Patent Grant
9174744
This application claims the benefit of the French patent application No. 1354766 filed on May 27, 2013, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by way of reference.
The present invention relates to a method and to a system for aiding the navigation of an aircraft, including a transport aircraft.
It is known that the majority of accidents or incidents involving an aircraft occur during phases of movement on an airfield, and in particular the following incidents:
To solve these safety problems, there is known a system for aiding airport navigation, of a type known as OANS (On-board Airport Navigation System), which has its own database and takes over from the flight management system (FMS) on the navigation screen, known as ND (Navigation Display), to assist pilots in the tasks of preparing for and executing arrival on an area of ground. The main function of this OANS system is to display a dynamic map of the airport, of a type known as AMM (Airport Moving Map), which is oriented and positioned according to the location of the aircraft shown on it.
To change from one system to the other, in other words, from the display of flight navigation data (FMS) to the display of ground navigation data (OANS), on the ND screen, the pilot has to select a particular scale that allows him to view the AMM map instead of the flight plan from the FMS system, and to access the ground functions that enable him to prepare for arrival. This separation between the two systems, from an architectural point of view with separate databases, but also in terms of display, therefore introduces a discontinuity between the flight phases (approach) and the ground phases (landing), a break in the representation of the trajectory (both in terms of content and of display logic and interaction logic), and also a temporary loss of information for the pilot. The pilot must therefore construct for himself a mental representation of the trajectory from the current position to the final position, for example an airline's parking place.
Furthermore, while preparing for arrival on the ground using the ND screen, the pilot must refer to navigation maps such as the en route maps, maps for the standard departure or arrival procedure and for the departure procedure in the event of engine failure, known as SID (Standard Instrument Departure) and STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival Routes), approach maps, and maps of airports and taxiways. On some aircraft, pilots carry these navigation maps in their flight bag, which also contains the operations manuals, the flight manual, the checklists, and the performance data. On other aircraft, in order to make the bags carried by pilots lighter, this data (the navigation maps and also the different documents mentioned above) are available via an electronic system known as EFB (Electronic Flight Bag), which can be connected to the avionics systems. From document US 2012/0035849, there is known a flight information display device, comprising an information processing system that has a flight management computer and an EFB type of electronic system. In the standard forms of architecture, the EFB applications focus on the transition between the paper and the digital, and therefore restrict themselves to providing identical reproductions of the paper versions while adding a few functions to these, in order to minimize the time required to learn how to use this technology. The changes between the paper versions and digitized versions of the navigation maps are therefore minimized to facilitate the process of standardization and certification.
In both cases (paper or digital maps), the items of information presented are additional to those available on the ND screen: some items of information shown on the maps are not displayed on the ND screen and vice versa. This separation is found at an architectural level, because two databases (the FMS database and the maps database) coexist in the cockpit without communicating.
From the pilot's point of view, this emphasizes a second form of discontinuity in terms of sources and displays of navigation information. This is because he must constantly switch from one medium to the other and construct a mental picture of the situation by combining the information required to manage the aircraft's trajectory. In addition, each pilot constructs his own representation of the situation, which can lead to potential divergences between two members of the same crew.
This complex standard architecture, which has discontinuities, produces a significant workload for the crew.
The present invention relates to a system for aiding the navigation of an aircraft that enables this disadvantage to be remedied, reducing the crew's workload.
To that end, according to the invention, the system for aiding the navigation of an aircraft comprises:
is distinctive in that:
Thus, by virtue of the invention, an aircraft pilot has available on a single screen all the information necessary for each phase that he is likely to encounter, namely the flight phases and the ground phases (including taxiing). The pilot therefore has no need, as in the prior art, to supplement the information displayed on a screen of the flight deck with information originating from the different standard maps. In addition, by virtue of the contextualized filtering, the pilot receives only the information that is required for each phase (flight or ground), which avoids him having to search, among a plurality of items of information, for the information that is actually required. This therefore enables the workload of the pilots to be reduced.
