US 8,150,565 B2Granted

Method and device for aiding the piloting of an aircraft to prepare a phase of descent

AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH

InventorsMaxime Wachenheim, Jean-Louis De Menorval

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Abstract

A method and device for aiding the piloting of an aircraft while respecting a time of arrival constraint at a first waypoint during a phase of descent. The method includes calculating an instant of arrival of the aircraft at an intermediate waypoint, in such a way that an estimated latest time of arrival at the first waypoint, corresponding to a minimum speed profile, occurs later by a predetermined first margin than the time of arrival constraint; determining a first speed profile between a current position of the aircraft and the intermediate waypoint, such that the intermediate waypoint is crossed at the calculated instant of arrival; determining a second speed profile, such that the first waypoint is crossed within the time of arrival constraint, starting from the intermediate waypoint at the calculated instant of arrival; and piloting the aircraft according to the first and then second speed profiles.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method for aiding the piloting of an aircraft, while respecting a time of arrival constraint at a first waypoint during a phase of descent, comprising:

calculating an instant of arrival of the aircraft at an intermediate waypoint according to the following steps:
selecting the intermediate waypoint in a phase of cruising of the aircraft preceding the phase of descent;
selecting an earliest time of arrival at the first waypoint, wherein the earliest time of arrival at the first waypoint occurs earlier by a predetermined first margin than the time of arrival constraint;
estimating a minimum travel time corresponding to a maximum speed profile between the intermediate waypoint and the first waypoint;
and
determining the instant of arrival of the aircraft at the intermediate waypoint, the instant of arrival corresponding to a difference between the selected earliest time of arrival at the first waypoint and the estimated minimum travel time;
determining a first speed profile between a current position of the aircraft and the intermediate waypoint, such that the intermediate waypoint is crossed at the calculated instant of arrival;
determining a second speed profile, such that the first waypoint is crossed within the time of arrival constraint, starting from the intermediate waypoint at the calculated instant of arrival;
and
piloting the aircraft according to the first and then second speed profiles,
wherein the first speed profile is expressed in terms of a constant ground speed Vgd of the aircraft between the said current position of the aircraft and the intermediate waypoint, said speed Vgd being determined by the relationship:
Vgd
=
D
Ti
-
T
⁢
⁢
0
,
wherein
D is a distance, along a scheduled trajectory, between a current position X of the aircraft and the intermediate waypoint;
Ti is the calculated instant of arrival;
and T0 is the current instant corresponding to the current position X of the aircraft.

22 more elements

A method for aiding the piloting of an aircraft, while respecting a time of arrival constraint at a first waypoint during a phase of descent, comprising:

calculating an instant of arrival of the aircraft at an intermediate waypoint according to the following steps:
selecting the intermediate waypoint in a phase of cruising of the aircraft preceding the phase of descent;
selecting an earliest time of arrival at the first waypoint, wherein the earliest time of arrival at the first waypoint occurs earlier by a predetermined first margin than the time of arrival constraint;
estimating a minimum travel time corresponding to a maximum speed profile between the intermediate waypoint and the first waypoint;
and
determining the instant of arrival of the aircraft at the intermediate waypoint, the instant of arrival corresponding to a difference between the selected earliest time of arrival at the first waypoint and the estimated minimum travel time;
determining a first speed profile between a current position of the aircraft and the intermediate waypoint, such that the intermediate waypoint is crossed at the calculated instant of arrival;
determining a second speed profile, such that the first waypoint is crossed within the time of arrival constraint, starting from the intermediate waypoint at the calculated instant of arrival;
and
piloting the aircraft according to the first and then second speed profiles,
wherein the calculating the instant of arrival of the aircraft at the intermediate waypoint is additionally determined according to the following steps:
selecting a latest time of arrival at the first waypoint, wherein the latest time of arrival at the waypoint occurs later by a predetermined second margin than the time of arrival constraint;
estimating a maximum travel time corresponding to a minimum speed profile between the intermediate waypoint and the first waypoint;
determining the instant of arrival of the aircraft at the intermediate waypoint, the instant of arrival corresponding to a difference between the selected latest time of arrival at the first waypoint and the estimated maximum travel time, wherein
the latest time of arrival and the earliest time of arrival are selected such that a difference therebetween corresponds to a difference between the estimated maximum travel time and the estimated minimum travel time, and
wherein the predetermined first margin and the predetermined second margin are defined by a coefficient K such that:
K
=
R
⁢
⁢
T
⁢
⁢
A
-
E
⁢
⁢
T
⁢
⁢
A
⁢
⁢
min
@
W
⁢
⁢
P
⁢
⁢
T
⁡
(
TD
′
)
E
⁢
⁢
T
⁢
⁢
A
⁢
⁢
max
@
W
⁢
⁢
P
⁢
⁢
T
⁡
(
TD
′
)
-
E
⁢
⁢
T
⁢
⁢
A
⁢
⁢
min
@
W
⁢
⁢
P
⁢
⁢
T
⁡
(
TD
′
)
and
K>Kmin;
where Kmin>0
K<Kmax;
where Kmax<1,
wherein
RTA is the time of arrival constraint at the first waypoint;
ETAmin@WPT(TD′) is the earliest estimated time of arrival at the first waypoint, determined by considering the aircraft to be located at the intermediate waypoint at the instant of arrival;
and
ETAmax@WPT(TD′) is the latest estimated time of arrival at the first waypoint, determined by considering the aircraft to be located at the intermediate waypoint at the instant of arrival.

103 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.