System and method for monitoring an autonomous flight of an aircraft.

Abstract

System and method for monitoring an autonomous flight of an aircraft. The system (10) for monitoring an autonomous flight of an aircraft (1) comprises an avionics computer (14) of the aircraft configured to: - receive or determine autonomous flight information of the aircraft; - receive from a radiofrequency receiver (12) of the aircraft, a call signal of the aircraft coming from a ground station (16), the call signal being independent of any transmission of information from the ground station to the aircraft; and - following the reception of a call signal during an autonomous flight of the aircraft, send a go-around command to a flight management system (18) of the aircraft so as to initiate a go-around maneuver. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: System and method for monitoring an autonomous flight of an aircraft.

[0001] The invention relates to the field of autonomous flight of aircraft. Certain aircraft comprise a system designed to enable autonomous flight of the aircraft in certain circumstances, this autonomous flight being designed in particular to perform an automatic landing of the aircraft on a runway of a diversion airport. In one embodiment, the circumstances considered correspond to an inability of the crew of the aircraft to pilot. In a known manner, an aircraft may be equipped with an on-board system for detecting an inability to pilot affecting the crew of the aircraft. Upon detection of such an inability to pilot of the crew of the aircraft, information is transmitted to the aforementioned system designed to enable autonomous flight of the aircraft.An aircraft piloting mode in autonomous mode is then engaged and corresponding information is sent to a ground station, in particular to an ATC (Air Traffic Control) center. Since the crew is unable to pilot, communications between the aircraft and the air traffic control center are only carried out in the direction from the aircraft to the air traffic control center (automatic messages sent according to a determined frequency). Such an autonomous flight corresponding to an emergency situation, a controller at the air traffic control center monitors the autonomous flight of the aircraft with particular attention. In particular, he monitors flight forecast information transmitted automatically by the aircraft: planned trajectory, runway planned for landing, etc.In particular, the controller manages the traffic of surrounding aircraft in such a way as to free the airspace necessary to allow the aircraft to fly according to the planned trajectory transmitted to the air traffic control center. The controller also makes arrangements so that the landing runway is available for the aircraft to land. However, despite the arrangements made by the air traffic controller, an unforeseen event affecting the possibility for the aircraft to land on the landing runway cannot be completely excluded: intrusion of a vehicle on the landing runway, adverse weather conditions, etc. It would therefore be desirable for the controller to be able to send a request to the aircraft to prevent it from landing on the landing runway in the event of an unforeseen event. Statement of the invention

[0002] The present invention aims in particular to provide a solution to this problem. It relates to a system for monitoring an autonomous flight of an aircraft, comprising an aircraft avionics computer configured to:

[0003] - receive or determine autonomous flight information from the aircraft;

[0004] - receive from a radio frequency receiver of the aircraft, a call signal from the aircraft originating from a ground station, the call signal being independent of any transmission of information from the ground station to the aircraft; and

[0005] - following receipt of a call signal during an autonomous flight of the aircraft, send a go-around command to an aircraft flight management system to initiate a go-around maneuver.

[0006] Thus, when ground station personnel (for example an air traffic controller) detect an event affecting the aircraft's ability to land on the runway, they can send a call signal to the aircraft. This has the effect, following receipt of the call signal on board the aircraft, of causing the aircraft to be ordered to go around. A landing of the aircraft on the runway is thus avoided.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the aircraft call signal is a SelCal type call signal.

[0008] According to another embodiment, the call signal corresponds to a ringing of a telephone type call from the ground station to the aircraft.

[0009] In a particular embodiment, the autonomous flight information of the aircraft corresponds to a situation of incapacity to pilot of a crew of the aircraft.

[0010] Advantageously, the avionics computer is further configured to:

[0011] - receive altitude information from the aircraft; and

[0012] - do not send the go-around command to the flight management system of the aircraft only if the aircraft's altitude is below a predetermined altitude threshold.

[0013] In particular, the avionics computer is further configured to send to the ground station information corresponding to a flight forecast of the aircraft, if the altitude of the aircraft is greater than the predetermined altitude threshold.

[0014] The invention also relates to a method for monitoring an autonomous flight of an aircraft, the method comprising the following steps implemented by an avionics computer of the aircraft:

[0015] - A) receiving or determining autonomous flight information from the aircraft;

[0016] - B) receiving from a radio frequency receiver of the aircraft, a call signal of the aircraft from a ground station, the call signal being independent of any transmission of information from the ground station to the aircraft; and

[0017] - C) following receipt of a call signal during an autonomous flight of the aircraft, send a go-around command to an aircraft flight management system to initiate a go-around maneuver.

[0018] In one embodiment, step C) comprises the following sub-steps:

[0019] - Cl) receiving altitude information from the aircraft; and

[0020] - C2a) send the go-around command to the flight management system of the aircraft only if the aircraft's altitude is below a predetermined altitude threshold.

[0021] In particular, step C) further comprises a sub-step C2b) consisting of sending to the ground station information corresponding to a flight forecast of the aircraft, if the altitude of the aircraft is greater than the predetermined altitude threshold.

