System and method for monitoring a satellite data receiver and guiding an aircraft.

Abstract

System and method for monitoring a satellite data receiver and guiding an aircraft. The system (11) for monitoring a satellite data receiver (12) of an aircraft (1) comprises said satellite data receiver (12), a second source (16) of aircraft position information, and an avionics system (14) independent of the satellite data receiver (12) and configured to: - determine a quality level of the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver based on information from the satellite data receiver (12) and information from the second source (16) of aircraft position information; and - command the display of an alert message in an aircraft cockpit (3) when the determined quality level is below a predetermined threshold. The aircraft guidance system (10) comprises said monitoring system (11).Figure for the summary: Fig. 2.

Description

Title of the invention: System and method for monitoring a satellite data receiver and guiding an aircraft.

[0001] The invention relates to the field of aircraft guidance using a satellite navigation system. A satellite navigation system, also called GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), comprises a constellation of satellites. This system corresponds, for example, to one of the GPS (Global Positioning System), Galileo, Baidou, etc., systems. An aircraft generally includes at least one satellite data receiver designed to receive information from a satellite navigation system. This satellite data receiver is, for example, of the MMR (Multi-Mode Receiver) type. It is designed to determine the aircraft's position information based on the information from the satellite navigation system. This aircraft position information can be used by an aircraft guidance computer to guide the aircraft along a flight path.To enable aircraft guidance along the flight path with the required accuracy, the aircraft's position information must be provided by the satellite data receiver with sufficient precision. Radio frequency signal disturbances, particularly interference or jamming, can reduce the accuracy of the aircraft's position information provided by the satellite data receiver. In some applications, the aircraft's position information from the satellite data receiver is combined with information from the aircraft's inertial measurement unit (IMU), and this combined information is used for aircraft guidance. This combination is achieved, for example, by a system called GPIRS (Global Positioning / Inertial Reference System).Due to hybridization with information from the inertial navigation system, the hybridized data is less sensitive to a decrease in the accuracy of the aircraft position information provided by the satellite data receiver. Furthermore, by comparing the information from the satellite data receiver and the information from the inertial navigation system, the hybridization system can detect a decrease in the accuracy of the aircraft position information provided by the satellite data receiver. In other cases, the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver is used for aircraft guidance without being hybridized with other information. This is the case, for example, when the aircraft flies using GLS (Global Flight Assault System) or SLS (Satellite Landing System) approaches. This is where [the following is] created. necessary not to engage or continue guiding the aircraft under such approaches when the accuracy of the aircraft position information provided by the satellite data receiver decreases and is no longer compatible with a guidance accuracy required for these types of approaches. Description of the invention

[0002] The present invention aims, in particular, to provide a solution to this problem. According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a monitoring system for a satellite data receiver on an aircraft. This system comprises:

[0003] - said satellite data receiver from a navigation system by satellite; and

[0004] - a second source of aircraft position information independent of the data from the satellite navigation system.

[0005] The surveillance system is notable in that it includes at least one avionics system independent of the satellite data receiver and configured to:

[0006] - determine a quality level for aircraft position information obtained from the satellite data receiver based on information from the satellite data receiver and information from the second source of aircraft position information; and

[0007] - to control the display of an alert message in an aircraft cockpit when the determined quality level is below a predetermined threshold.

[0008] Thus, an aircraft pilot is informed of a decrease in the quality level of the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver when the determined quality level falls below the predetermined threshold. This allows the pilot to take the necessary measures to prevent the aircraft from being guided based on the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver, so as to ensure the aircraft's flight safety. For example, in such a situation, the pilot will not initiate a GLS or SLS approach, or will abort such an approach already underway.

[0009] According to various embodiments which may be taken individually or in combination:

[0010] - the quality level determined by at least one avionics system corresponds to a number of satellites of the satellite navigation system whose satellite data receiver receives signals sufficiently intact to allow the use of said signals for the determination, by the satellite data receiver, of said aircraft position information;

[0011] - the second source of aircraft position information comprises a central unit aircraft inertial.

