Method and device for activating an automatic piloting mode of an aircraft
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorsMathieu Faurie, Jean Muller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and a device for activating an automatic piloting mode of an aircraft are disclosed. The device can include means for engaging an automatic pilot mode, when (i) the current distance of the aircraft with respect to a reference position on the ground belongs to a determined distance range, and (ii) the current height of the aircraft is at most equal to a reference height associated to the automatic pilot mode.
Claims9
A method for automatically engaging, upon a landing, an automatic pilot mode of an aircraft (AC) comprising an automatic pilot, able to control the trajectory (T) of said aircraft (AC), and at least an altimeter (1), able to determine the current height (Hc) of said aircraft (AC), said method comprising:
- A/ estimating the current distance (d) separating said aircraft (AC) from a reference position on the ground (O);
- B/ determining from a reference height (Hréf) associated to said automatic pilot mode and the current slope (γ) of said trajectory (T), a range of distances (I) with respect to said reference position (O), for automatically engaging said mode;
- C/ checking whether said current distance (d) belongs to said determined engagement range (I);
- D/ checking whether said current height (Hc) is at the most equal to said reference height (Hréf);
- and
- E/ when said current distance (d) belongs to said determined engagement range (I) and said current height (Hc) is at the most equal to said reference height (Hréf), automatically engaging said automatic pilot mode,
- wherein a minimum slope (γmin) and a maximum slope (γmax) are defined, surrounding said current slope (γ);
- and
- a minimum border (dmin) and a maximum border (dmax) of said engagement range (I) are determined respectively from formulae
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- wherein:
- Hréf represents said reference height;
- and
- γmin and γmax respectively correspond to said minimum slope and to said maximum slope.
A method for automatically engaging, upon a landing, an automatic pilot mode of an aircraft (AC) comprising an automatic pilot, able to control the trajectory (T) of said aircraft (AC), and at least an altimeter (1), able to determine the current height (Hc) of said aircraft (AC) said method comprising:
- A/ estimating the current distance (d) separating said aircraft (AC) from a reference position on the ground (O);
- B/ determining from a reference height (Hréf) associated to said automatic pilot mode and the current slope (γ) of said trajectory (T), a range of distances (I) with respect to said reference position (O), for automatically engaging said mode;
- C/ checking whether said current distance (d) belongs to said determined engagement range (I);
- D/ checking whether said current height (Hc) is at the most equal to said reference height (Hréf);
- and
- E/ when said current distance (d) belongs to said determined engagement range (I) and said current height (Hc) is at the most equal to said reference height (Hréf), automatically engaging said automatic pilot mode,
- wherein a margin (M(Hréf, γ)) is defined as a function of said reference height (Hréf) and of said current slope (γ);
- and
- a minimum border (dmin) and a maximum border (dmax) of said engagement range (I) are determined respectively from formulae
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- wherein:
- Hréf represents said reference height;
- γ corresponds to said current slope;
- and
- M(Hréf, γ) represents said margin.
A device for automatically engaging, upon a landing, an automatic pilot mode of an aircraft (AC) comprising:
- an automatic pilot, able to control the trajectory (T) of said aircraft (AC), and at least one altimeter (1), able to determine the current height (Hc) of said aircraft (AC), said device comprising:
- means (8) for estimating the current distance (d) separating said aircraft (AC) from a reference position on the ground (O);
- means (9) for determining, from a reference height (Hréf) associated to said automatic pilot mode and a current slope (γ) of said trajectory (T), a range of distances (I), with respect to said reference position (O), for automatically engaging said mode;
- means (11) for checking that said current distance (d) belongs to said determined engagement range (I);
- means (12) for checking that said current height (Hc) is at the most equal to said reference height (Hréf);
- and
- means (13) for automatically initiating said automatic pilot mode, able to be activated when said current distance (d) belongs to said determined engagement range (I) and that said current height (Hc) is at the most equal to said reference height (Hréf)
- wherein a minimum slope (γmin) maximum slope (γmax) are defined, surrounding said current slope (γ);
- and
- a minimum border (dmin) and a maximum border (dmax) of said engagement range (I) are determined respectively from formulae
- H
- réf
- tan
-
-
- γ
- max
-
-
- and
-
-
- H
- réf
- tan
-
-
- γ
- min
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- wherein:
- Hréf represents said reference height;
- and
- γmin and γmax respectively correspond to said minimum sloe and to said maximum slope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.