EP1570453B1 - Anticollision equipment on board an aeroplane with normal flight reversion aid - Google Patents

Anticollision equipment on board an aeroplane with normal flight reversion aid Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1570453B1
EP1570453B1 EP03796073A EP03796073A EP1570453B1 EP 1570453 B1 EP1570453 B1 EP 1570453B1 EP 03796073 A EP03796073 A EP 03796073A EP 03796073 A EP03796073 A EP 03796073A EP 1570453 B1 EP1570453 B1 EP 1570453B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
protection
terrain
aircraft
trajectory
collision
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EP03796073A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP1570453A1 (en
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Hugues THALES Intellectual Property MEUNIER
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Thales SA
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Thales SA
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
    • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft, e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
    • G08G5/04—Anti-collision systems
    • G08G5/045—Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
    • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft, e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
    • G08G5/0073—Surveillance aids
    • G08G5/0086—Surveillance aids for monitoring terrain

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the prevention of aeronautical accidents in which a manoeuverable aircraft crashes on the ground.
  • This type of accident which represents a significant percentage of civil aviation disasters of the past, is known in the technical literature under the acronym CFIT derived from the English expression "Controlled Flight Into Terrain”.
  • the foreseeable short-term trajectory of the aircraft is provided by the navigation equipment of the aircraft from a measurement, in three dimensions, of the instantaneous position and the speed vector of the aircraft given by a flight system.
  • embedded positioning typically: satellite positioning receiver and / or inertial unit.
  • the terrain and / or the obstacles on the ground are the subject of a topographic representation extracted from a terrain and / or obstacle database, on board the aircraft or on the ground but accessible from the aircraft by its means. radiocommunication.
  • the FLTA function determines the short-term predictable trajectory of the aircraft from information provided by the navigation equipment of the aircraft, to delimit one or more protection volumes around the current position and trajectory of the aircraft. aircraft and generate alarms of risk of collision with terrain and / or obstacles on the ground at each intrusion, in these protective volumes, relief and / or ground obstacles overflown, modeled from an extracted topographic representation field database and / or obstacles.
  • a volume of protection related to the aircraft is part of the space in which the aircraft is likely to evolve in a more or less near future. Its importance and shape depend on the delay sought between an alarm and the occurrence of a collision risk, and to a certain extent on the maneuverability of the aircraft at the moment considered, that is to say evolution of the aircraft that are related to its performance, the module and the direction of its air speed, and its flight attitude (flying in a straight line or corner, etc. ..). It is defined by its lower and front walls and possibly laterally.
  • the FLTA function uses at least two protective volumes directed forwardly along the predicted future trajectory and towards the underside of the aircraft.
  • a first protection volume the most remote from the aircraft, is used to generate a pre-alarm while a second protection volume closer to the aircraft is used to generate an alarm.
  • the purpose of the pre-alarm is to make the crew aware of a short-term risk of collision with the terrain and / or ground obstacles so that it can be taken into account when piloting the aircraft. It is given sufficiently in advance so that the crew can correct its trajectory and prepare to perform a possible avoidance maneuver. It consists for example, in a repetitive acoustic warning of the type: "Cautton Terrain" doubled or not a luminous signaling and accompanied or not of a specific symbology on a screen of visualization (yellow zone for example) of the cockpit.
  • the alarm warns the crew of a very short-term risk of collision with the terrain and / or ground obstacles by strongly advising them to carry out an immediate avoidance maneuver, usually of the "pull-up" type.
  • This is for example a repetitive acoustic warning of the type: "Field Terrain, Pull up” which can be also doubled of a luminous signaling and accompanied or not of a specific symbology on a screen of visualization (red zone for example) of the cockpit .
  • another alarm may be issued (eg "Avoid Terrain").
  • the FLTA function is associated with a terrain collision warning device displaying on an on-board screen or screens an image representing in two dimensions an envelope of the terrain and / or obstacles overflown by highlighting the risks of collision. , with their relative importance, that are incurred by the various terrain and / or obstacles within range of the aircraft.
  • ground collision avoidance equipment if they make it possible to detect the risks of ground collision and to prevent them by an appropriate avoidance maneuver, do not however make it possible to know with precision the moment from which a maneuver of avoidance of terrain and / or ground obstacles appropriately initiated to deal with a risk of collision with the ground and / or obstacles on the ground, may be completed and from which resumption of a normal flight may be considered.
  • the pre-alarm or the alarm stops as soon as the short-term or very short-term risk of collision with the ground and / or ground obstacles that motivated it disappears, in particular because of the execution an appropriate avoidance maneuver sufficiently clearing the intended short-term flight path for the aircraft, terrain and / or overflighted ground obstructions, which may occur while the aircraft is climbing, without having yet reached the security altitude planned for the location.
  • the cartographic display of current ground-level collision avoidance equipment also does not clearly indicate when a risk of a ground collision is actually resolved unless it uses an altitude-related altitude as altitude reference altitude. instantaneous aircraft.
  • the present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawback by giving the crew a clear indication of the moment from which the ground conflict can be considered resolved and the avoidance maneuver can be completed, this by the means of appropriate, aural and / or visual announcements and / or by an appropriate visualization on one or more on-board screens giving a representation of the terrain and / or obstacles overflown.
  • the subject of the present invention is an equipment for collision avoidance on board an aircraft, comprising means for determining at least one virtual envelope of protection of evolution of the aircraft built around the trajectory of the aircraft predicted in the short term and delimiting a protection volume around the current position and trajectory of the aircraft, means for detecting intrusions, in the virtual envelope or envelopes of evolution protection, a representation of a field envelope and / or overflown ground obstacles stored in an on-board database or on the ground, and alarm means triggered by the intrusion detection means.
  • This field anti-collision equipment is remarkable in that, after detection of a risk of ground collision, its means of determination of virtual protection envelopes provide, in addition to the evolution protection virtual envelopes, at least one virtual protection envelope.
  • the fictitious trajectory of recovery of road is a horizontal trajectory.
  • the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory having a slope, a horizontal slope if the instantaneous trajectory of the aircraft is up or down, and a slope depending on the instantaneous trajectory of the aircraft if the aircraft is downhill.
  • the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory having for slope, a slope depending on the instantaneous trajectory of the aircraft.
  • the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory having for slope, a slope depending on the trajectory of the aircraft at the time of detection of the risk of ground collision.
  • the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory having a slope, a slope depending on the trajectory of the aircraft at the time of detection of the risk of terrain collision, if it was downhill, and a horizontal trajectory if it was in horizontal flight or uphill at the time of detection of the risk of ground collision.
  • the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory whose course is the instantaneous heading of the aircraft.
  • the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory having course and slope; those of the trajectory of the aircraft at the time of detection of the risk of ground collision.
  • the limits of the virtual envelope or envelopes of protection are defined by a so-called probe surface whose encounter with the representation of an envelope of the ground and / or obstacles on the ground extracted from the information of the database is assimilated to a intrusion of the ground and / or ground obstacles into the corresponding virtual protection envelope.
  • the horizontal projection of a virtual evolution protection envelope probe is adopted as the probe of an envelope. virtual route recovery protection.
  • the horizontal projection of a virtual protection envelope probe evolution is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection road recovery.
  • the projection along an inclined plane, which is a function of the instantaneous descent slope of the aircraft, of a virtual evolution protection envelope probe is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection of recovery of road.
  • the projection, according to a plane inclined according to the instantaneous descent slope of the aircraft, of a virtual envelope protector of evolution protection during a certain distance or time of flight then, according to the horizontal, is adopted as probe of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of road.
  • the terrain anti-collision equipment when the terrain anti-collision equipment is provided with a display screen displaying a representation of the terrain layers and / or the risk of collision with the terrain and / or obstacles overflown, the projection, in two planes, adopted as a probe a virtual envelope of protection of recovery of road is carried out in a coherent way with that used on the screen for the representation of the layers of ground and / or the risks of collision with the ground and / or the obstacles overflown.
  • the projection at the horizontal of a virtual evolution protection envelope probe is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection of recovery of road.
  • an evolution protection virtual envelope probe is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection of recovery of road.
  • the protection virtual envelope determination means when the protection virtual envelope determination means generate two virtual evolution protection envelopes, the most distant, for a terrain collision pre-alarm and the closest one for a terrain collision alarm, the projection meeting horizontally the probes of the two virtual envelopes of evolution protection is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection of road recovery.
  • the means for determining the virtual protection envelope when the means for determining the virtual protection envelope generate two virtual evolution protection envelopes, the most distant for a terrain collision pre-alarm and the closest one for a terrain collision alarm, the meeting of projections according to an inclined plane having the descent slope of the aircraft at the time of detection of the risk of ground collision, probes of the two virtual envelope evolution protection is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection of recovery of course.