[0022] Advantageously, the method further comprises the following steps implemented before step B):

[0023] - al) receiving from the ground station a landing forecast for the aircraft in flight autonomous on a specific landing strip of an airport;

[0024] - a2) in the event of an event likely to compromise a landing on said runway landing, transmission by the ground station of a call signal from the aircraft.

[0025] The invention also relates to an aircraft comprising such a system for monitoring an autonomous flight of the aircraft. Description of the embodiments

[0026] The invention will be better understood by reading the following description and examining the attached figures.

[0027] [Fig.l] illustrates an aircraft equipped with a system for monitoring an autonomous flight of the aircraft.

[0028] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a system for monitoring an autonomous flight of the aircraft according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0029] [Fig.3] illustrates a method for monitoring an autonomous flight of the aircraft according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0030] [Fig.4] illustrates a particular embodiment of the method for monitoring an autonomous flight of the aircraft of [Fig.3].

[0031] The autonomous flight monitoring system 10 shown in [Fig. 2] comprises an avionics computer 14 of an aircraft such as the aircraft 1 shown in [Fig. 1]. The avionics computer 14 is connected at the output to a flight management system 18 of the aircraft, such as for example an FMS (Flight Management System) type system. The avionics computer 14 is also connected at the input to a radio frequency receiver 12 of the aircraft, for example a VHF (Very High Frequency) type receiver designed to communicate with a ground station 16 via a radio frequency link 15. Alternatively, the radio frequency receiver 12 corresponds to a SATCOM type satellite communications receiver designed to communicate with the ground station 16 via a satellite radio frequency link. The ground station 16 corresponds for example to an air traffic control center.The surveillance system 10 is for example installed in an avionics bay 2 of the aircraft.

[0032] In operation, when the aircraft 1 switches to autonomous flight mode, for example during an emergency situation such as the aircraft crew being unable to pilot, the aircraft determines a possible landing runway for landing at a diversion airport, as well as a diversion trajectory to this landing runway. The aircraft sends a message to the ground station 16 via the radio communication link 15 or via another communication link. This message is intended to inform an operator of the ground station that the aircraft is in autonomous flight and it also contains information corresponding to the diversion trajectory and the determined landing runway of the diversion airport.

[0033] The operator of the ground station then monitors the availability of the determined landing runway. If he detects an event likely to compromise the possibility of landing the aircraft on the determined runway, in particular an intrusion of a vehicle onto the landing runway or a degraded meteorological situation, the operator sends a call signal to the aircraft via the radio communication link 15. This call signal is a signal independent of any transmission of information from the ground station to the aircraft, that is to say that the operator sends this call signal to the aircraft without accompanying it with information corresponding to the meaning of said call signal (namely an unavailability of the landing runway). The call signal is therefore a signal of the type informing the aircraft that the ground station wishes to make contact with it.According to one embodiment, the call signal is a SelCal (“Selective Calling”) type call signal. The SelCal type call signal is a selective call signal that targets only the aircraft in question based on a SelCal registration number assigned to this aircraft. According to another embodiment, the call signal corresponds to a ringing of a telephone type call initiated by the ground station to the aircraft. This telephone call is for example made via a SATCOM type satellite link.

[0034] The call signal is received by the radio frequency receiver 12 of the aircraft, which transmits it to the avionics computer 14. The avionics computer checks whether the aircraft is in autonomous flight. To do this, it checks whether it has previously determined autonomous flight information for the aircraft or whether it has received such information from another system of the aircraft, such as, for example, a system for monitoring pilot incapacity of the aircraft crew. If the call signal was received during an autonomous flight of the aircraft, the avionics computer 14 sends a go-around command to the flight management system 18 of the aircraft. This makes it possible to command a go-around maneuver of the aircraft and therefore to avoid landing the aircraft on the landing runway which is not available. Using a call signal for this without communicating other information from the ground station to the aircraft makes it possible to This improves the system's responsiveness and limits the use of communication frequencies. This also has the advantage of not requiring complex interpretation of instructions that could otherwise be sent in natural language by the ground station operator.

[0035] In a particular embodiment, the avionics computer 14 further receives an Alti information item on the altitude of the aircraft and it only sends the go-around command to the flight management system 18 if the altitude of the aircraft is lower than a predetermined altitude threshold Thr. In particular, this altitude threshold Thr corresponds to a height relative to the runway threshold of the determined landing runway or relative to the terrain overflown. For example, the altitude of the runway threshold of the determined landing runway is acquired by the avionics computer 14 from a database on board the aircraft. In particular, the aforementioned height corresponds to a height below which the aircraft is in the final approach phase of the landing runway in question. This height is for example chosen to be substantially equal to 3000 feet (approximately 914 meters).