[0012] According to another aspect, the invention relates to an aircraft guidance system comprising an aircraft guidance computer configured to receive aircraft position information and to control aircraft guidance based on said aircraft position information, characterized in that it further comprises a monitoring system for a satellite data receiver as described above, and in that:

[0013] - the aircraft guidance computer is configured to receive information aircraft position of the satellite data receiver;

[0014] - at least one avionics system is configured to send a block command the use, by the guidance computer, of aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver when the determined quality level is below the predetermined threshold; and

[0015] - the guidance system is configured to prohibit a guidance command of the aircraft by the guidance computer based on aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver, following the sending of a block command by at least one avionics system.

[0016] Thus, when the quality of the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver decreases to the point where the determined quality level falls below the predetermined threshold, this position information is not used by the guidance system to guide the aircraft. For example, upon the occurrence of this decrease in the quality of the aircraft position information, the guidance system will not initiate a GLS or SLS approach, or it will aborte such an approach already underway. This ensures the safety of the aircraft's flight.

[0017] According to embodiments:

[0018] - at least one avionics system is connected to the guidance computer in such a way that when at least one avionics system sends a block command, this block command is received by the guidance computer, and the guidance computer is configured to prohibit an aircraft guidance command based on aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver, following the receipt of a block command;

[0019] - at least one avionics system is connected to the satellite data receiver of such that when at least one avionics system sends a block command, this block command is received by the satellite data receiver, and the satellite data receiver is configured to stop sending aircraft position information to the guidance computer upon receiving a block command, so as to prohibit aircraft guidance command by the guidance computer based on aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver.

[0020] According to the first aspect, the invention also relates to a method for monitoring a satellite data receiver on an aircraft. The method is implemented by a satellite data receiver monitoring system comprising:

[0021] - said satellite data receiver from a navigation system by satellite; and

[0022] - a second source of aircraft position information independent of the data from the satellite navigation system.

[0023] The method is remarkable in that it comprises the following steps implemented by at least one avionics system independent of the satellite data receiver:

[0024] - determine a quality level for aircraft position information obtained from the satellite data receiver based on information from the satellite data receiver and information from the second source of aircraft position information; and

[0025] - to control the display of an alert message in an aircraft cockpit when the determined quality level is below a predetermined threshold.

[0026] According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a method for guiding an aircraft. The method is implemented by an aircraft guidance system comprising an aircraft guidance computer configured to receive aircraft position information and to control the aircraft guidance based on said aircraft position information.

[0027] The method is remarkable in that, the guidance system further comprising a satellite data receiver monitoring system, the satellite data receiver monitoring system is configured to implement the aforementioned method of monitoring the aircraft's satellite data receiver,

[0028] and in that, the aircraft guidance computer being configured to receive aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0029] - send, via at least one avionics system, a command to block the use, by the guidance computer, aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver when the determined quality level is below the predetermined threshold; and

[0030] - following the sending of a block order by at least one avionics system, prohibit aircraft guidance command by the guidance computer based on aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver.

[0031] The invention also relates to an aircraft comprising a satellite data receiver monitoring system as described above, as well as to an aircraft including a guidance system as described above. Description of the implementation methods

[0032] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description and examining the accompanying figures.

[0033] Fig. 1 illustrates an aircraft equipped with a guidance system according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0034] Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an aircraft guidance system according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0035] Figure 3 illustrates a method of monitoring a satellite data receiver of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0036] Figure 4 illustrates a method for guiding an aircraft according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0037] The aircraft 1 shown in [Fig. 1] comprises a guidance system 10 as shown in [Fig. 2]. The guidance system 10 includes an aircraft guidance computer 20, and a monitoring system 11 for a satellite data receiver 12 from a GNSS satellite navigation system. The satellite data receiver 12 is connected at its output to the aircraft guidance computer 20. Without limitation, the satellite navigation system may correspond, for example, to one of the following systems: GPS (Global Positioning System), Galileo, BeiDou, GLONASS, etc. The monitoring system 11 comprises said satellite data receiver 12, a second source 16 of aircraft position information independent of the data from the satellite navigation system, and at least one avionics system 14 independent of the satellite data receiver.At least one avionics system 14 is connected as an input to the satellite data receiver 12, as well as to the aircraft's second position information source 16. In one embodiment, the satellite data receiver 12 is a multimode receiver, also known as an MMR (Multi-Mode Receiver). In another embodiment, the second position information source 16 includes at least one aircraft inertial navigation system. In yet another embodiment, at least one avionics system 14 is part of the aircraft's ADIRS (Air Data Inertial Reference System). In particular, the guidance system 10 is located in an avionics bay 2 of the aircraft.