  • the indication signaling the possibility of terminating an avoidance maneuver is momentarily given in aural and / or visual form.
  • the terrain collision avoidance equipment generates an indication of the maintenance of the avoidance maneuver in aural and / or visual form, at the disappearance of a ground alert and this until no risk collision is detected by the virtual recovery protection virtual envelope.
  • the vertical distance under the aircraft to which is placed the virtual envelope of protection of recovery of road is taken equal to that used for one of the virtual envelopes of protection of evolution.
  • the terrain collision avoidance equipment when the terrain collision avoidance equipment is provided with a display screen displaying a representation of the terrain layers and / or the risk of collision with the terrain and / or the obstacles overflown, the vertical distance under the aircraft to which is placed a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of course is taken coherent with that used on the screen for the representation of the layers of ground and / or risks of collision with the ground and / or the obstacles overflown.
  • FIG. 1 shows a terrain anticollision equipment 1 in its functional environment on board an aircraft.
  • the terrain anti-collision equipment essentially consists of a computer 2 associated with a cartographic database 3.
  • the cartographic database represented 3 is on board the aircraft but it could equally well well being on the ground and accessible from the aircraft by radio transmission.
  • the computer 2 may be a calculator specific to terrain collision avoidance equipment or a computer shared with other tasks such as flight management or autopilot.
  • the anti-collision field it receives navigation equipment 4 of the aircraft the main flight parameters including the position of the aircraft in latitude; longitude and altitude and the direction and amplitude of its velocity vector.
  • the terrain collision avoidance equipment 1 can display on a screen 6 of the cockpit, a map of the terrain overflown highlighting the threatening terrain areas.
  • This map generally in two dimensions, consists of a contour 7 representation of the terrain overflown with false colors and / or different textures and / or symbols materializing the magnitude of the collision risk corresponding to each slice of terrain.
  • a protection volume linked to the aircraft delimits a part of the space in which the aircraft must be able to evolve in a more or less near future without risk of ground collision. Its importance and shape depend on the delay sought between an alarm and the occurrence of a collision risk, and to a certain extent on the maneuverability of the aircraft at the moment considered, that is to say evolution capabilities of the aircraft that are related to its performance, the amplitude and direction of its airspeed, and its attitude of flight (flight in a straight line or corner, etc.). It is defined by a virtual envelope without physical reality, of which only the lower and frontal and possibly lateral parts are considered.
  • the lower and frontal parts of a protective volume are usually assimilated to a band, of horizontal transverse axis, following with a certain vertical offset depending on the minimum overflight margin for the situation considered, the trajectory that would be followed by the aircraft in the event that his crew comes to be warned of a risk of ground collision and would make him adopt, after a normal reaction time with a margin of safety more or less long, a course of avoidance in climb, with a slope close to the maximum of its possibilities of the moment.
  • This band widens to take into account the increasing uncertainty about the aircraft's predictable position as the forecasting time increases and opens on the side in case of turn according to the rate of turn.
  • an aircraft A moves downhill at a time t1 and in a direction D above a vertical profile terrain R.
  • This aircraft A is provided with a terrain anti-collision equipment which works two volumes of evolution protection: a remote protection volume used for pre-alarms so for the detection of short-term ground collision risks and corresponding to a first probe C, and a close protection volume used for alarms therefore for the detection of a very short-term ground collision risk and corresponding to a second probe W.
  • the two probes C and W used for pre-alarms and alarms model top-down reliefs initiated at times t1 + Tpa and t1 + Ta and requiring a time of implementation Tm.
  • the detection of the risks of short-term ground collision implies to provide the avoidance maneuver from above at the end of a time greater than the detection of the risks of ground collision in the very short term, which results in a shift of the probe C compared to the probe W according to the predicted future trajectory. As it is based on a longer term forecast of the position of the aircraft; it is less reliable. For him, however, to preserve the same safety of detection his probe C is also shifted downwards compared to the probe W.
  • the collision avoidance equipment of the aircraft A detects a penetration of the ground through its probe C at time t1 and consequently generates a pre-alarm for the risk of a ground collision. .
  • This pre-alarm alerts the crew of the aircraft A risk that makes him run his descent path.
  • the collision avoidance equipment of the aircraft A generates a terrain collision risk alarm because the closest protective envelope adopted EW meets a surface MTCD covering the relief R and corresponding to a minimum safety margin selected to take into account inaccuracies in the map database 3 and / or the vertical position of the aircraft provided by the on-board sensors, and a minimum overflight height to ensure safety.
  • This terrain collision alarm leads the crew of the aircraft to stop the descent and start without delay an avoidance trajectory TE consisting of a climb to a safe altitude above the high points of the terrain overflown.
  • Figure 3 shows the situation of the aircraft A at a later time t2 while it starts a recovery to eliminate the risk of ground collision reported by the alarm of his equipment collision avoidance field.
  • Sensors C and W took the new upward direction of the aircraft A and recovered because the aircraft A is close to the maximum of its climbing possibilities. They no longer meet the MTCD surface covering the terrain R so that the terrain collision avoidance equipment of the aircraft A has stopped the ground collision alarm.
  • the stop of the alarm (aural and luminous if necessary) informs the crew of the good efficiency of the avoidance maneuver by the current top but does not inform it on the possibility or not to resume the trajectory of descent that he followed before the advent of the terrain collision alarm.
  • the proposed terrain collision avoidance equipment provides at least a third volume of so-called road recovery protection, based on the instantaneous position of the aircraft A, here in t2, and on a fictitious displacement forecast going into the direction of the resumption of the trajectory followed at the time of the detection of the risk with the field (pre-alert or alert).
  • the recovery protection volume is based on a fictitious displacement prediction taking the instantaneous heading of the aircraft A and its initial descent slope, and corresponds to the probe L. This probe L meets the surface MTCD covering the terrain R signifying that the top-down avoidance maneuver in progress must be continued before the risk of ground collision can be considered as resolved.
  • the terrain anticollision equipment emits, for the attention of the crew, a finding of resolution the risk of ground collision, meaning the possibility of resuming the route initially followed.
  • This observation can take the form of either stopping an aural and / or luminous instruction to continue the avoidance maneuver (such as "continue climb") that has been initiated since the alarm was stopped, or the momentary generation of a set of aural and / or luminous possible end of the avoidance maneuver.
  • FIG. 4 shows the situation of the aircraft A at a later instant t3 while continuing its top-down avoidance maneuver to eliminate the risk of a terrain collision signaled by the alarm of its terrain anti-collision equipment.
  • Probes C and W remain upwardly facing without encountering the terrain R so that the terrain collision avoidance equipment of the aircraft A does not emit a pre-alarm or an alarm.
  • the equipment of anticollision ground emits, for the attention of the crew, a statement of resolution of the risk of collision on ground, meaning the possibility to resume the route initially followed.
  • this observation can take the form either of the stop of an aural and / or luminous instruction of continuation of the avoidance maneuver (such as "continue climb") which was initiated since the stop of the alarm or of the momentary generation of an aural and / or luminous set-point of possible end of the avoidance maneuver.
  • the feeler (s) associated with road return protection volumes may be determined by the terrain collision avoidance equipment independently of the touch probes associated with or derived from the evolution protection volumes.
  • FIG. 5 gives an example, in which the feeler L associated with a road recovery protection volume is taken equal to the projection, on the horizontal plane, of the probe W associated with the evolution protection volume dedicated to the risk alarms. terrain collision.
  • One variant consists in adopting for the feeler L associated with the road recovery protection volume, not the projection, on the horizontal plane, of the probe W associated with the evolution protection volume dedicated to the terrain collision risk alarms but the meeting of projections, on the horizontal plane, probes W and C associated with the evolution protection volumes dedicated to the pre-alarms and alarms of risks of collision on ground.
  • FIG. 6 gives another example particularly adapted to the case where an aircraft A is either instantaneously during descent during the resolution of a risk of collision with the terrain (a priori being rectified towards a mounted trajectory) , or downhill at the time of detection of a risk of ground collision.
  • the feeler L associated with a reversal protection volume is equal to the projection, on the plane of descent of the aircraft A, of the probe W associated with the evolution protection volume dedicated to the alarms of risk of terrain collision.
  • One variant consists in adopting for the feeler L associated with the recovery volume of road recovery, not the projection, on the plane of descent of the aircraft A, the probe W associated with the evolution protection volume dedicated to the alarms of risk of terrain collision but the meeting projections, on the plane of descent of the aircraft A, probes W and C associated with the evolution protection volumes dedicated to pre-alarms and alarms of terrain collision risk.
  • FIG. 7 gives another example particularly adapted to the case where an aircraft A is instantaneously during descent during the resolution of a risk of collision with the terrain (a priori being in course of recovery towards an uphill trajectory) in which the feeler L associated with a road recovery protection volume is taken equal to the projection, on the descent plane of the aircraft A, for a predetermined duration (or a distance) (for example of the order of 30 seconds ), then on a horizontal plane, the probe W associated with the evolution protection volume dedicated to the terrain collision risk alarms.
  • this projection is defined in a manner consistent with that used for the representation of the terrain and / or risk layers with the terrain and / or the obstacles on the visualization screen (s) of the cockpit used for this terrain anti-collision system, in particular by taking for the predetermined duration a duration for example of the order of 30 seconds fixed or adjustable according to criteria specific to the display of the ground layers.

