member, then to guide the aircraft according to this at least one stored guidance objective, following a return to the first mode of operation because the actuation of the selection member was stopped.

6 . The control system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the guidance objective corresponds to at least one guidance mode and/or to guidance setpoints previously selected by a pilot of the aircraft.

7 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an objective selector likely to be activated by a pilot of the aircraft, the system being further configured to store at least one current guidance objective upon switching from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation because of an actuation of the selection member, then upon a return to the first mode of operation because the actuation of the selection member was stopped, to guide the aircraft according to:
a trajectory corresponding to a current trajectory of the aircraft upon the return to the first mode of operation, as long as the objective selector is not activated after this return to the first mode of operation; and this at least one stored guidance objective, after an activation of the objective selector after the return to the first mode of operation.

8 . An aircraft comprising a control system as claimed in claim 1 .

9 . A method for controlling an aircraft, the aircraft comprising a control system configured to operate according to a first mode of operation corresponding to an automatic piloting of the aircraft and a second mode of operation corresponding to a manual piloting of the aircraft, the system comprising a selection memberthat can be actuated by a pilot of the aircraft, wherein:
when the selection member is not actuated continuously, the system operates according to the first mode of operation; and when the selection member is actuated continuously, the system operates according to the second mode of operation.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Scacchi Pierre
• Bourret Thierry
• Laine Franck
• Mayolle Matthieu
• Betton Sabrina
• Puissacq Cécile
• Sapin Olivier

Classifications

• B64C13/18

  using automatic pilot · CPC title

• G01C23/005

  Flight directors (indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32) · CPC title

• B64C13/0421

  control sticks for primary flight controls · CPC title

• B64C13/22 Primary

  readily revertible to personal control · CPC title

• B64C13/042

  operated by hand · CPC title