Within the scope of the present invention, the term “contextualized filtering” is understood to mean the selection of items of information according to the context at the current (actual) time, said context being defined according to various parameters relative to the aircraft and its environment and according to at least the parameters mentioned above.
In other words, the system according to the invention comprises an integration of the map-type data with the data from a standard FMS system, and a reworking of the standard modes of operation of the FMS system to form an integrated, dynamic and continuous navigation environment, enabling the pilot(s) to view all the data necessary to manage the trajectory on one and the same screen, preferably an ND-type navigation screen.
Within the scope of the present invention, a navigation database known as a global database therefore contains:
Advantageously, said system for aiding navigation has interface means enabling an operator to act on the display produced on said screen. Preferably, said interface means comprise means enabling an operator to adjust the level of zoom of the display produced on said screen, and the level of detail of the display is a function of the adjusted level of zoom.
Furthermore, advantageously, said parameters used for contextualized filtering comprise, in addition, at least some of the following parameters:
Moreover, advantageously, said filtering comprises different levels of contextualization, and at least some of the following levels:
Furthermore, said system for aiding navigation can comprise at least some of the following features, taken individually or in combination:
The present invention also relates to a method for aiding the navigation of an aircraft, via a system comprising:
According to the invention, said method is distinctive in that it comprises steps:
Furthermore, the present invention also relates to an aircraft, in particular a transport aircraft, that has a system for aiding navigation like the system mentioned above.
The appended drawings will give a clear understanding as to how the invention can be embodied. In these drawings, identical references designate similar elements.
The system 1 shown diagrammatically in
This system for aiding navigation 1 (which is on board the aircraft AC, in particular a transport aircraft, as shown very diagrammatically in
a unit 7 for data processing and management, which manages the display implemented by said display device 3 via a link 8; and
a unit 9 for receiving current parameters relating to the aircraft AC and its environment.
According to the invention, said system 1 comprises a navigation database 2 known as a global database, namely a database that contains all the data necessary for the air navigation and airport navigation of the aircraft AC, as well as the data given on standard navigation maps.
In addition, according to the invention:
As an example, the screen 4 is an ND-type navigation screen, but the functions and principles of the present invention are applicable to any other screen on the flight deck of the aircraft AC.
Thus, by virtue of said system 1, a pilot of an aircraft AC has available, on a single screen 4, all the information necessary for each phase that he is likely to encounter, namely the flight phases and the ground phases (including taxiing). He therefore does not need to supplement the information displayed on the screen 4 with information originating from the various standard maps. In addition, by virtue of the contextualized filtering implemented by the element 10, only the information required for each phase (flight or ground) is displayed, which avoids the pilot(s) having to search, among a plurality of items of information, for the information that is actually required. These features enable the workload of the pilots of the aircraft AC to be reduced.
The system 1 therefore makes it possible to integrate map-type data with data from a standard flight management system (FMS) and to rework the standard modes of operation of the FMS system to form an integrated, dynamic and continuous navigation environment, enabling the pilot(s) to view all the data necessary for the management of the trajectory on one and the same display screen 4.
Within the scope of the present invention, a navigation database 2 known as “global” encompasses the following three sources of data:
The first two sources of data correspond to standardized databases. The third source of data corresponds to the retranscription into a (non-standardized) database of the information given on the maps.
The global navigation database 2 can therefore:
The system 1 enables the information from the navigation maps to be integrated into the screen 4 and into a standard display, providing, in addition, a continuous environment, in other words, an environment without any break between the different phases from the point of view of trajectory management. This system 1 applies to the phases at an airfield and more specifically to the transitional phases between flight and ground, such as taxiing, take-off, climbing, approach, landing and go-around, both in preparation and in execution.
Furthermore, said system 1 also has:
The system 1 can therefore use any screen on the flight deck as a screen 4. However, the functions described below are presented with reference to an ND screen as an example.
In the example shown in
The interaction between the user and the system 1 (via the means 15 shown diagrammatically) can take place via tactile means or via any other standard means of interaction such as a cursor, a designator (a KCCU, for example), a keyboard, or voice or gesture recognition. As an example, in the text that follows, all the interactions are deemed to be made in a tactile manner on the screen 4 (the means 15 are then integrated directly into the screen 4).