Description

La présente invention concerne la prévention des accidents aéronautiques dans lesquels un aéronef resté manoeuvrable s'écrase au sol. Ce type d'accident, qui représente un pourcentage important des catastrophes aériennes civiles du passé, est connu dans la littérature technique sous l'acronyme CFIT tiré de l'expression anglo-saxonne "Controlled Flight Into Terrain".The present invention relates to the prevention of aeronautical accidents in which a manoeuverable aircraft crashes on the ground. This type of accident, which represents a significant percentage of civil aviation disasters of the past, is known in the technical literature under the acronym CFIT derived from the English expression "Controlled Flight Into Terrain".

Pour lutter contre les risques de CFIT divers équipements d'alerte de proximité du sol ont été introduits à bord des aéronefs.To combat the risks of CFIT, various ground proximity warning equipment have been introduced on board aircraft.

Une première génération d'équipements d'alerte de proximité sol appelés GPWS (acronyme de l'expression anglo-saxonne : Ground Proximity Waming System") surveillent la hauteur de l'aéronef au-dessus du sol mesurée par un radioaltimètre et la confronte :

  • soit avec la vitesse verticale de descente de l'aéronef mesurée par un altimètre barométrique et/ou une centrale inertielle, la confrontation se faisant par comparaison simple (mode 1) ou, d'une manière plus sophistiquée, par filtrage non-linéaire (mode 2),
  • soit avec une mesure antérieure de la hauteur au-dessus du sol pour signaler une perte anormale d'altitude au cours d'un décollage ou d'une approche manquée (mode 3),
  • soit avec la vitesse air de l'aéronef et les positions du train d'atterrissage et des volets (mode 4),
  • soit avec l'erreur verticale de présentation de l'aéronef dans le faisceau de guidage d'un ILS (acronyme tiré de l'anglo-saxon :" Instrument Landing System") lors d'un atterrissage (mode 5),
  • soit encore avec la position de l'aéronef à proximité d'une piste d'atterrissage (call-out);
  • soit avec l'angle de roulis,
pour déclencher une alerte sonore et/ou visuelle dans le cockpit en cas de détection d'un rapprochement dangereux avec le sol.A first generation of ground proximity warning equipment called GPWS (Ground Proximity Waming System) monitors the height of the aircraft above the ground measured by a radio altimeter and confronts it with:
  • either with the vertical descent speed of the aircraft measured by a barometric altimeter and / or an inertial unit, the comparison being done by simple comparison (mode 1) or, in a more sophisticated manner, by non-linear filtering (mode 2)
  • either with an earlier measurement of the height above the ground to indicate an abnormal loss of altitude during a take-off or a missed approach (mode 3),
  • with the airspeed of the aircraft and the positions of the landing gear and flaps (mode 4),
  • either with the vertical error of presentation of the aircraft in the guiding beam of an ILS (acronym taken from the Anglo-Saxon: "Instrument Landing System") during a landing (mode 5),
  • again with the position of the aircraft near a landing strip (call-out);
  • with the roll angle,
to trigger an audible and / or visual alert in the cockpit if a dangerous approach to the ground is detected.

Malgré, cette première génération d'équipements GPWS le pourcentage d'accidents aéronautiques de type CFIT est resté élevé, essentiellement, pour les raisons suivantes :

  • alerte de proximité sol tardive voire manquante due au principe même de la détection des risques de collision avec le sol par une radiosonde regardant sous l'avion et non au devant de l'avion,
  • alarme de proximité sol manquante par suite d'une réduction temporaire, par l'équipage, de la sensibilité de l'équipement GPWS en vue de limiter les fausses alarmes (C'est le cas généralement des accidents intervenant au cours d'une approche finale d'un terrain d'atterrissage),
  • alerte de proximité sol tardive car les seuils de déclenchement de l'équipement GPWS ont été momentanément relevés toujours pour limiter les fausses alarmes au cours d'une approche finale d'un terrain d'atterrissage,
  • alerte de proximité sol dans les temps mais l'équipage a réagi trop tardivement ou n'a pas réagi à cause d'une désensibilisation de l'équipage résultant du taux trop élevé de fausses alertes, principalement dues à une prédiction de risque de collision à chaque fois que du terrain commence à monter sous l'avion de façon dangereuse ou non.
Despite this, the first generation of GPWS equipment, the percentage of aviation accidents of the CFIT type remained high, mainly for the following reasons:
  • proximity warning late or even missing ground due to the very principle of the detection of the risks of collision with the ground by a radiosonde looking under the plane and not at the front of the plane,
  • ground proximity alarm missing due to a temporary reduction by the crew of the sensitivity of the GPWS equipment to limit false alarms (This is usually the case for accidents occurring during a final approach landing ground),
  • late solitary proximity warning because the triggering thresholds of the GPWS equipment were temporarily raised to limit false alarms during a final approach to an airstrip,
  • proximity warning in time but the crew reacted too late or did not react because of desensitization of the crew resulting from the high rate of false alerts, mainly due to a prediction of risk of collision at whenever terrain begins to climb under the plane in a dangerous way or not.

Le besoin d'améliorer ces équipements GPWS d'alerte sol de première génération s'est donc rapidement fait sentir. La voie suivie a été celle d'augmenter les informations prises en compte par les équipements d'alerte sol concernant le terrain situé au-devant et sur les côtés de la trajectoire prévisible à court terme de l'aéronef en profitant de l'avènement des systèmes de positionnement précis tels que les systèmes de positionnement par satellites et des cartes en relief numérisées mémorisables dans des bases de données embarquées.The need to improve this GPWS first generation ground alert equipment was quickly felt. The path followed was to increase the information taken into account by the ground alert equipment on the ground ahead and on the sides of the foreseeable short-term trajectory of the aircraft by taking advantage of the advent of precise positioning systems such as satellite positioning systems and digitized relief maps stored in embedded databases.

Pour répondre à ce besoin d'amélioration, il est alors apparu une deuxième génération d'équipements d'alerte de proximité sol appelés TAWS (acronyme tiré de l'expression anglo-saxonne :"Terrain Awareness Waming System) remplissant en plus des fonctions GPWS habituelles, une fonction additionnelle d'alerte prédictive de risques de collision avec le relief et/ou des obstacles au sol dite FLTA (acronyme tiré de l'expression anglo-saxonne « predictive Forward-Looking Terrain collision Awareness and alerting) ou encore GCAS (acronyme tiré de l'expression anglo-saxonne : " Ground Collision Avoidance system") Cette fonction FLTA consiste à fournir, à l'équipage, des pré-alertes et alertes à chaque fois que la trajectoire prévisible à court terme de l'aéronef rencontre le relief et/ou un obstacle au sol afin qu'une manoeuvre d'évitement soit engagée.To respond to this need for improvement, a second generation of ground proximity warning devices called TAWS (an acronym for the "Terrain Awareness Waming System"), which also fulfilled GPWS functions, appeared. standard, an additional function of predictive warning of the risk of collision with terrain and / or ground obstacles known as FLTA (acronym derived from the English expression "predictive Forward-Looking Terrain collision Awareness and alerting) or GCAS (acronym derived from the English expression:" Ground Collision Avoidance system ") This function FLTA consists in providing the crew with pre-warnings and alerts whenever the foreseeable short-term trajectory of the aircraft meets the terrain and / or an obstacle on the ground so that an avoidance maneuver is initiated.

La trajectoire prévisible à court terme de l'aéronef est fournie par les équipements de navigation de l'aéronef à partir d'une mesure, dans les trois dimensions, de la position instantanée et du vecteur vitesse de l'aéronef donnés par un système de positionnement embarqué, typiquement : récepteur de positionnement par satellites et/ou centrale inertielle. Le relief et/ou les obstacles au sol font l'objet d'une représentation topographique extraite d'une base de données terrain et/ou obstacles, embarquée à bord de l'aéronef ou au sol mais accessible de l'aéronef par ses moyens de radiocommunication.The foreseeable short-term trajectory of the aircraft is provided by the navigation equipment of the aircraft from a measurement, in three dimensions, of the instantaneous position and the speed vector of the aircraft given by a flight system. embedded positioning, typically: satellite positioning receiver and / or inertial unit. The terrain and / or the obstacles on the ground are the subject of a topographic representation extracted from a terrain and / or obstacle database, on board the aircraft or on the ground but accessible from the aircraft by its means. radiocommunication.

La fonction FLTA détermine la trajectoire prévisible à court terme de l'aéronef à partir d'informations fournies par les équipements de navigation de l'aéronef, pour délimiter un ou plusieurs volumes de protection autour de la position et de la trajectoire courantes de l'aéronef et engendrer des alarmes de risque de collision avec le relief et/ou des obstacles au sol à chaque intrusion, dans ces volumes de protection, du relief et/ou d'obstacles au sol survolés, modélisés à partir d'une représentation topographique extraite de la base de données terrain et/ou obstacles.The FLTA function determines the short-term predictable trajectory of the aircraft from information provided by the navigation equipment of the aircraft, to delimit one or more protection volumes around the current position and trajectory of the aircraft. aircraft and generate alarms of risk of collision with terrain and / or obstacles on the ground at each intrusion, in these protective volumes, relief and / or ground obstacles overflown, modeled from an extracted topographic representation field database and / or obstacles.

Un volume de protection lié à l'aéronef est une partie de l'espace dans laquelle l'aéronef est susceptible d'évoluer dans un futur plus ou moins proche. Son importance et sa forme dépendent du délai recherché entre une alarme et la réalisation d'un risque de collision, et, dans une certaine mesure de la manoeuvrabilité de l'aéronef à l'instant considéré, c'est-à-dire des capacités d'évolution de l'aéronef qui sont liées à ses performances, au module et à la direction de sa vitesse air, et à son attitude de vol (vol en ligne droite ou en virage, etc..). Il est défini par ses parois inférieure et frontale et, éventuellement, latérales.A volume of protection related to the aircraft is part of the space in which the aircraft is likely to evolve in a more or less near future. Its importance and shape depend on the delay sought between an alarm and the occurrence of a collision risk, and to a certain extent on the maneuverability of the aircraft at the moment considered, that is to say evolution of the aircraft that are related to its performance, the module and the direction of its air speed, and its flight attitude (flying in a straight line or corner, etc. ..). It is defined by its lower and front walls and possibly laterally.

Lorsqu'un risque de collision est détecté par la fonction FLTA, il est habituel d'engendrer, à l'intention de l'équipage de l'aéronef, une pré-alarme suivie d'une alarme.When a collision risk is detected by the FLTA function, it is usual to generate, for the crew of the aircraft, a pre-alarm followed by an alarm.

Dans ce cas, la fonction FLTA fait appel à au moins deux volumes de protection dirigés vers l'avant selon la trajectoire future prédite et vers le dessous de l'aéronef. Un premier volume de protection, le plus distant de l'aéronef, est utilisé pour générer une pré-alarme tandis qu'un deuxième volume de protection plus proche de l'aéronef est utilisé pour générer une alarme.In this case, the FLTA function uses at least two protective volumes directed forwardly along the predicted future trajectory and towards the underside of the aircraft. A first protection volume, the most remote from the aircraft, is used to generate a pre-alarm while a second protection volume closer to the aircraft is used to generate an alarm.