[0036] Advantageously, if the altitude of the aircraft is higher than the predetermined altitude threshold when the avionics computer 14 receives the call signal, the avionics computer sends to the ground station information corresponding to a flight forecast of the aircraft. This thus allows the operator of the ground station 16 to request the sending of said information by the aircraft. It is thus possible to reduce the frequency of automatic sending to the ground station of information from the aircraft in an autonomous flight situation. This makes it possible to reduce the occupation of the communication frequencies. The flight forecast information of the aircraft corresponds in particular to information relating to the landing runway determined for the landing of the aircraft and / or to information relating to the diversion trajectory determined to reach this landing runway.

[0037] The corresponding method is illustrated in [Fig. 3]. It comprises the following steps implemented by the avionics computer 14:

[0038] - a step 33 (labeled A in the figure) of receiving or determining an in training corresponding to an autonomous flight situation of the aircraft;

[0039] - a step 34 (labeled B in the figure) of reception, from the radiofrequency receiver 12, of a call signal from aircraft 1 originating from ground station 16, the call signal being independent of any transmission of information from the ground station to the aircraft; and

[0040] - a step 35 (labeled C in the figure), following the reception of a call signal during an autonomous flight of the aircraft, sending a go-around command to the flight management system 18 of the aircraft, so as to initiate a go-around maneuver of the aircraft.

[0041] In a particular embodiment illustrated in [Fig.4], step 35 comprises:

[0042] - a sub-step 35a (labeled Cl in the figure) of receiving the Alti information altitude of the aircraft; and

[0043] - a sub-step 35b 1 (labeled C2a in the figure) consisting of sending the go-around command to the aircraft flight management system 18 only if the aircraft altitude is below the predetermined altitude threshold Thr.

[0044] In particular, the method further comprises a sub-step 35b2 (labeled C2b in the figure) consisting of sending to the ground station 16 information corresponding to a flight forecast of the aircraft, if the altitude of the aircraft is greater than the predetermined altitude threshold Thr.

[0045] Advantageously, the method further comprises the following steps implemented before step 34:

[0046] - a step 31 (labeled al in the figure) of reception by the ground station 16 of a prediction of landing of the aircraft in autonomous flight on a determined landing runway of an airport; and

[0047] - in the event of an event likely to compromise a landing on said runway landing, a step 32 (labeled a2 in the figure) of transmission by the ground station 16 of a call signal from the aircraft.

Claims

Claims

1. 1) System (10) for monitoring an autonomous flight of an aircraft (1), comprising an avionics computer (14) of the aircraft configured to: - receive or determine autonomous flight information of the aircraft; - receive from a radiofrequency receiver (12) of the aircraft, a call signal of the aircraft coming from a ground station (16), the call signal being independent of any transmission of information from the ground station to the aircraft; and - following the reception of a call signal during an autonomous flight of the aircraft, send a go-around command to a flight management system (18) of the aircraft so as to initiate a go-around maneuver.

2. 2) System according to claim 1, characterized in that the aircraft call signal is a SelCal type call signal.

3. 3) System according to claim 1, characterized in that the call signal corresponds to a ringing of a telephone type call from the ground station to the aircraft.

4. 4) System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the autonomous flight information of the aircraft corresponds to a situation of incapacity to pilot of a crew of the aircraft.

5. 5) System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the avionics computer (14) is further configured to: - receive altitude information (Alti) from the aircraft; and - only send the go-around command to the flight management system of the aircraft if the altitude of the aircraft is below a predetermined altitude threshold (Thr).

6. 6) System according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the avionics computer (14) is further configured to send to the ground station (16) information corresponding to a flight forecast of the aircraft, if the altitude of the aircraft is greater than the predetermined altitude threshold (Thr).

7. 7) Method for monitoring an autonomous flight of an aircraft (1), the method comprising the following steps implemented by an avionics computer (14) of the aircraft: - A) receiving or determining autonomous flight information from the aircraft; - B) receiving from a radio frequency receiver (12) of the aircraft, a call signal from the aircraft coming from a ground station (16), the call signal being independent of any transmission of information from the ground station to the aircraft (1); and - C) following the reception of a call signal during an autonomous flight of the aircraft, sending a go-around command to a flight management system (18) of the aircraft so as to initiate a go-around maneuver.

8. 8) Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that step C) comprises the following sub-steps: - C1) receiving altitude information (Alti) from the aircraft; and - C2a) sending the go-around command to the flight management system (18) of the aircraft only if the altitude of the aircraft is lower than a predetermined altitude threshold (Thr).

9. 9) Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that step C) further comprises a sub-step C2b) consisting of sending to the ground station information corresponding to a flight forecast of the aircraft, if the altitude of the aircraft is greater than the predetermined altitude threshold (Thr).

10. 10) Method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that it further comprises the following steps implemented before step B): - al) receiving by the ground station (16) a forecast of landing of the aircraft in autonomous flight on a determined landing strip of an airport; - a2) in the event of an event likely to compromise a landing on said landing strip, transmission by the ground station of a call signal from the aircraft.

11. 11) Aircraft (1), characterized in that it comprises a monitoring system (10) of an autonomous flight of the aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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