The database 2 integrates all the required navigation data contained in the airport maps, SID, STAR, final approach and safety altitudes. This includes, in particular:
In order for the display to remain legible, the flight is broken down into phases corresponding to those shown on the standard maps. For each phase there is a dedicated page that contains all the items of information found on the corresponding map. Each page is accessible in plan mode, that is, oriented so that north is at the top.
A distinction is made between the current phase which corresponds to the phase that is flown at the current time tc and in a preferred embodiment is indicated via a green font, and the phase displayed on the screen 4 which corresponds to a time tc+Δt in the future. In
On each page, the trajectory is, for example, shown in green (the color of the FMS trajectory) and the pilot is able to act on the screen 4 to move forwards or backwards in the flight chronology and view the previous or the next part of the trajectory, which is shown continuously.
The pages are presented automatically with the level of zoom optimized so that all the information about the flight phase and the information required for the preparation of this phase can be read and accessed. Furthermore, the pilot can use available tools (elements 29 (“−”) and 30 (“+”) in the example shown in
This mode of exploration (called “discontinuous exploration of the flight plan”) has the advantage of facilitating access to the information for each of the flight phases and thus within the chronology of the flight, while using one and the same system 1 and one and the same screen 4. This breakdown also enables a legible display to be maintained and avoids the problems caused by a cluttered screen. Furthermore, the pilot does not need to change mode to move between one page and another, as the presentation (north at the top) is activated automatically on moving from the current phase to another phase.
As indicated above, the FMS trajectory is shown continuously on the screen 4, including at the point of transition between the flight phases and the ground phases (between final approach and landing, for example, or between landing and the go-around trajectory).
Thus, as a complement to the discontinuous mode of exploration by flight phases detailed above, the system 1 also provides a continuous exploration of the flight plan, because the trajectory is shown continuously on the screen 4. The user can then act to move forward in the chronology of the trajectory, and can do this from any of the modes ROSE, ARC or PLAN. He can then access any part of the trajectory, including the ground phases.
A possible implementation of this concept is as follows: from the moment when a user begins to move the map to a time tc, the display retains the orientation of the map recorded at that time tc, until a waypoint is reached. At this point, the map adopts the orientation of the new portion of the trajectory situated immediately after this point. Furthermore, the compass rose may be duplicated, with one of the two remaining at its standard position around the aircraft symbol 12A while the second follows the movement ordered by the user, so that the user remains aware of the orientation of the map. Furthermore, it is intended that the user is given the ability via a graphic tool (not shown) to reorientate the map as he wishes. The user can also have a shortcut (not shown) enabling him to return the screen 4 to the current position of the aircraft AC.
This complementary mode of exploration has the advantage of enabling the pilot to quickly view the near future of the flight plan, while retaining the information about the current phase, and from ARC or ROSE mode. In addition, this mode of exploration gives a freedom from the normal rigid modes of display (ARC, ROSE and PLAN), which allows the pilot to view the aircraft's trajectory from his own point of view, without any effort of mental representation on his part.
Furthermore, as indicated above, the system 1 displays information that is contextual, in other words, selected according to the context at a current time tc. The context is defined according to different parameters which can be more or less static. As an example, these parameters can be at least some of the following parameters:
The dynamic parameters are updated in real time, either by the crew (for example, using the interface unit 15), or automatically by the system 1 (via the set 17, for example), as they change, and the context changes in consequence, modifying the display on the screen 4. For example, in the event of a failure of the axis of the glide for an ILS-type landing aid system, the system 1 is informed either by an input from the pilot, or automatically by receiving a piece of information by data transmission, and it suggests replacing the minimum value displayed by the new applicable value.
The system 1 provides different levels of contextualization, and in particular:
The contextualization of the display has the advantage of making it possible to incorporate items of information without posing the problem of overloading, and to considerably reduce the cognitive load on the pilot by relieving him of all the tasks of sorting and selecting information. The different levels of contextualization also make it possible to adapt to the pilot's expertise and task.