La pré-alarme a pour but de donner conscience à l'équipage d'un risque à court terme de collision avec le terrain et/ou des obstacles sol afin qu'il en tienne compte dans le pilotage de l'aéronef. Elle est donnée suffisamment à l'avance pour que l'équipage puisse corriger sa trajectoire et se préparer à effectuer une éventuelle manoeuvre d'évitement. Elle consiste par exemple, en un avertissement sonore répétitif de type :"Cautton Terrain" doublé ou non d'une signalisation lumineuse et accompagnée ou non d'une symbologie spécifique sur un écran de visualisation (zone jaune par exemple) du cockpit.The purpose of the pre-alarm is to make the crew aware of a short-term risk of collision with the terrain and / or ground obstacles so that it can be taken into account when piloting the aircraft. It is given sufficiently in advance so that the crew can correct its trajectory and prepare to perform a possible avoidance maneuver. It consists for example, in a repetitive acoustic warning of the type: "Cautton Terrain" doubled or not a luminous signaling and accompanied or not of a specific symbology on a screen of visualization (yellow zone for example) of the cockpit.

L'alarme prévient l'équipage d'un risque à très court terme de collision avec le terrain et/ou des obstacles sol en lui conseillant fortement d'effectuer une manoeuvre immédiate d'évitement, en général de type «pull-up». C'est par exemple un avertissement sonore répétitif de type :" Terrain Terrain, Pull up" pouvant être également doublée d'une signalisation lumineuse et accompagnée ou non d'une symbologie spécifique sur un écran de visualisation (zone rouge par exemple) du cockpit. Quand une manoeuvre de type « Pull-up » n'est pas jugée faisable par le système, une autre alarme peut être émise (par exemple « Avoid Terrain »).The alarm warns the crew of a very short-term risk of collision with the terrain and / or ground obstacles by strongly advising them to carry out an immediate avoidance maneuver, usually of the "pull-up" type. This is for example a repetitive acoustic warning of the type: "Field Terrain, Pull up" which can be also doubled of a luminous signaling and accompanied or not of a specific symbology on a screen of visualization (red zone for example) of the cockpit . When a pull-up maneuver is not considered feasible by the system, another alarm may be issued (eg "Avoid Terrain").

Lorsque le risque à court terme ou très court terme de collision avec le terrain et/ou avec des obstacles au sol ayant motivé une pré-alarme ou une alarme disparaît notamment en raison de l'exécution d'une manoeuvre d'évitement appropriée, la pré-alarme ou l'alarme est levée et les avertissements sonores et/ou lumineux supprimés.When the short-term or very short-term risk of a collision with the ground and / or with ground obstacles causing a pre-alarm or alarm disappears, in particular because of the execution of an appropriate avoidance maneuver, the pre-alarm or the alarm is raised and the audible and / or light warnings removed.

Un tel dispositif fait l'objet des brevets français FR 2 689 668, FR 2 747 492, FR 2 773 609, FR 2 813 963 et des brevets américains correspondants US 5 488 563, US 5 638 282, US 6 088 654.Such a device is the subject of French patents FR 2 689 668, FR 2 747 492, FR 2 773 609, FR 2 813 963 and corresponding US patents US 5 488 563, US 5 638 282, US 6 088 654.

Souvent, la fonction FLTA est associée un dispositif d'affichage des risques de collision terrain affichant sur un ou des écrans installés à bord une image représentant en deux dimensions une enveloppe du terrain et/ou des obstacles survolés en mettant en évidence les risques de collision, avec leurs importances relatives, que font encourir les différents terrain et/ou obstacles à portée de l'aéronef.Often, the FLTA function is associated with a terrain collision warning device displaying on an on-board screen or screens an image representing in two dimensions an envelope of the terrain and / or obstacles overflown by highlighting the risks of collision. , with their relative importance, that are incurred by the various terrain and / or obstacles within range of the aircraft.

Un tel dispositif de visualisation a fait l'objet du brevet français FR 2 773 609 et du brevet américain US 6 088 654 lui correspondant qui ont déjà étaient cités.Such a display device has been the subject of French patent FR 2 773 609 and US patent US 6 088 654 corresponding to it which have already been cited.

Les équipements anticollision sol actuellement connus, s'ils permettent de détecter les risques de collision sol et de les prévenir par une manoeuvre d'évitement appropriée, ne permettent cependant pas de connaître avec précision l'instant à partir duquel une manoeuvre d'évitement de terrain et/ou d'obstacles au sol entamée de manière appropriée pour traiter un risque de collision avec le terrain et/ou des obstacles au sol, peut être terminée et à partir duquel la reprise d'un vol normal peut être envisagée. En effet, la pré-alarme ou l'alarme s'arrête dès que le risque à court terme ou très court terme de collision avec le terrain et/ou avec des obstacles au sol l'ayant motivé disparaît notamment en raison de l'exécution d'une manoeuvre d'évitement appropriée écartant suffisamment la trajectoire prévue à court terme pour l'aéronef, du terrain et/ou des obstacles au sol survolés, ce qui peut se produire alors que l'aéronef est en montée, sans avoir encore atteint l'altitude de sécurité prévue pour le lieu considéré.The currently known ground collision avoidance equipment, if they make it possible to detect the risks of ground collision and to prevent them by an appropriate avoidance maneuver, do not however make it possible to know with precision the moment from which a maneuver of avoidance of terrain and / or ground obstacles appropriately initiated to deal with a risk of collision with the ground and / or obstacles on the ground, may be completed and from which resumption of a normal flight may be considered. Indeed, the pre-alarm or the alarm stops as soon as the short-term or very short-term risk of collision with the ground and / or ground obstacles that motivated it disappears, in particular because of the execution an appropriate avoidance maneuver sufficiently clearing the intended short-term flight path for the aircraft, terrain and / or overflighted ground obstructions, which may occur while the aircraft is climbing, without having yet reached the security altitude planned for the location.

L'affichage cartographique des équipements anticollision sol actuels ne renseigne pas non plus clairement sur l'instant où un risque de collision sol est effectivement résolu sauf s'il utilise comme altitude de référence d'altitude d'affichage une altitude liée à l'altitude instantanée de l'aéronef.The cartographic display of current ground-level collision avoidance equipment also does not clearly indicate when a risk of a ground collision is actually resolved unless it uses an altitude-related altitude as altitude reference altitude. instantaneous aircraft.

Comme il ne reçoit pas de signal de fin de manoeuvre d'évitement de la part de l'équipement d'alerte de risques de collision de terrain et/ou d'obstacles au sol, l'équipage d'un aéronef attend d'être nettement au-dessus de l'altitude de sécurité fixée pour la zone survolée pour mettre fin à une manoeuvre d'évitement de terrain et/ou d'obstacles au sol, ce qui concourt à prolonger le temps de vol.Since the crew of an aircraft is not receiving an end-of-avoidance warning signal from the terrain collision hazard warning equipment and / or ground obstacle warning equipment, well above the safety altitude set for the overflown area to end a terrain avoidance maneuver and / or ground obstacles, which contributes to prolonging the flight time.

La présente invention a pour but de pallier l'inconvénient précité en donnant à l'équipage une indication claire de l'instant à partir duquel le conflit de terrain peut être considéré comme résolu et la manoeuvre d'évitement peut être terminée, cela par le moyen d'annonces appropriées, aurales et/ou visuelles et/ou par une visualisation appropriée sur un ou plusieurs écran de bord donnant une représentation du terrain et/ou des obstacles survolés.The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawback by giving the crew a clear indication of the moment from which the ground conflict can be considered resolved and the avoidance maneuver can be completed, this by the means of appropriate, aural and / or visual announcements and / or by an appropriate visualization on one or more on-board screens giving a representation of the terrain and / or obstacles overflown.

La présente invention a pour objet un équipement anticollision terrain embarqué à bord d'aéronef, comportant des moyens de détermination d'au moins une enveloppe virtuelle de protection d'évolution de l'aéronef construite autour de la trajectoire de l'aéronef prédite à court terme et délimitant un volume de protection autour de la position et de la trajectoire courantes de l'aéronef, des moyens de détection des intrusions, dans la ou lesdites enveloppes virtuelles de protection d'évolution, d'une représentation d'une enveloppe du terrain et/ou des obstacles au sol survolés mémorisée dans une base de données embarquée ou au sol, et des moyens d'alarme déclenchés par les moyens de détection d'intrusion. Cet équipement anticollision terrain est remarquable en ce que, après détection d'un risque de collision sol, ses moyens de détermination d'enveloppes virtuelles de protection fournissent, en plus des enveloppes virtuelles de protection d'évolution, au moins une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route, construite autour d'une trajectoire fictive de reprise de route, en ce que ses moyens de détection d'intrusion détectent les intrusions du terrain et/ou des obstacles sol à la fois dans la ou les enveloppes virtuelles de protection d'évolution et dans la ou les enveloppes virtuelles de protection de reprise de route et en ce que ses moyens d'alarmes engendrent une indication signalant la possibilité de mettre fin à une manoeuvre d'évitement dès que les moyens de détection d'intrusion ne constatent plus d'intrusion du terrain et/ou des obstacles au sol dans la ou les enveloppes virtuelles de protection de reprise de route.The subject of the present invention is an equipment for collision avoidance on board an aircraft, comprising means for determining at least one virtual envelope of protection of evolution of the aircraft built around the trajectory of the aircraft predicted in the short term and delimiting a protection volume around the current position and trajectory of the aircraft, means for detecting intrusions, in the virtual envelope or envelopes of evolution protection, a representation of a field envelope and / or overflown ground obstacles stored in an on-board database or on the ground, and alarm means triggered by the intrusion detection means. This field anti-collision equipment is remarkable in that, after detection of a risk of ground collision, its means of determination of virtual protection envelopes provide, in addition to the evolution protection virtual envelopes, at least one virtual protection envelope. recovery device, built around a fictitious road recovery path, in that its intrusion detection means detect ground intrusions and / or ground obstacles both in the virtual protection envelope or envelopes. evolution and in the virtual envelopes or protection of recovery of road and in that its means of alarms generate an indication signaling the possibility of ending an evasive maneuver as soon as the intrusion detection means do not find more intrusion of the ground and / or ground obstacles in the virtual envelope or protection of recovery of road.

