Method and device for determining an operational distance of an unspecified termination segment of an aircraft flight plan

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9530319-B2
Application number	US-201514808362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2015
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

The device includes a receiving unit for receiving at least a start point of an unspecified termination segment, an orientation of the unspecified termination segment and a start point of a following segment, a first computation unit for calculating a median plane passing through the start point of the following segment and perpendicular to this following segment, a second computation unit for calculating an operational distance, called calculated operational distance, as a function of the position of the start point of the unspecified termination segment relative to the median plane, using geometric data, and a transmission unit for providing at least one user means with the calculated operational distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for determining an operational distance of at least one unspecified termination segment of a flight plan of an aircraft, said method comprising:
a) automatically receiving, at a receiving unit in the aircraft, at least the following geometric data:
a start point of the unspecified termination segment;
an orientation of the unspecified termination segment; and
a start point of a segment called following segment, the following segment being the first segment of the flight plan following the unspecified termination segment in the direction of flight along the flight plan;
b) automatically calculating, by a first computation unit in the aircraft, a median plane passing through the start point of the following segment and perpendicular to this following segment;
c) automatically calculating, by a second computation unit in the aircraft, an operational distance, called calculated operational distance, step c) including:
determining an extension of the following segment beyond the median plane;
determining an extension of the unspecified termination segment starting from the start point of the unspecified termination segment, according to said orientation of the unspecified termination segment; and
calculating the operational distance as a function of the position of the extension of the unspecified termination segment relative to the extension of the following segment and to the median plane; and
d) automatically providing, by a transmission unit in the aircraft, at least one user means with the calculated operational distance.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an additional step of checking if the following two conditions C 1 and C 2 are met:
C 1 : the start point of the unspecified termination segment is situated, relative to the median plane calculated in step b) and defining two half-planes, in the same half-plane as said following segment, and
C 2 : the extension of the unspecified termination segment intersects the extension of the following segment, as well as the median plane, at a point of intersection;
if the two conditions C 1 and C 2 are met simultaneously, step c) of the method comprises calculating the operational distance as the sum of a first distance between the start point of the unspecified termination segment and said point of intersection and a second distance between said point of intersection and the start point of the following segment; and
if the condition C 1 is met and the condition C 2 is not met, step c) comprises calculating the operational distance as being the sum of a first distance between the start point of the unspecified termination segment and the orthogonal projection of the start point of the unspecified termination segment on the median plane and a second distance between said orthogonal projection and the start point of the following segment.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an additional step of checking if the following two conditions C 3 and C 4 are met:
C 3 : the start point of the unspecified termination segment is situated in the half-plane other than the one in which the following segment is situated, relative to the median plane calculated in step b) and defining two half-planes, and
C 4 : the extension of the unspecified termination segment intersects the median plane as well as the extension of the following segment at a point of intersection;
if the if two conditions C 3 and C 4 are simultaneously met, step c) comprises calculating the operational distance as being the sum of a first distance between the start point of the unspecified termination segment and the point of intersection and a second distance between said point of intersection and the start point of the following segment; and
if the condition C 3 is met and the condition C 4 is not met, step c) comprises calculating the operational distance as being the sum of a first distance between the start point of the unspecified termination segment and the orthogonal projection of the start point of the unspecified termination segment on the extension of the following segment and a second distance between said orthogonal projection and the start point of the following segment.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising subsequent to step c):
allowing a member of the crew of the aircraft to enter an operational distance called new operational distance for the purpose of a replacement;
automatically checking if the following condition C 5 is met: said new operational distance is greater than a direct distance between the start point of the unspecified termination segment and the start point of the following segment;
if the condition C 5 is met, the method comprises automatically replacing the calculated operational distance by said new operational distance; and
if the condition C 5 is not met, the method comprises automatically rejecting the proposed replacement and of retaining the calculated operational distance.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising subsequent to step c):
allowing a member of the crew of the aircraft to delete the calculated operational distance; and
replacing the calculated operational distance by a new operational distance corresponding to a direct distance between the start point of the unspecified termination segment and the start point of the following segment, when a member of the crew of the aircraft deletes the calculated operational distance.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising displaying the new operational distance, in a way differentiated from a display of said calculated operational distance, on a screen in the cockpit of the aircraft.

7. An onboard device for determining an operational distance of at least one unspecified termination segment of a flight plan of an aircraft, said device comprising:
a receiving unit configured to receive at least the following geometric data:
a start point of the unspecified termination segment;
an orientation of the unspecified termination segment; and
a start point of a segment called following segment, the following segment being the first segment of the flight plan which follows the unspecified termination segment in the direction of flight along the flight plan;
a first computation unit configured to calculate a median plane passing through the start point of the following segment and perpendicular to this following segment;
a second computation unit configured to calculate, using geometric data, an operational distance, called calculated operational distance, the second computation unit being configured for:
determining an extension of the following segment beyond the median plane;
determining an extension of the unspecified termination segment starting from the start point of the unspecified termination segment, according to said orientation of the unspecified termination segment; and
calculating the operational distance as a function of the position of the extension of the unspecified termination segment relative to the extension of the following segment and to the median plane; and
a transmission unit configured to supply at least one user means with the calculated operational distance.

8. A flight management system comprising a device for determining an operational distance of at least one unspecified termination segment of a flight plan, the device comprising:
a receiving unit configured to receive at least the following geometric data:
a start point of the unspecified termination segment;
an orientation of the unspecified termination segment; and
a start point of a segment called following segment, the following segment being the first segment of the flight plan which follows the unspecif

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Berrajaa Jaouad
• Le Gall Virginie

Classifications

• G01C23/00

  Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration · CPC title

• G01C21/20

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• G08G5/34 Primary

  for flight plan modification · CPC title

• G05D1/0202

  specially adapted to aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/30 Primary

  Flight plan management · CPC title