[0038] During operation, at least one avionics system 14 receives information from the satellite data receiver and information from the second aircraft position information source. In one embodiment, the information from the satellite data receiver 12 includes, on the one hand, initial information that the receiver 12 received from different satellites from which it can receive signals at any given time and, on the other hand, aircraft position information determined by receiver 12 based on the first information. In a first step 31 (labeled El in [Fig.3]) of a method for monitoring the satellite data receiver 12, at least one avionics system 14 determines a quality level of the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver based on, on the one hand, the information from the satellite data receiver and, on the other hand, the information from the second source of aircraft position information.In one embodiment, the quality level corresponds to a number of satellites of the satellite navigation system from which the satellite data receiver 12 receives signals sufficiently intact to allow the use of said signals for the determination, by the satellite data receiver 12, of said aircraft position information. The method of determining the quality level will not be described further since it is already known how to determine such a quality level by a prior art ADIRS system.

[0039] The monitoring system 11, more particularly at least one avionics system 14, is connected via an output to a display screen 18 located in a cockpit 3 of the aircraft. In a second step 32 (labeled E2 in [Fig. 3]) of the method, the at least one avionics system 14 commands the display of an alert message in the aircraft cockpit, on the display screen 18, when the determined quality level is below a predetermined threshold. In the embodiment in which the quality level corresponds to the number of satellites from which the satellite data receiver 12 receives sufficiently intact signals, the predetermined threshold is, for example, chosen to be 4.Thus, an aircraft pilot is informed of a decrease in the quality level that could lead to a reduction in the accuracy of the aircraft's position information from receiver 12, such that this position information would no longer allow for sufficiently precise aircraft guidance during an approach procedure, for example, a GLS or SLS approach. This allows the pilot, thus warned, to avoid initiating such an approach procedure or to abort it if it had already begun.

[0040] Advantageously, at least one avionics system 14 is further configured to send a command to block the use, by the guidance computer 20, of aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver 12 when the determined quality level is below the predetermined threshold. The avionics system 14 sends the blocking command in a first step 33 (labeled E3 in [Fig. 4]) of an aircraft guidance process.

[0041] In a first embodiment, at least one avionics system 14 is connected at its output to the guidance computer 20 by a link 21b. When at least one system avionics 14 sends a blocking command on link 21b, this blocking command is received by the guidance computer 20. The guidance computer 20 is configured such that the reception of the blocking command has the effect of prohibiting a guidance command of the aircraft by the guidance computer 20 based on the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver 12: after receiving the blocking command, on the one hand the guidance computer 20 does not engage an aircraft guidance mode according to an approach requiring guidance of the aircraft based solely on the aircraft position information from the receiver 12 (for example a GLS or SLS type approach) when it receives a request to engage such a guidance mode, and on the other hand the computer interrupts an aircraft guidance mode according to such an approach if such a guidance mode was already engaged.

[0042] In a second embodiment, at least one avionics system 14 is connected via a link 21a to the satellite data receiver 12. When at least one avionics system 14 sends a block command on the link 21a, this block command is received by the satellite data receiver 12. The receiver is configured to stop sending aircraft position data to the guidance computer 20 when it receives such a block command. Thus, the reception of the block command by the receiver 12 prevents the satellite data receiver 12 from sending aircraft position information to the guidance computer 20. The guidance computer 20, no longer receiving aircraft position information from the receiver 12, cannot guide the aircraft based on such position information.Therefore, after receiving the blocking order by the satellite data receiver 12, on the one hand the guidance computer 20 cannot engage aircraft guidance according to an approach requiring aircraft guidance based solely on aircraft position information from the receiver 12 (for example a GLS or SLS type approach) when it receives a request to engage such guidance, and on the other hand the guidance computer 20 interrupts aircraft guidance according to such an approach if such guidance was already engaged.

[0043] Thus, in both the first embodiment and the second embodiment, sending the blocking order in step 33 has the effect, in a step 34 (labeled E4 in the figure) of the guidance process, of prohibiting a guidance command of the aircraft by the guidance computer 20 based on the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver 12.