Avantageusement, la trajectoire fictive de reprise de route est une trajectoire horizontale.Advantageously, the fictitious trajectory of recovery of road is a horizontal trajectory.

Avantageusement, la trajectoire fictive de reprise de route est une trajectoire ayant pour pente, une pente horizontale si la trajectoire instantanée de l'aéronef est en montée ou en palier, et une pente fonction de la trajectoire instantanée de l'aéronef si l'aéronef est en descente.Advantageously, the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory having a slope, a horizontal slope if the instantaneous trajectory of the aircraft is up or down, and a slope depending on the instantaneous trajectory of the aircraft if the aircraft is downhill.

Avantageusement, la trajectoire fictive de reprise de route est une trajectoire ayant pour pente, une pente fonction de la trajectoire instantanée de l'aéronef.Advantageously, the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory having for slope, a slope depending on the instantaneous trajectory of the aircraft.

Avantageusement, la trajectoire fictive de reprise de route est une trajectoire ayant pour pente, une pente fonction de la trajectoire de l'aéronef au moment de la détection du risque de collision terrain.Advantageously, the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory having for slope, a slope depending on the trajectory of the aircraft at the time of detection of the risk of ground collision.

Avantageusement, la trajectoire fictive de reprise de route est une trajectoire ayant pour pente, une pente fonction de la trajectoire de l'aéronef au moment de la détection du risque de collision terrain, si celui-ci était en descente, et une trajectoire horizontale si celui-ci était en vol horizontal ou.en montée au moment de la détection du risque de collision terrain.Advantageously, the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory having a slope, a slope depending on the trajectory of the aircraft at the time of detection of the risk of terrain collision, if it was downhill, and a horizontal trajectory if it was in horizontal flight or uphill at the time of detection of the risk of ground collision.

Avantageusement, la trajectoire fictive de reprise de route est une trajectoire ayant pour cap, le cap instantané de l'aéronef.Advantageously, the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory whose course is the instantaneous heading of the aircraft.

Avantageusement, la trajectoire fictive de reprise de route est une trajectoire ayant pour cap et pente; ceux de la trajectoire de l'aéronef au moment de la détection du risque de collision terrain.Advantageously, the fictitious road recovery trajectory is a trajectory having course and slope; those of the trajectory of the aircraft at the time of detection of the risk of ground collision.

Avantageusement, les limites de la ou des enveloppes virtuelles de protection sont définies par une surface dite palpeur dont la rencontre avec la représentation d'une enveloppe du terrain et/ou des obstacles au sol extraite des informations de la base de données est assimilée à une intrusion du terrain et/ou des obstacles au sol dans l'enveloppe virtuelle de protection correspondante.Advantageously, the limits of the virtual envelope or envelopes of protection are defined by a so-called probe surface whose encounter with the representation of an envelope of the ground and / or obstacles on the ground extracted from the information of the database is assimilated to a intrusion of the ground and / or ground obstacles into the corresponding virtual protection envelope.

Avantageusement, quelle que soit l'attitude instantanée de l'aéronef (montée, vol en palier, descente), la projection à l'horizontale d'un palpeur d'enveloppe virtuelle de protection d'évolution est adoptée comme palpeur d'une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route.Advantageously, irrespective of the instantaneous attitude of the aircraft (climb, level flight, descent), the horizontal projection of a virtual evolution protection envelope probe is adopted as the probe of an envelope. virtual route recovery protection.

Avantageusement, lorsque l'attitude instantanée de l'aéronef est une montée ou un vol en palier, la projection à l'horizontale d'un palpeur d'enveloppe virtuelle de protection d'évolution est adoptée comme palpeur d'une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route.Advantageously, when the instantaneous attitude of the aircraft is a climb or a level flight, the horizontal projection of a virtual protection envelope probe evolution is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection road recovery.

Avantageusement, lorsque l'attitude instantanée de l'aéronef est une descente, la projection selon un plan incliné fonction de la pente de descente instantanée de l'aéronef d'un palpeur d'enveloppe virtuelle de protection d'évolution est adoptée comme palpeur d'une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route.Advantageously, when the instantaneous attitude of the aircraft is a descent, the projection along an inclined plane, which is a function of the instantaneous descent slope of the aircraft, of a virtual evolution protection envelope probe is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection of recovery of road.

Avantageusement, lorsque l'attitude instantanée de l'aéronef est une descente, la projection, selon un plan incliné fonction de la pente de descente instantanée de l'aéronef, d'un palpeur d'enveloppe virtuelle de protection d'évolution pendant une certaine distance ou temps de vol puis , selon l'horizontale, est adoptée comme palpeur d'une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route.Advantageously, when the instantaneous attitude of the aircraft is a descent, the projection, according to a plane inclined according to the instantaneous descent slope of the aircraft, of a virtual envelope protector of evolution protection during a certain distance or time of flight then, according to the horizontal, is adopted as probe of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of road.

Avantageusement, lorsque l'équipement anticollision terrain est pourvu d'un écran de visualisation affichant une représentation des couches de terrain et/ou des risques de collision avec le terrain et/ou les obstacles survolés, la projection, selon deux plans, adoptée comme palpeur d'une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route est réalisée de façon cohérente avec celle utilisée sur l'écran pour la représentation des couches de terrain et/ou des risques de collision avec le terrain et/ou les obstacles survolés.Advantageously, when the terrain anti-collision equipment is provided with a display screen displaying a representation of the terrain layers and / or the risk of collision with the terrain and / or obstacles overflown, the projection, in two planes, adopted as a probe a virtual envelope of protection of recovery of road is carried out in a coherent way with that used on the screen for the representation of the layers of ground and / or the risks of collision with the ground and / or the obstacles overflown.

Avantageusement, lorsque l'aéronef était en montée ou en palier au moment de la détection d'un risque de collision terrain, la projection à l'horizontale d'un palpeur d'enveloppe virtuelle de protection d'évolution est adoptée comme palpeur d'une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route.Advantageously, when the aircraft was climbing or leveling at the time of detection of a risk of ground collision, the projection at the horizontal of a virtual evolution protection envelope probe is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection of recovery of road.

Avantageusement, lorsque l'aéronef était en descente au moment de la détection d'un risque de collision terrain, la projection selon un plan incliné fonction de la pente de descente de l'aéronef au moment de la détection du risque de collision terrain, d'un palpeur d'enveloppe virtuelle de protection d'évolution est adoptée comme palpeur d'une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route.Advantageously, when the aircraft was downhill at the time of detection of a risk of ground collision, the projection according to an inclined plane function of the descent slope of the aircraft at the time of detection of the risk of terrain collision, d an evolution protection virtual envelope probe is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection of recovery of road.

Avantageusement, lorsque les moyens de détermination d'enveloppe virtuelle de protection engendrent deux enveloppes virtuelles de protection d'évolution, la plus distante, pour une pré-alarme de collision terrain et la plus proche pour une alarme de collision terrain, la réunion des projections à l'horizontale des palpeurs des deux enveloppes virtuelles de protection d'évolution est adoptée comme palpeur d'une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route.Advantageously, when the protection virtual envelope determination means generate two virtual evolution protection envelopes, the most distant, for a terrain collision pre-alarm and the closest one for a terrain collision alarm, the projection meeting horizontally the probes of the two virtual envelopes of evolution protection is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection of road recovery.

Avantageusement, lorsque les moyens de détermination d'enveloppe virtuelle de protection engendrent deux enveloppes virtuelles de protection d'évolution, la plus distante pour une pré-alarme de collision terrain et la plus proche pour une alarme de collision terrain, la réunion des projections selon un plan incliné ayant la pente de descente de l'aéronef au moment de la détection du risque de collision terrain, des palpeurs des deux enveloppes virtuelles de protection d'évolution est adoptée comme palpeur d'une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route.Advantageously, when the means for determining the virtual protection envelope generate two virtual evolution protection envelopes, the most distant for a terrain collision pre-alarm and the closest one for a terrain collision alarm, the meeting of projections according to an inclined plane having the descent slope of the aircraft at the time of detection of the risk of ground collision, probes of the two virtual envelope evolution protection is adopted as a probe of a virtual envelope of protection of recovery of course.

Avantageusement, l'indication signalant la possibilité de mettre fin à une manoeuvre d'évitement est donnée momentanément sous forme aurale et/ou visuelle.Advantageously, the indication signaling the possibility of terminating an avoidance maneuver is momentarily given in aural and / or visual form.

Avantageusement, l'équipement anticollision terrain engendre une indication de maintien de la manoeuvre d'évitement sous forme aurale et/ou visuelle, à la disparition d'une l'alerte terrain et ce jusqu'à ce qu'aucun risque de collision ne soit détecté par l'enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route.Advantageously, the terrain collision avoidance equipment generates an indication of the maintenance of the avoidance maneuver in aural and / or visual form, at the disappearance of a ground alert and this until no risk collision is detected by the virtual recovery protection virtual envelope.

Avantageusement la distance verticale sous l'aéronef à laquelle est placée l'enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route est prise égale à celle utilisé pour l'une des enveloppes virtuelles de protection d'évolution.Advantageously, the vertical distance under the aircraft to which is placed the virtual envelope of protection of recovery of road is taken equal to that used for one of the virtual envelopes of protection of evolution.

