Device for displaying flight characteristics of an aircraft, aircraft instruments, and related method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574901-B2
Application number	US-201314388770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2013
Priority date	Mar 28, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A device for displaying flight characteristics of an aircraft is provided. The device includes a display for the selective display of flight characteristics of an aircraft, as a function of a state of credibility assigned to measurements from static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors, configured for selectively displaying a primary set of flight characteristics comprising at least one flight characteristic coming from a measurement from one of said sensors, when the measurements from said sensors are deemed reliable, and a secondary set of flight characteristics, distinct from said primary set, comprising at least one secondary flight characteristic designed to replace a counterpart flight characteristic from the primary set, when the measurements from at least one sensor are deemed unreliable, said secondary flight characteristic being independent of any measurement by the or each sensor deemed unreliable done when the measurements from that sensor are deemed unreliable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for displaying flight characteristics of an aircraft to a crew of the aircraft comprising:
a display for the selective display of flight characteristics of the aircraft, as a function of a state of credibility assigned to measurements from sensors of the aircraft, the sensors comprising static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors of the aircraft, the state of credibility being determined by an analytical surveillance test verifying whether an equation, involving measurements from the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors, is satisfied, the analytical surveillance test being performed by a computer,
the display configured for selectively displaying:
a primary set of flight characteristics comprising at least one flight characteristic coming from at least one measurement from one of the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors, when the measurements from the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed reliable, and
at least one secondary set of flight characteristics, distinct from the primary set, comprising at least one secondary flight characteristic designed to replace a counterpart flight characteristic from the primary set, when the measurements from at least one sensor from among the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed unreliable, the secondary flight characteristic being independent of any measurement by the or each sensor deemed unreliable done when the measurements from that sensor are deemed unreliable.

2. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary set of flight characteristics comprises at least one characteristic chosen from among:
at least one piece of primary speed information of the aircraft determined from measurements by the static pressure and total pressure sensors,
a primary altitude of the aircraft determined from measurements by the static pressure sensor, and
an angle-of-attack of the aircraft, determined from measurements of the angle-of-attack sensor.

3. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the secondary set of flight characteristics comprises at least one characteristic chosen from among:
at least one piece of secondary speed information independent of any measurement from the or each sensor deemed unreliable done when the measurements from that sensor are deemed unreliable, and
a secondary altitude of the aircraft, independent of any measurement by the or each sensor deemed unreliable done when the measurements from that sensor are deemed unreliable.

4. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the secondary set of flight characteristics is chosen from among:
a first secondary set of flight characteristics, when the measurements from the angle-of-attack sensor are deemed reliable and the measurements from at least one sensor from among the static pressure and total pressure sensors are deemed unreliable, and
a second secondary set of flight characteristics, separate from the first secondary set, when the measurements from the angle-of-attack sensor are deemed unreliable.

5. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the display comprises at least one speed indicator, configured for selectively displaying:
a piece of primary speed information of the aircraft determined from measurements from the static pressure and total pressure sensors, when the measurements from the static pressure and total pressure sensors are deemed reliable,
a piece of secondary speed information independent of the measurements from the static pressure and total pressure sensors, when the measurements from at least one sensor from among the static pressure and total pressure sensors are deemed unreliable.

6. The display device as recited in claim 5 wherein the speed indicator comprises:
a graduated speed scale, and
at least one speed symbol, positioned across from the graduated speed scale, indicating a value of the piece of primary speed information when the measurements from the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed reliable, or the value of the piece of secondary speed information when the measurements from at least one sensor from among the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed unreliable.

7. The display device as recited in claim 1 wherein the display includes comprise an altitude indicator, configured for selectively displaying:
a primary altitude of the aircraft, determined from measurements by the static pressure sensor, when the measurements from the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed reliable, and a standard calibration of the altitude is selected,
a corrected altitude of the aircraft, determined from measurements by the static pressure sensor, when the measurements from the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed reliable, and a calibration different from the standard calibration is chosen,
a first secondary altitude of the aircraft, when the measurements from at least one sensor from among the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed unreliable, and a standard calibration of the altitude is chosen, the first secondary altitude being dependent on static pressure measurements from the static pressure sensor if the sensor is deemed reliable, and independent of measurements from the static pressure sensor done when the measurements from that sensor are deemed unreliable, when the measurements from the static pressure sensor are deemed unreliable, and
a second secondary altitude of the aircraft, when the measurements from at least one sensor from among the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed unreliable, and a calibration of the altitude above a reference geoid is chosen, the second secondary altitude being independent of the static pressure measurements from the static pressure sensor.

8. The display device as recited in claim 7 wherein that the altitude indicator comprises:
a graduated altitude scale,
at least one altitude symbol, positioned across from the graduated altitude scale, indicating the value of the primary altitude or the corrected altitude when the measurements from the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed reliable, or the value of the first or second secondary altitude when the measurements from at least one sensor from among the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed unreliable, and
a symbol indicating the type of calibration of the altitude indicated by the altitude symbol.

9. The display device as recited in claim 1 further comprising an alert display configured for displaying alert messages capable of informing the crew, when the measurements from at least one sensor from among the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors are deemed unreliable, that the measurements are deemed unreliable.

10. The display device as recited in claim 9 wherein the alert messages are chosen from among visual signals and audio signals, the messages being text or symbolic messages displayed on a location dedicated to displaying of failure messages of the aircraft.

11. An instrumentation for an aircraft comprising:
the display device as recited in claim 1 ; and
a computer configured to compute the at least one secondary flight characteristic when the measurements from at least one sensor from among the static pressure, total pressure and angle-of-attack sensors of the aircraft are deemed unreliable, the secondary flight characteristic being independent of any measurement of the or each sensor deeme

Assignees

• Dassault Aviat

Inventors

• Dupont De Dinechin Sebastien

Classifications

• B64D43/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title

• G01C23/00 Primary

  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