Claims

Claims

1. 1) System (11) for monitoring a receiver (12) of satellite data of an aircraft (1), the system comprising: - said receiver (12) of satellite data from a satellite navigation system; and - a second source (16) of aircraft position information independent of the data from the satellite navigation system, characterized in that it comprises at least one avionics system (14) independent of the satellite data receiver (12) and configured to: - determine a quality level of the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver as a function of, on the one hand, information from the satellite data receiver (12) and, on the other hand, information from the second source (16) of aircraft position information; and - control the display of an alert message in a cockpit (3) of the aircraft when the determined quality level is below a predetermined threshold.

2. 2) Surveillance system according to claim 1 characterized in that the quality level determined by the at least one avionics system (14) corresponds to a number of satellites of the satellite navigation system from which the satellite data receiver (12) receives signals of sufficient integrity to allow the use of said signals for the determination, by the satellite data receiver, of said aircraft position information.

3. 3) Surveillance system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second source (16) of position information of the aircraft comprises an inertial unit of the aircraft.

4. 4) Guidance system (10) of an aircraft (1) comprising an aircraft guidance computer (20) configured to receive position information of the aircraft and to control the guidance of the aircraft as a function of said position information of the aircraft, characterized in that it further comprises a system (11) for monitoring a satellite data receiver (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, and in that: - the aircraft guidance computer (20) is configured to receive the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver (12); - the at least one avionics system (14) is configured to send an order to block the use, by the guidance computer (20), of the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver (12) when the determined quality level is lower than the predetermined threshold; and - the guidance system (10) is configured to prohibit a command to guide the aircraft by the guidance computer (20) based on aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver (12), following the sending of a blocking order by the at least one avionics system (14).

5. 5) Guidance system according to claim 4, characterized in that the at least one avionics system (14) is connected to the guidance computer (20) in such a way that when the at least one avionics system sends a blocking order, this blocking order is received by the guidance computer, and the guidance computer is configured so as to prohibit a guidance command of the aircraft as a function of the position information of the aircraft from the satellite data receiver (12), following the reception of a blocking order.

6. 6) Guidance system according to claim 4, characterized in that the at least one avionics system (14) is connected to the satellite data receiver (12) in such a way that when the at least one avionics system sends a blocking order, this blocking order is received by the satellite data receiver, and the satellite data receiver is configured to stop sending position information of the aircraft to the guidance computer (20) following the reception of a blocking order, so as to prohibit a guidance command of the aircraft by the guidance computer based on position information of the aircraft from the satellite data receiver (12).

7. 7) Method for monitoring a satellite data receiver (12) of an aircraft (1), the method being implemented by a system (11) for monitoring the satellite data receiver comprising: - said receiver (12) of satellite data from a satellite navigation system; and - a second source (16) of position information of the aircraft independent of the data from the satellite navigation system, characterized in that it comprises the following steps implemented by at least one avionics system (14) independent of the satellite data receiver: - determining (31) a quality level of the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver (12) as a function of, on the one hand, information from the satellite data receiver and, on the other hand, information from the second source of aircraft position information; and - controlling (32) the display of an alert message in a cockpit (3) of the aircraft when the determined quality level is below a predetermined threshold.

8. 8) Method for guiding an aircraft (1), the method being implemented by a guidance system (10) of the aircraft comprising a guidance computer (20) of the aircraft configured to receive position information of the aircraft and to control the guidance of the aircraft as a function of said position information of the aircraft, characterized in that, the guidance system (10) further comprising a monitoring system (11) of the satellite data receiver (12), the monitoring system of the satellite data receiver is configured to implement the method according to the preceding claim, and in that, the guidance computer (20) of the aircraft being configured to receive the position information of the aircraft from the satellite data receiver (12), the method further comprises the following steps: - sending (33), by the at least one avionics system (14), an order to block the use,by the guidance computer (20), aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver (12) when the determined quality level is lower than the predetermined threshold; and - following the sending of a blocking order by the at least one avionics system (14), prohibiting (34) a command to guide the aircraft by the guidance computer (20) based on the aircraft position information from the satellite data receiver (12).,

9. 9) Aircraft (1), characterized in that it comprises a monitoring system (11) of a satellite data receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

10. 10) Aircraft (1), characterized in that it comprises a guidance system (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

Images