Avantageusement, lorsque l'équipement anticollision terrain est pourvu d'un écran de visualisation affichant une représentation des couches de terrain et/ou des risques de collision avec le terrain et/ou les obstacles survolés, la distance verticale sous l'aéronef à laquelle est placée une enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route est prise cohérente avec celle utilisée sur l'écran pour la représentation des couches de terrain et/ou de risques de collision avec le terrain et/ou les obstacles survolés.Advantageously, when the terrain collision avoidance equipment is provided with a display screen displaying a representation of the terrain layers and / or the risk of collision with the terrain and / or the obstacles overflown, the vertical distance under the aircraft to which is placed a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of course is taken coherent with that used on the screen for the representation of the layers of ground and / or risks of collision with the ground and / or the obstacles overflown.

D'autres caractéristiques et avantages de l'invention ressortiront de la description ci-après d'un mode de réalisation donné à titre d'exemple. Cette description sera faite en regard du dessin dans lequel :

  • une figure 1 est un schéma de principe d'un équipement anticollision terrain embarqué à bord d'un aéronef en vue de sécuriser son pilotage,
  • des figures 2 à 4 sont des vues, essentiellement dans le plan vertical, montrant différentes phases d'un évitement de terrain mené par un aéronef sous le contrôle d'un équipement anticollision terrain selon l'invention, et
  • des figures 5, 6 et 7 sont des schémas illustrant des choix possibles de palpeur d'enveloppe virtuelle de protection de reprise de route.
Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description of an embodiment given by way of example. This description will be made with reference to the drawing in which:
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an on-board ground collision avoidance equipment for securing its piloting,
  • FIGS. 2 to 4 are views, essentially in the vertical plane, showing different phases of terrain avoidance conducted by an aircraft under the control of terrain collision avoidance equipment according to the invention, and
  • FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are diagrams illustrating possible choices of virtual recovery protection envelope protector.

La figure 1 montre un équipement d'anticollision terrain 1 dans son environnement fonctionnel à bord d'un aéronef. L'équipement anticollision terrain se compose essentiellement d'un calculateur 2 associé à une base de données cartographiques 3. La base de données cartographiques représentée 3 est embarquée à bord de l'aéronef mais elle pourrait tout aussi bien être au sol et accessible de l'aéronef par radiotransmission. Le calculateur 2 peut être un calculateur spécifique à l'équipement anticollision terrain ou un calculateur partagé avec d'autres tâches comme la gestion de vol ou le pilote automatique. En ce qui concerne l'anticollision terrain, il reçoit des équipements de navigation 4 de l'aéronef les principaux paramètres de vol dont la position de l'aéronef en latitude; longitude et altitude et la direction et l'amplitude de son vecteur vitesse. A partir de ces paramètres de vol, il détermine à chaque instant, au moins deux volumes de protection d'évolution dirigés vers l'avant selon une trajectoire future prédite et vers le dessous de l'aéronef, et recherche si ces volumes de protection entrent en contact avec le terrain et/ou les obstacles au sol survolés par comparaison de ces volumes de protection d'évolution avec une représentation du terrain et/ou des obstacles au sol survolés tirée de la base de données cartographiques 3, tout contact étant considéré comme un risque de collision avec du terrain et/ou des obstacles au sol. Il émet une pré-alarme 5 dès que le plus distant des volumes de protection est touché et une alarme si le plus proche des volumes de protection est également touché, et accompagne l'alarme, de la raison de l'alarme et éventuellement d'une indication sur la consigne d'évitement qui convient.Figure 1 shows a terrain anticollision equipment 1 in its functional environment on board an aircraft. The terrain anti-collision equipment essentially consists of a computer 2 associated with a cartographic database 3. The cartographic database represented 3 is on board the aircraft but it could equally well well being on the ground and accessible from the aircraft by radio transmission. The computer 2 may be a calculator specific to terrain collision avoidance equipment or a computer shared with other tasks such as flight management or autopilot. With regard to the anti-collision field, it receives navigation equipment 4 of the aircraft the main flight parameters including the position of the aircraft in latitude; longitude and altitude and the direction and amplitude of its velocity vector. From these flight parameters, it determines at each moment, at least two evolution protection volumes directed forwardly along a predicted future trajectory and towards the underside of the aircraft, and investigates whether these protection volumes enter in contact with the terrain and / or the ground obstacles overflown by comparison of these evolution protection volumes with a representation of the terrain and / or overflown ground obstacles derived from the cartographic database 3, any contact being considered as a risk of collision with terrain and / or ground obstacles. It emits a pre-alarm 5 as soon as the most remote of the protection volumes is touched and an alarm if the closest of the protection volumes is also touched, and accompanies the alarm, the reason of the alarm and possibly of an indication of the appropriate avoidance instruction.

Par ailleurs, pour fournir à l'équipage de l'aéronef, une vision de la situation de l'aéronef par rapport au terrain et aux obstacles survolés, et, éventuellement, lui faciliter l'évaluation et la résolution des risques de collision terrain, l'équipement anticollision terrain 1 peut faire afficher sur un écran 6 du cockpit, une carte du terrain survolé faisant ressortir les zones de terrain menaçantes. Cette carte, généralement en deux dimensions, est constituée d'une représentation par courbes de niveau 7 du terrain survolé avec des fausses couleurs et/ou différentes textures et/ou symboles matérialisant l'ampleur du risque de collision correspondant à chaque tranche de terrain.Moreover, to provide the crew of the aircraft with a vision of the aircraft's situation with respect to the terrain and overflown obstacles, and possibly to facilitate the evaluation and the resolution of the risks of ground collision, the terrain collision avoidance equipment 1 can display on a screen 6 of the cockpit, a map of the terrain overflown highlighting the threatening terrain areas. This map, generally in two dimensions, consists of a contour 7 representation of the terrain overflown with false colors and / or different textures and / or symbols materializing the magnitude of the collision risk corresponding to each slice of terrain.

Un volume de protection lié à l'aéronef délimite une partie de l'espace dans laquelle l'aéronef doit pouvoir évoluer dans un futur plus ou moins proche sans risque de collision terrain. Son importance et sa forme dépendent du délai recherché entre une alarme et la réalisation d'un risque de collision, et, dans une certaine mesure, de la manoeuvrabilité de l'aéronef à l'instant considéré, c'est-à-dire des capacités d'évolution de l'aéronef qui sont liées à ses performances, à l'amplitude et à la direction de sa vitesse air, et à son attitude de vol (vol en ligne droite ou en virage, etc..). Il est défini par une enveloppe virtuelle sans réalité physique, dont les seules parties inférieure et frontale et éventuellement latérales sont considérées.A protection volume linked to the aircraft delimits a part of the space in which the aircraft must be able to evolve in a more or less near future without risk of ground collision. Its importance and shape depend on the delay sought between an alarm and the occurrence of a collision risk, and to a certain extent on the maneuverability of the aircraft at the moment considered, that is to say evolution capabilities of the aircraft that are related to its performance, the amplitude and direction of its airspeed, and its attitude of flight (flight in a straight line or corner, etc.). It is defined by a virtual envelope without physical reality, of which only the lower and frontal and possibly lateral parts are considered.

Les parties inférieure et frontale d'un volume de protection sont habituellement assimilées à une bande, d'axe transversal horizontal, suivant avec un certain décalage vertical fonction de la marge minimum de survol pour la situation considérée, la trajectoire qui serait suivie par l'aéronef dans le cas où son équipage viendrait à être averti d'un risque de collision terrain et lui ferait adopter, au bout d'un temps normal de réaction agrémenté d'une marge de sécurité plus ou moins longue, une trajectoire d'évitement en montée, avec une pente voisine du maximum de ses possibilités du moment. Cette bande va en s'élargissant pour tenir compte de l'incertitude de plus en plus grande sur la position prévisible de l'aéronef au fur et à mesure de l'augmentation du délai de prévision et s'ouvre sur le coté en cas de virage en fonction du taux de virage. Elle commence par se diriger dans la direction du déplacement de l'aéronef, puis s'incurve vers le haut jusqu'à adopter une pente de montée correspondant au maximum des possibilités de montée de l'aéronef. Elle sert de palpeur car c'est son franchissement par le terrain et/ou les obstacles au sol qui sert de critère pour décider de la pénétration du terrain et/ou des obstacles au sol dans la volume de protection et admettre l'existence d'un risque de collision.The lower and frontal parts of a protective volume are usually assimilated to a band, of horizontal transverse axis, following with a certain vertical offset depending on the minimum overflight margin for the situation considered, the trajectory that would be followed by the aircraft in the event that his crew comes to be warned of a risk of ground collision and would make him adopt, after a normal reaction time with a margin of safety more or less long, a course of avoidance in climb, with a slope close to the maximum of its possibilities of the moment. This band widens to take into account the increasing uncertainty about the aircraft's predictable position as the forecasting time increases and opens on the side in case of turn according to the rate of turn. It begins to move in the direction of movement of the aircraft, then bends upward to adopt a climb slope corresponding to the maximum climbing possibilities of the aircraft. It serves as a probe because it is its crossing by the ground and / or the obstacles on the ground which serves as criterion to decide the penetration of the ground and / or the obstacles on the ground in the volume of protection and to admit the existence of a risk of collision.

