METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ASSISTING IN THE PILOTING OF AN AIRCRAFT

Abstract

The device (1) comprises means (14) for detecting all the aircraft in the vicinity and means (2) for presenting, on a display screen (4) illustrating a vertical plane, characteristic symbols indicating the positions of these aircraft in the vicinity.

Description

The figures of the appended drawing clearly show how the invention can be implemented. In these figures, identical references denote similar elements.

FIG. 1 is the block diagram of an assistance device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows schematically a display window of an assistance device according to the invention, clearly highlighting the main characteristics of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates schematically a particular display screen of an assistance device according to the invention.

Claims

1. A method for assisting in the piloting of an aircraft, a method whereby there is displayed, on at least one display screen (4) of said aircraft, a set of information (5) that illustrates a vertical plane and that comprises: a system of axes (SA), of which a Y axis (7) is graduated altitude-wise, and an X axis (8) is graduated distance-wise from the position of the aircraft;a characteristic symbol (9) representing the aircraft, which is positioned on said Y axis (7), in a position representative of the altitude of said aircraft, andwhere appropriate, an auxiliary characteristic symbol (18A to 18F) that represents an aircraft in the vicinity,

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the step b1), distance and altitude information concerning at least one of said aircraft in the vicinity is generated using a radar detection applied from said aircraft.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the step b1), distance and altitude information concerning at least one of said aircraft in the vicinity is generated using the detection on the aircraft of a response from said aircraft in the vicinity to a prior interrogation sent from said aircraft.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the step b1), distance and altitude information concerning at least one of said aircraft in the vicinity is generated using the reception on the aircraft of information that is transmitted by said aircraft in the vicinity.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the step b2), the distance between the actual position of the aircraft and an auxiliary position linked to said aircraft in the vicinity is determined as a distance value for at least one aircraft in the vicinity.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said auxiliary position corresponds to the actual position of the aircraft in the vicinity.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said auxiliary position corresponds to the orthogonal projection of the actual position of the aircraft in the vicinity on the axis of said aircraft.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said auxiliary position corresponds to the orthogonal projection of the actual position of the aircraft in the vicinity on the segment (S2, S3) of the flight path (T0) of the aircraft, which is the nearest to this actual position.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the step b2), the actual altitude of said aircraft in the vicinity is determined as an altitude value.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the step b3), different distance values of aircraft in the vicinity are highlighted, on the display screen (4), by different symbol systems.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the step b3), the presentation characteristics of said set of information (5) depend on at least one particular parameter.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said Y axis (7) of said system of axes (SA) has a variable scale.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one auxiliary characteristic symbol (18A to 18F) presented on said display screen (4) is interactive.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display screen (4) comprises at least two display windows (3, 22), of which a first window (3) comprises said set of information (5) and a second window (22) comprises a set of additional information (23) that illustrates a horizontal plane and that comprises: a system of axes (E1, E2) graduated distance-wise and bearing-wise;a characteristic symbol (24) illustrating the aircraft; andauxiliary characteristic symbols (25D, 25E, 25F) illustrating the aircraft in the vicinity that have been detected.

15. A device for assisting in the piloting of an aircraft, said device (1) comprising display means (2) that can present, on at least one display screen (4) of said aircraft, a set of information (5) that illustrates a vertical plane and that comprises: a system of axes (SA), of which a Y axis (7) is graduated altitude-wise, and an X axis (8) is graduated distance-wise from the position of the aircraft;a characteristic symbol (9) representing the aircraft, that is positioned on said Y axis (7) in a position representative of the altitude of said aircraft; andwhere appropriate, an auxiliary characteristic symbol (18A to 18F) that represents an aircraft in the vicinity;

16. An aircraft, which comprises a device (1) that can implement the method specified under claim 1.

17. The aircraft, which comprises a device (1) such as that specified under claim 15.