Furthermore, as indicated above, certain items of information must be accessible only at the pilot's request in order to avoid overloading the display and to take the pilot's level of experience into account. To do this, some graphic elements allow access to additional information about the subject that they represent in reality. Thus, by clicking on a subject, the pilot can make information appear about the nature of the subject, the associated instructions, and so on.
In the same way, any form of text representing elements of the trajectory can be a means of accessing menus that enable the corresponding parameters to be adjusted. Thus, in
This has the advantage of giving direct access to an item of information while restricting the space occupied on the screen 4. Furthermore, the information is only presented in situations in which the pilot actually needs it, thus taking into account the pilot's experience of the terrain.
The graphic objects can also be used as means for constructing the trajectory. By placing himself on the landing page (graphic element 24) shown in
In order to limit interaction errors, the graphic elements are organized into layers of information that the pilot can select in order to deactivate the subjects of the other layers, for example, by positioning the interface element 28 (slider) shown in
As an illustration, the example shown in
The integration of the map data into a navigation environment enables the pilot to view all the data that he needs to manage the aircraft's trajectory on one and the same screen 4, on which he can therefore carry out his preparatory tasks for future flight phases. A function of viewing the current situation enables the pilot to retain a clear awareness of the current situation whilst he is performing the preparatory tasks.
This function consists of providing the pilot, for example on the part of the screen 14, with a window 48 (or any other graphic container), as in the example shown in
The window 48 can be displayed at the pilot's request (via interface means 15), or automatically when the pilot moves to a page corresponding to a future phase, or automatically again when the aircraft AC flies over a key element in the flight plan such as a waypoint or enters a potentially dangerous location (if it is approaching an obstacle, for example).
This function has the advantage of enabling the pilot to retain an awareness of the current situation while preparing for subsequent phases, during preparation for approach, for example. If he notices a potential problem, he can then return rapidly to the page for the current phase.
The integration of navigation information into one and the same system 1 also enables said system 1 to compare different parameters of the situation at a current time tc with the elements contained in the global database 2 available to it in order to aid the pilot in certain types of task.
First of all, the values in the menus can be preselected for the pilot, from, firstly, data provided in the database 2 and, secondly, from items of information that can be extracted from different standard ATIS or NOTAM messages, and from weather maps. For example, the BTV menu can be adjusted by the system 1 as follows: the runway surface is held in the navigation database. The condition of the runway can be extracted from the ATIS. When the user goes to the menu, the different fields are already filled, but the user has the option of modifying the default values. For certain menu elements, an interactive means can be provided to give notification of any automatic update of a selected value.
In addition, depending on the context of the flight, and also the usual practice of the airline, the system 1 can assist the pilot in constructing a trajectory. For example, an airline often uses the same parking places at an airfield and therefore often uses the same taxiways. In accordance with this information and with dynamic parameters (runway accessibility, closed runways, weather conditions), the system 1 can automatically suggest a route which the pilot can confirm or reject.
The level of automation enables the pilot's workload to be made lighter by assisting him in the decision-making tasks and by substituting for him in other tasks.
The system 1 enables a user (pilot) to access a representation of the trajectory known as “gate-to-gate”, in other words from the departure airport and where applicable from the departure stand, to the arrival airport and where applicable the arrival stand. The user can access this view via an appropriate graphic element, for example the graphic element 27 shown in
In order to represent all the portions of the trajectory, giving them the same level of importance regardless of the distance covered by this portion, several solutions are envisaged. For example, the trajectory can be represented in a not-to-scale manner, in other words, in such a way that the distances between two points on the map are not representative of the actual distances. A standard distance between two points is then used, which enables the same graphics area to be used for the en route phase and the approach phase, for example.
In addition, this view can be enriched by different items of information, for example zones in which ATC frequencies change, the terrain, the weather, a background map showing frontiers. Likewise, it can be used as a means of constructing a trajectory, either by manipulating the graphic elements directly, or by providing shortcuts to the corresponding FMS menus.
As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification and description. It should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 54766 | May 2013 | FR | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20140350753 A1 | Nov 2014 | US |