Sur la figure 2, un aéronef A se déplace, en descente, à un instant t1 et dans une direction D, au-dessus d'un terrain de profil vertical R. Cet aéronef A est pourvu d'un équipement anticollision terrain qui met en oeuvre deux volumes de protection d'évolution: un volume de protection distant utilisé pour des pré-alarmes donc pour la détection de risques de collision terrain à court terme et correspondant à un premier palpeur C, et un volume de protection proche utilisé pour des alarmes donc pour la détection de risque de collision terrain à très court terme et correspondant à un deuxième palpeur W. Les deux palpeurs C et W utilisés pour les pré-alarmes et les alarmes modélisent des évitements du relief par le haut entamés à des instants t1+Tpa et t1+Ta et nécessitant un temps de mise en oeuvre Tm. La détection des risques de collision terrain à court terme implique de prévoir la manoeuvre d'évitement par le haut au bout d'un délai plus grand que la détection des risques de collision terrain à très court terme, ce qui se traduit par un décalage du palpeur C par rapport au palpeur W selon la trajectoire future prédite. Comme elle repose sur une prévision à plus long terme de la position dé l'aéronef; elle est moins fiable. Pour lui, conserver néanmoins la même sûreté de détection son palpeur C est également décalé vers le bas par rapport au palpeur W.In FIG. 2, an aircraft A moves downhill at a time t1 and in a direction D above a vertical profile terrain R. This aircraft A is provided with a terrain anti-collision equipment which works two volumes of evolution protection: a remote protection volume used for pre-alarms so for the detection of short-term ground collision risks and corresponding to a first probe C, and a close protection volume used for alarms therefore for the detection of a very short-term ground collision risk and corresponding to a second probe W. The two probes C and W used for pre-alarms and alarms model top-down reliefs initiated at times t1 + Tpa and t1 + Ta and requiring a time of implementation Tm. The detection of the risks of short-term ground collision implies to provide the avoidance maneuver from above at the end of a time greater than the detection of the risks of ground collision in the very short term, which results in a shift of the probe C compared to the probe W according to the predicted future trajectory. As it is based on a longer term forecast of the position of the aircraft; it is less reliable. For him, however, to preserve the same safety of detection his probe C is also shifted downwards compared to the probe W.

Dans la situation représentée à la figure 2, l'équipement d'anticollision de l'aéronef A détecte une pénétration du terrain au travers de son palpeur C à l'instant t1 et engendre en conséquence, une pré-alarme de risque de collision terrain. Cette pré-alarme alerte l'équipage de l'aéronef A du risque que lui fait courir sa trajectoire de descente.In the situation represented in FIG. 2, the collision avoidance equipment of the aircraft A detects a penetration of the ground through its probe C at time t1 and consequently generates a pre-alarm for the risk of a ground collision. . This pre-alarm alerts the crew of the aircraft A risk that makes him run his descent path.

Arrivé au point MW, l'équipement anticollision terrain de l'aéronef A engendre une alarme de risque de collision terrain car l'enveloppe de protection la plus proche adoptée EW rencontre une surface MTCD recouvrant le relief R et correspondant à une marge minimum de sécurité retenue pour tenir compte des imprécisions de la base des données cartographiques 3 et/ou de la position verticale de l'avion fournie par les senseurs de bord, et d'une hauteur minimum de survol pour assurer la sécurité.Arrived at the point MW, the collision avoidance equipment of the aircraft A generates a terrain collision risk alarm because the closest protective envelope adopted EW meets a surface MTCD covering the relief R and corresponding to a minimum safety margin selected to take into account inaccuracies in the map database 3 and / or the vertical position of the aircraft provided by the on-board sensors, and a minimum overflight height to ensure safety.

Cette alarme de collision terrain conduit l'équipage de l'aéronef à arrêter la descente et à entamer sans délai une trajectoire d'évitement TE consistant en une remontée à une altitude de sécurité au-dessus des points haut du relief survolé.This terrain collision alarm leads the crew of the aircraft to stop the descent and start without delay an avoidance trajectory TE consisting of a climb to a safe altitude above the high points of the terrain overflown.

La figure 3 montre situation de l'aéronef A à un instant ultérieur t2 alors qu'il entame une remontée pour éliminer le risque de collision terrain signalé par l'alarme de son équipement anticollision terrain. Les palpeurs C et W ont pris la nouvelle direction en montée de l'aéronef A et se sont redressés puisque l'aéronef A est proche du maximum de ses possibilités de montée. Ils ne rencontrent plus la surface MTCD recouvrant le terrain R de sorte que l'équipement anticollision terrain de l'aéronef A a fait cesser l'alarme de collision terrain. L'arrêt de l'alarme (aurale et lumineuse le cas échéant) informe l'équipage de la bonne efficacité de la manoeuvre d'évitement par le haut en cours mais ne le renseigne pas sur la possibilité ou non de reprendre la trajectoire de descente qu'il suivait avant l'avènement de l'alarme de collision terrain. Pour combler cette lacune, l'équipement anticollision terrain proposé prévoit au moins un troisième volume de protection dit de reprise de route, basé sur la position instantanée de l'aéronef A, ici en t2, et sur une prévision de déplacement fictif allant dans le sens de la reprise de la trajectoire suivie au moment da la détection du risque avec le terrain (pré-alerte ou alerte). Dans le cas présent, le volume de protection de reprise de route est basé sur une prévision de déplacement fictif reprenant le cap instantané de l'aéronef A et sa pente de descente initiale, et correspond au palpeur L. Ce palpeur L rencontre la surface MTCD recouvrant le terrain R signifiant que la manoeuvre d'évitement par le haut en cours de réalisation doit être poursuivie avant que le risque de collision terrain puisse être considéré comme résolu.Figure 3 shows the situation of the aircraft A at a later time t2 while it starts a recovery to eliminate the risk of ground collision reported by the alarm of his equipment collision avoidance field. Sensors C and W took the new upward direction of the aircraft A and recovered because the aircraft A is close to the maximum of its climbing possibilities. They no longer meet the MTCD surface covering the terrain R so that the terrain collision avoidance equipment of the aircraft A has stopped the ground collision alarm. The stop of the alarm (aural and luminous if necessary) informs the crew of the good efficiency of the avoidance maneuver by the current top but does not inform it on the possibility or not to resume the trajectory of descent that he followed before the advent of the terrain collision alarm. To fill this gap, the proposed terrain collision avoidance equipment provides at least a third volume of so-called road recovery protection, based on the instantaneous position of the aircraft A, here in t2, and on a fictitious displacement forecast going into the direction of the resumption of the trajectory followed at the time of the detection of the risk with the field (pre-alert or alert). In the present case, the recovery protection volume is based on a fictitious displacement prediction taking the instantaneous heading of the aircraft A and its initial descent slope, and corresponds to the probe L. This probe L meets the surface MTCD covering the terrain R signifying that the top-down avoidance maneuver in progress must be continued before the risk of ground collision can be considered as resolved.

Dès que le palpeur L correspondant au volume de protection de reprise de route est libéré de toute emprise de la surface MTCD recouvrant le terrain R, l'équipement d'anticollision terrain émet, à l'attention de l'équipage, un constat de résolution du risque de collision terrain, signifiant la possibilité de reprendre la route initialement suivie. Ce constat peut prendre la forme soit de l'arrêt d'une consigne aurale et/ou lumineuse de poursuite de la manoeuvre d'évitement (telle que « continuer montée ») qui a été initiée depuis l'arrêt de l'alarme, soit de la génération momentanée d'une consigne aurale et/ou lumineuse de fin possible de la manoeuvre d'évitement.As soon as the probe L corresponding to the reclaim protection volume is released from any right-of-way of the MTCD surface covering the terrain R, the terrain anticollision equipment emits, for the attention of the crew, a finding of resolution the risk of ground collision, meaning the possibility of resuming the route initially followed. This observation can take the form of either stopping an aural and / or luminous instruction to continue the avoidance maneuver (such as "continue climb") that has been initiated since the alarm was stopped, or the momentary generation of a set of aural and / or luminous possible end of the avoidance maneuver.

La figure 4 montre situation de l'aéronef A à un instant postérieur t3 alors qu'il poursuit sa manoeuvre d'évitement par le haut entamée pour éliminer le risque de collision terrain signalé par l'alarme de son équipement anticollision terrain. Les palpeurs C et W restent orientés en montée sans rencontrer le terrain R de sorte que l'équipement anticollision terrain de l'aéronef A n'émet ni pré-alarme, ni alarme. Dès que le palpeur L correspondant au volume de protection de reprise de route ne rencontre plus la surface MTCD recouvrant le terrain R signifiant que la manoeuvre d'évitement par le haut en cours de réalisation peut être arrêtée et une trajectoire horizontale ou avantageusement la trajectoire initiale de descente reprise sans risque de collision à court terme avec du terrain et/ou des obstacles, l'équipement d'anticollision terrain émet, à l'attention de l'équipage, un constat de résolution du risque de collision terrain, signifiant la possibilité de reprendre la route initialement suivie. Comme indiqué précédemment, ce constat peut prendre la forme soit de l'arrêt d'une consigne aurale et/ou lumineuse de poursuite de la manoeuvre d'évitement (telle que « continuer montée ») qui a été initiée depuis l'arrêt de l'alarme, soit de la génération momentanée d'une consigne aurale et/ou lumineuse de fin possible de la manoeuvre d'évitement.FIG. 4 shows the situation of the aircraft A at a later instant t3 while continuing its top-down avoidance maneuver to eliminate the risk of a terrain collision signaled by the alarm of its terrain anti-collision equipment. Probes C and W remain upwardly facing without encountering the terrain R so that the terrain collision avoidance equipment of the aircraft A does not emit a pre-alarm or an alarm. As soon as the feeler L corresponding to the reclaim protection volume of the road no longer meets the surface MTCD covering the terrain R signifying that the avoidance maneuver from the top in progress can be stopped and a horizontal trajectory or advantageously the initial trajectory of descent recovery without risk of short-term collision with terrain and / or obstacles, the equipment of anticollision ground emits, for the attention of the crew, a statement of resolution of the risk of collision on ground, meaning the possibility to resume the route initially followed. As indicated previously, this observation can take the form either of the stop of an aural and / or luminous instruction of continuation of the avoidance maneuver (such as "continue climb") which was initiated since the stop of the alarm or of the momentary generation of an aural and / or luminous set-point of possible end of the avoidance maneuver.

