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US 8,019,495 B2Granted
Method and device for assisting the flying of an aircraft during an autonomous approach
AssigneesAirbus France, Airbus SAS
InventorsVincent Markiton, Edward Strongman, François Barre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft guidance system defines a main approach path and a corrected approach path, which has an extra vertical margin related to the ground over which the craft is flying as compared with a main approach path representing a category-1 precision approach. The guidance system guides the aircraft following the corrected approach path.
Claims14
A method for assisting with flying an aircraft, the method comprising:
- a) determining a line of approach;
- and
- b) guiding the aircraft along said line of approach at least as far as a decision height using only components on board the aircraft,
- wherein:
- in step a):
- a1) a main line of approach which is representative of a category 1 precision approach is determined;
- and
- a2) a vertical correction is determined and, from this vertical correction and from said main line of approach, a corrected line of approach is determined which vertically exhibits a greater margin relative to the terrain being overflown than said main line of approach;
- and
- in step b), said aircraft is guided along said corrected line of approach.
7 more elements
A device for assisting with flying an aircraft, said device comprising:
- a flight control system for determining a line of approach;
- and
- a guidance system for assisting with guiding the aircraft along said line of approach at least as far as a decision height, assisted solely by information available on board the aircraft,
- wherein said flight control system comprises:
- a first approach determining section that determines main line of approach which is representative of a category 1 precision approach;
- and
- a second approach determining section that determines on the one hand, a vertical correction and, on the other hand, from this vertical correction and from said main line of approach, a corrected line of approach which vertically exhibits a greater margin relative to the terrain being overflown than said main line of approach, said corrected line of approach being transmitted to said guidance system so that it can assist with guiding the aircraft along this corrected line of approach.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.