Method and device for guiding an aircraft during a low level flight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9304514-B2
Application number	US-201514590996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2015
Priority date	Jan 8, 2014
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A calculation unit configured to define a safety corridor, whose width is increased compared with a nominal width, at least by one width of an escape trajectory with a spiral climb of the aircraft, wherein the safety corridor that is thus defined by the calculation unit is used by a construction unit for forming a flight trajectory for a low level flight of an aircraft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of guiding an aircraft during a low level flight, the method including steps comprising:
defining a safety corridor, a width of which is increased, relative to a nominal width, by at least one escape width corresponding to a width of an escape trajectory defined by a spiral climb of the aircraft;
constructing a flight trajectory as a function of a relief of an overflown terrain and the defined safety corridor, the safety corridor defining limits on either side of the flight trajectory at least in a lateral plane;
guiding the aircraft along the flight trajectory; and
when a fault condition is detected in a system necessary for execution of a low level flight operation, performing an escape maneuver, while guiding the aircraft, by causing the aircraft to climb to a safety height, and causing the aircraft to fly in accordance with a spiral climb maneuver with a turn having a minimum turn radius of the aircraft, in accordance with a rotation direction directed toward a side of the safety corridor on which the safety corridor is widened by the escape width so that the aircraft remains within the limits of the safety corridor.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the width of the safety corridor is increased by a single escape width defined laterally on one side relative to a longitudinal axis of the safety corridor.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the width of the safety corridor is increased by two escape widths defined on either side of a longitudinal axis of the safety corridor.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the escape width corresponds at least to twice the minimum turn radius of the aircraft.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the escape width takes into account an effect of a side wind on the flight of the aircraft.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spiral climb maneuver has an elongate or elliptical shape transversely to the flight trajectory based on an extent of a side wind relative to the flight trajectory.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the elongate or elliptical shape of the spiral climb maneuver has a lateral offset based on the side wind, and is used in calculating the width of the safety corridor.

8. A device for guiding an aircraft during a low level flight, the device including:
a construction unit configured to construct a flight trajectory of the aircraft, as a function of a relief of an overflown terrain and a safety corridor, the safety corridor defining limits on either side of the flight trajectory at least in a lateral plane and having at least a nominal width;
a guidance unit configured to guide the aircraft along the flight trajectory;
a calculation unit configured to define the safety corridor, a width of which is increased, relative to the nominal width, by at least one escape width corresponding to a width of an escape trajectory defined by a spiral climb of the aircraft, the safety corridor defined in this way by the calculation unit being used by the construction unit to construct the flight trajectory; and
wherein the guidance unit is configured to implement an escape maneuver when a fault condition is detected in a system necessary for execution of a low level flight operation, by causing the aircraft to climb to a safety height, and causing the aircraft to fly in accordance with a spiral climb maneuver with a turn having a minimum turn radius of the aircraft, in accordance with a rotation direction directed toward a side of the safety corridor on which the safety corridor is widened by the escape width so that the aircraft remains within the limits of the safety corridor.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a unit for detecting a fault condition of at least one system of the aircraft, the escape maneuver being triggered to be implemented by the guidance unit when the detection unit detects the fault condition.

10. An aircraft comprising a guidance device according to claim 8 .

11. The device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the spiral climb maneuver has an elongate or elliptical shape transversely to the flight trajectory based on an extent of a side wind relative to the flight trajectory.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the elongate or elliptical shape of the spiral climb maneuver has a lateral offset based on the side wind, and is used in calculating the width of the safety corridor.

Assignees

• Airbus Operation S A S
• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Kozlow Boris
• Roux Yohann
• Nico Julien

Classifications

• G01S13/935

  for terrain-avoidance · CPC title

• G08G5/74

  for monitoring terrain · CPC title

• G05D1/0646 Primary

  to follow the profile of undulating ground · CPC title

• G05D1/0202 Primary

  specially adapted to aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/0086

  Physics · mapped topic