Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Aeronautical vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-10
2001-05-22
Louis-Jacques, Jacques H. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Aeronautical vehicle
C701S014000, C701S120000, C701S202000, C244S075100, C244S221000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236912
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to processes and devices for assisting aerial navigation.
2. Discussion of the Background
In general, it is known that in aerodynes (aircraft, helicopters, etc.) of modern design, the pilot must carry out a dialogue with a flight management system, this being a computer on board the aerodyne (we shall subsequently speak of an aircraft) for assisting the pilot in a number of operations. These operations are mainly operations for defining the flight plan before take-off, piloting (manual or automatic) operations during take-off and landing, aerial navigation operations (path calculations, etc.), systematic monitoring operations while cruising or when approaching an airport.
The flight management system operates on the basis of data entered by the pilot, data supplied by sensors distributed throughout the aircraft, and possibly digital data transmitted by radio from the ground or from other aircraft or even satellites (“DATALINK” system which is undergoing generalization).
The dialogue between the flying crew and the flight management system is carried out mainly by means of at least three interfaces, viz.:
a navigation display on which is represented the plot of the desired course of the aircraft, that is to say a graphical two-dimensional representation of the flight plan of the aircraft and the situation of the aircraft within this plan;
a primary flight display which depicts an artificial horizon which tilts as the aircraft tilts, an indication of the longitudinal attitude of the aircraft, and other useful flying indications, in particular the mode of guidance of the aircraft;
a flight control unit having manual controls for selecting settings such as the desired heading of the aircraft;
and finally a keyboard/display console, termed the MCDU (“Multipurpose Control Display Unit”), this being a data display and input console allowing the flying crew to enter data into the flight management system and to read information forwarded by the flight management system on the basis of the data entered.
Among other things, it is the task of the flight management system to manage the navigation instruments used; certain navigation instruments may be used at a given time and others are used at other times. The navigation instruments are for example the inertial units (IRS), the satellite positioning receivers (GPS), and the radio navigation means (for example DME/DME or VOR/DME).
It is the flight management system FMS which itself chooses the navigation instruments to be used at a given time, depending on (fairly complex) rules of priority. If it uses radio navigation beacons, it chooses these beacons automatically. And it computes estimated errors in the positions delivered by the various navigation instruments, and a resultant mean error. If a navigation instrument gives a position indication which is too poor relative to the accuracy requested, the flight management system itself manages the change of instruments, via a change of navigation mode.
However, the pilot must be aware of the choices made automatically by the FMS system since, especially in the event of a problem, the system must not continue to manage an abnormal situation which the pilot would no longer have any knowledge of.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention aims to provide a means for aiding navigation which facilitates the pilot's overall intuitive acquisition of this information, either permanently or at the pilot's request, or else in the event of a problem detected by the flight management system.
Hence, proposed herein is a process for aiding aerial navigation, using a flight management system which carries out a dialogue with the pilot by means of several interfaces which include at least one display screen, the flight management system delivering information about the state of operation and the accuracy of the various aerial navigation tools present in an aircraft, which process is characterized in that it consists in simultaneously displaying on the screen a central zone representing the overall use of the tools and peripheral zones distributed around the central zone and each individually representing the use of a particular navigation tool, and in also displaying simultaneously a plot of relationship between the central zone and a peripheral zone if the latter corresponds to a tool which is actually used by the flight management system, so that the simultaneous displaying of these visible plots of relationships indicates the number of tools actually used by the flight management system, and the peripheral zones linked to the central zone by these plots indicate which are these actually used tools.
In an advantageous embodiment, the plots of relationship comprise a colored radial zone extending between the central zone and a peripheral zone distant from the central zone. The radial zone preferably has a triangular or frustoconical shape, narrowing towards the center of the central zone and becoming wider towards the outside. It can also have an arrow shape, pointing towards the central zone. The central zone can be circular and its diameter can represent an estimated value of mean error in position delivered by the instruments used. This error value is computed by the flight management system.
In another beneficial embodiment, the visible plots of relationship comprise a display of a peripheral zone in direct contact with the central zone, and a coloured zone in a portion of the central zone adjacent to the said peripheral zone, so that it is immediately possible to identify on the one hand those tools which are used and on the other hand those tools which are not used. The peripheral zones corresponding to navigation instruments which are used can comprise the name (abbreviated) of these instruments, surrounded by a frame. The frame can in this case touch the central zone. The central zone can be of polygonal shape, the number of vertices being equal to the number of tools which must necessarily be operating during a current flight phase, and the whole of the central zone is colored if all the necessary tools are being used.
The invention also relates to a device allowing the implementation of the process according to the invention.
The invention therefore proposes a device for aiding aerial navigation, using a flight management system which carries out a dialogue with the pilot by means of several interfaces which include at least one display screen, the flight management system delivering information about the state of operation and the accuracy of the various aerial navigation tools present in an aircraft, characterized in that means are provided for simultaneously displaying on the screen a central zone representing the overall use of the tools and peripheral zones distributed around the central zone and each individually representing the use of a particular navigation tool, and also for simultaneously displaying a plot of relationship between the central zone and a peripheral zone if the latter corresponds to a tool which is actually used by the flight management system, so that the simultaneous displaying of these visible plots of relationships indicates the number of tools actually used by the flight management system, and the peripheral zones linked to the central zone by these plots indicate which are these actually used tools.
The means provided are such that the zones associated with tools which are in a satisfactory state of operation are represented differently from the zones associated with tools which cannot operate correctly, correct or incorrect operation being determined by the flight management system.
In an advantageous embodiment, the screen is a screen of a data display and input console allowing the selection of specified zones of the screen for the execution of operations related to these zones; the peripheral zones can be selected and means are provided for displaying data on the screen which pertain to the navigation tool corresponding to a peripheral zone when this zone is selected.
Finally, in
Bomans Muriel
Grand-Perret Sylvie
Louis-Jacques Jacques H.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Sextant Avionique
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