초록 ▼

The invention relates to a flight management system for manned or unmanned aircraft having to face an emergency situation such as hijacking of the aircraft, medical emergencies, situations of failures affecting the propulsion, pressurization or communication functions for example. It provides for a

The invention relates to a flight management system for manned or unmanned aircraft having to face an emergency situation such as hijacking of the aircraft, medical emergencies, situations of failures affecting the propulsion, pressurization or communication functions for example. It provides for a device and process for automatically or semi-automatically generating a flight plan compatible with international regulations and their national or local adaptations with possibilities of optimization according to navigation parameters.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A navigation aid device positioned onboard an aircraft, the navigation aid device comprising: a flight plan/path preparation module configured to prepare a flight plan and a flight path of the aircraft;a storage element configured to store a computer database of procedures associated with predefi

1. A navigation aid device positioned onboard an aircraft, the navigation aid device comprising: a flight plan/path preparation module configured to prepare a flight plan and a flight path of the aircraft;a storage element configured to store a computer database of procedures associated with predefined emergency situations; anda computer processing element coupled to the flight plan/path preparation module and the storage element and configured to cause the flight plan/path preparation module to modify, onboard the aircraft and under control of a crew of the aircraft, the flight plan or the flight path in accordance with a modification proposed by the computer processing element based on at least one of the procedures from the database corresponding to at least one of the predefined emergency situations and a preference function of a combination of navigation criteria. 2. The navigation aid device of claim 1, wherein the computer database of procedures comprises data relating to landing and takeoff maneuvers, and at least a portion of the data is in the form of flight path segments that are usable by the flight plan/path preparation module. 3. The navigation aid device of claim 1, wherein the storage element comprises one or several elements for entirely or partially updating said computer database. 4. The navigation aid device of claims 1, further comprising a localization module, wherein the computer processing element cooperates with said localization module and the flight plan/path preparation module to select the at least one of the procedures from the computer database applicable to an emergency situation of the aircraft according to an ‘en route,’ approach, or takeoff situation of the aircraft. 5. The navigation aid device of claim 1, further being configured to detect an emergency situation of the aircraft and to initialize the computer processing element. 6. The navigation aid device of claim 1, wherein the computer processing element is further configured to select and present a plurality of compliant and optimum modifications to the flight plan or the flight path to the crew of the aircraft and to allow said crew to choose among said presented compliant and optimum modifications. 7. The navigation aid device of the claim 1, further comprising an interface couples with an automatic piloting module of the aircraft, wherein the computer processing element is configured to control said automatic piloting module to ensure an execution of the modified flight plan or the modified flight path without intervention of a pilot of the aircraft. 8. The navigation aid device of claim 1, wherein the procedures associated with the predefined emergency situations are in compliance with international or state regulations. 9. An aircraft navigation aid method comprising: preparing a flight plan and a flight path for said aircraft using a navigation database stored on board the aircraft;in response to an initiation of an emergency situation among a set of predefined emergency situations, selecting, on board of the aircraft, at least one of procedures stored in a computer database of procedures;modifying, on board of the aircraft and under control of a crew of the aircraft, the flight plan or the flight path in accordance with a modification proposed by a computer processing element based on the selected at least one of the procedures and a preference function of a combination of navigation criteria. 10. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 9, further comprising performing localization of the aircraft, wherein the selection of stored procedures includes choosing the at least one of the procedures according to the localization and the ‘en route,’ approach, or takeoff situation of the aircraft. 11. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 9, further comprising: detecting the emergency situation; andinitializing the selection of the stored procedures to be executed in said emergency situation. 12. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 9, wherein the modifying the flight plan or the flight path comprises selecting and presenting compliant and optimum modifications to the flight plan or the flight path to the crew of the aircraft to allow said crew to choose among said compliant and optimum modifications. 13. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 9, further comprising automatically piloting the aircraft for ensuring an execution of the modified flight plan or the modified flight path without intervention of a pilot. 14. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 9 further comprising, in response to a failure of one of the aircraft's communication links occurring when the aircraft is ‘en route’: calculating a flight plan hold segment enabling the flight path to be held for a given hold time originating from the computer database of procedures, the flight hold segment being compliance with a minimum altitude constraint from the navigation database;calculating the flight path to rejoin said flight plan hold segment, then following said flight plan hold segment;on expiration of said hold time, following a convergence towards an approach point prescribed by the computer database of procedures;on arrival at said approach point, following the flight plan hold segment for a predetermined duration, the predetermined duration being calculated so that a landing time lies within a prescribed interval;on expiration of said predetermined duration, landing the aircraft based on a procedure entered by a control center before the communication failure or a calculated procedure. 15. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 14, wherein the calculating the flight path to rejoin the flight plan hold segment is performed under the constraint of optimizing clearance with the other aeroplanes in the vicinity. 16. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 15, wherein the rejoining turn of the flight plan hold segment makes an angle with said segment which maximizes a time separation kept by the aircraft to rejoin said segment and those kept by the aeroplanes in the vicinity to rejoin a point vertical from the approach point, said aeroplanes in the vicinity taken into consideration being those whose flight path passes at a vertical distance less than a prescribed minimum from the rejoin point. 17. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined duration is calculated taking into account a authorized landing weight. 18. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 14, wherein the calculated procedure is calculated using a ground landing aid means in an optimum manner. 19. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 18, wherein the ground landing aid means comprises a prescribed order of said means or a preprogrammed automatic approach. 20. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 9 further comprising, in response to a failure of the communication link between the aircraft and an air traffic control occurring when the aircraft is on takeoff situation: loading a communication failure flight plan from the computer database of procedures and coordinates of characteristic points of a terminal area (TMA) and determining a first characteristic point outside said terminal area;stringing said communications failure flight plan onto said first characteristic point, said stringing being calculated to minimize the rejoin distance by following an outline of the TMA. 21. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 20, wherein the calculation for minimizing the rejoin distance by following the outline of the TMA includes: for a chosen TMA bypass margin, creating pairs of flight path points on bisector segments created at inflection points of the TMA, each of the points of the pair being located at a distance from the inflection points corresponding to the chosen bypass margin of said TMA;calculating total distances to be traveled by the aircraft over flight paths connecting a current position of the aircraft to the first characteristic point outside the terminal area passing through the possible flight path points;determining a flight path, from among the flight paths having a shortest total distance to be traveled by the aircraft;allocating a cruise altitude equal to the last instruction received from the air traffic control with a climb profile integrating a minimum altitude constraints of a corresponding sector of the TMA; andswitching to a procedure for determining a flight plan in response to a communication link failure between the aircraft and the air traffic control occurring when the aircraft is ‘en route’. 22. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to a failure of the communication link between the aircraft and an air traffic control occurring when the aircraft is on approach without the possibility of following a visual conditions procedure: determining a landing runway from the computer database of procedures, either that resulting from taking into account a measured wind or that recommended by said database; andlanding the aircraft according to optimization of the use of a ground landing aid means having a prescribed order in the use of said means or the use of a preprogrammed automatic approach. 23. The aircraft navigation aid method of claim 9, wherein the procedures stored in the computer database of procedures are in compliance with international or state regulations.