La façon dont sont obtenus les paramètres de vol par les équipements de navigation 4 de l'aéronef ainsi que les traitements faits par le calculateur 2 sur les paramètres de vol et sur les éléments de la base de données cartographique 3 pour engendrer les pré-alarmes, les alarmes, les consignes d'évitement de terrain ainsi que pour éventuellement afficher une carte en fausses couleurs, par courbes de niveau du terrain survolé, ne seront pas détaillés pour ne pas alourdir la description. Pour des précisions à leur sujet, on se rapportera utilement aux brevets précédemment cités (les brevets français FR 2 689 668, FR 2 747 492, FR 2 773 609, FR 2 813 963 et les brevets américains US 5 488 563, US 5 638 282, US 6 088 654, US 6 317 663).The way in which the flight parameters are obtained by the navigation equipment 4 of the aircraft as well as the processing done by the computer 2 on the flight parameters and on the elements of the cartographic database 3 to generate the pre-alarms , alarms, land avoidance instructions as well as to possibly display a map in false colors, by contour of the terrain overflown, will not be detailed not to weigh down the description. For details about them, it will be useful to refer to the aforementioned patents (French patents FR 2,689,668, FR 2,747,492, FR 2,773,609, FR 2,813,963 and US patents US 5,488,563, US 5,638 282, US 6,088,654, US 6,317,663).

Comme pour la détection des risques de collision terrain, il peut y avoir plusieurs volumes de protection, par exemple deux volumes de protection de reprise de route, le plus distant pour signaler une résolution imminente d'un risque de conflit de terrain en cours de traitement et le plus proche pour un constat de résolution effective d'un risque de collision terrain. Le ou les palpeurs associés à des volumes de protection de reprise de route peuvent être déterminés par l'équipement anticollision terrain de manière indépendante des palpeurs associés aux volumes de protection d'évolution ou en découler.As with terrain hazard detection, there may be multiple protection volumes, for example, two volumes of reverse route protection, the most remote to signal an imminent resolution of a ground conflict risk being addressed. and the closest one for a finding of effective resolution of a risk of collision on the ground. The feeler (s) associated with road return protection volumes may be determined by the terrain collision avoidance equipment independently of the touch probes associated with or derived from the evolution protection volumes.

La figure 5 donne un exemple, dans lequel le palpeur L associé à un volume de protection de reprise de route est pris égal à la projection, sur le plan horizontal, du palpeur W associé au volume de protection d'évolution dédié aux alarmes de risque de collision terrain.FIG. 5 gives an example, in which the feeler L associated with a road recovery protection volume is taken equal to the projection, on the horizontal plane, of the probe W associated with the evolution protection volume dedicated to the risk alarms. terrain collision.

Une variante consiste à adopter pour le palpeur L associé au volume de protection de reprise de route, non pas la projection, sur le plan horizontal, du palpeur W associé au volume de protection d'évolution dédié aux alarmes de risque de collision terrain mais la réunion des projections, sur le plan horizontal, des palpeurs W et C associés aux volumes de protection d'évolution dédiés aux pré-alarmes et alarmes de risques de collision terrain.One variant consists in adopting for the feeler L associated with the road recovery protection volume, not the projection, on the horizontal plane, of the probe W associated with the evolution protection volume dedicated to the terrain collision risk alarms but the meeting of projections, on the horizontal plane, probes W and C associated with the evolution protection volumes dedicated to the pre-alarms and alarms of risks of collision on ground.

La figure 6 donne un autre exemple particulièrement adapté au cas où un aéronef A est soit, de façon instantanée en cours de descente lors de la résolution d'un risque de collision avec le terrain (a priori en cours de redressement vers un trajectoire montée), soit en descente au moment de la détection d'un risque de collision terrain. Dans cet exemple, le palpeur L associé à un volume de protection de reprise de route est pris égal à la projection, sur le plan de descente de l'aéronef A, du palpeur W associé au volume de protection d'évolution dédié aux alarmes de risque de collision terrain.FIG. 6 gives another example particularly adapted to the case where an aircraft A is either instantaneously during descent during the resolution of a risk of collision with the terrain (a priori being rectified towards a mounted trajectory) , or downhill at the time of detection of a risk of ground collision. In this example, the feeler L associated with a reversal protection volume is equal to the projection, on the plane of descent of the aircraft A, of the probe W associated with the evolution protection volume dedicated to the alarms of risk of terrain collision.

Une variante consiste à adopter pour le palpeur L associé au volume de protection de reprise de route, non pas la projection, sur le plan de descente de l'aéronef A, du palpeur W associé au volume de protection d'évolution dédié aux alarmes de risque de collision terrain mais la réunion des projections, sur le plan de descente de l'aéronef A, des palpeurs W et C associés aux volumes de protection d'évolution dédiés aux pré-alarmes et alarmes de risques de collision terrain.One variant consists in adopting for the feeler L associated with the recovery volume of road recovery, not the projection, on the plane of descent of the aircraft A, the probe W associated with the evolution protection volume dedicated to the alarms of risk of terrain collision but the meeting projections, on the plane of descent of the aircraft A, probes W and C associated with the evolution protection volumes dedicated to pre-alarms and alarms of terrain collision risk.

La figure 7 donne un autre exemple particulièrement adapté au cas où un aéronef A est de façon instantané en cours de descente lors de la résolution d'un risque de collision avec le terrain (a priori en cours de redressement vers un trajectoire montée) dans lequel le palpeur L associé à un volume de protection de reprise de route est pris égal à la projection, sur le plan de descente de l'aéronef A, pendant une durée (ou une distance) prédéterminée (par exemple de l'ordre de 30 secondes), puis sur un plan horizontal, du palpeur W associé au volume de protection d'évolution dédié aux alarmes de risque de collision terrain. Avantageusement cette projection est définie de façon cohérente avec celle utilisée pour la représentation des couches de terrain et/ou de risque avec le terrain et/ou les obstacles sur le ou les écrans de visualisation du cockpit utilisé pour ce système d'anticollision terrain, en particulier en prenant pour la durée prédéterminée une durée par exemple de l'ordre de 30 secondes fixe ou modulable suivant des critères propres à l'affichage des couches terrain.FIG. 7 gives another example particularly adapted to the case where an aircraft A is instantaneously during descent during the resolution of a risk of collision with the terrain (a priori being in course of recovery towards an uphill trajectory) in which the feeler L associated with a road recovery protection volume is taken equal to the projection, on the descent plane of the aircraft A, for a predetermined duration (or a distance) (for example of the order of 30 seconds ), then on a horizontal plane, the probe W associated with the evolution protection volume dedicated to the terrain collision risk alarms. Advantageously, this projection is defined in a manner consistent with that used for the representation of the terrain and / or risk layers with the terrain and / or the obstacles on the visualization screen (s) of the cockpit used for this terrain anti-collision system, in particular by taking for the predetermined duration a duration for example of the order of 30 seconds fixed or adjustable according to criteria specific to the display of the ground layers.

Claims (22)

  1. Terrain anticollision equipment (1) carried onboard an aircraft (A), comprising means for determining at least one virtual envelope of protection of deployment (W, C) constructed around the short term predicted trajectory of the aircraft and delimiting a protection volume around the current position and the current trajectory of the aircraft, means for detecting intrusions, into said virtual envelope or envelopes of protection of deployment (W, C), of a representation of an envelope (MTCD) of the terrain and/or of the ground obstacles overflown stored in a data base onboard (3) or on the ground, and alarm means (5) triggered by the intrusion detection means,
    characterized in that, after detection of a risk of ground collision, its means of determining virtual envelopes of protection determine, in addition to the virtual envelope or envelopes of protection of deployment (W, C), at least one virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route (L), constructed around a fictitious trajectory of resumption of route,
    in that its means of intrusion detection detect the intrusions of the terrain and/or of the ground obstacles (R) at one and the same time into the virtual envelope or envelopes of protection of deployment (W, C) and into the virtual envelope or envelopes of protection of resumption of route (L) and
    in that its alarm means produce an indication signalling the possibility of ending an avoidance manoeuvre as soon as the means of intrusion detection no longer note any intrusion of the terrain and/or of the ground obstacles (R) into the virtual envelope or envelopes of protection of resumption of route (L).
  2. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that the fictitious trajectory of resumption of route is a horizontal trajectory.
  3. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that the fictitious trajectory of resumption of route is a trajectory having as slope a horizontal slope if the instantaneous trajectory of the aircraft is climbing or holding level, and a slope dependent on the instantaneous trajectory of the aircraft if the aircraft is descending.
  4. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that the fictitious trajectory of resumption of route is a trajectory having as slope a slope dependent on the instantaneous trajectory of the aircraft.
  5. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that the fictitious trajectory of resumption of route is a trajectory having as slope a slope dependent on the trajectory of the aircraft at the moment of the detection of the risk of terrain collision.
  6. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that the fictitious trajectory of resumption of route is a trajectory having as slope a slope dependent on the trajectory of the aircraft at the moment of the detection of the risk of terrain collision, if the latter was descending, and a horizontal trajectory if the latter was flying horizontally or climbing at the moment of the detection of the risk of terrain collision.
  7. Equipment according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fictitious trajectory of resumption of route is a trajectory having as heading the instantaneous heading of the aircraft (A).
  8. Equipment according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the fictitious trajectory of resumption of route is a trajectory having as heading and slope those of the trajectory of the aircraft (A) at the moment of the detection of the risk of terrain collision.
  9. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that the limits of the virtual envelope or envelopes of protection are defined by a so-called feeler surface (W, C, L) the meeting of which with the representation of an envelope of the terrain and/or of the ground obstacles (R) which is extracted from the information of the data base (3) is regarded as an intrusion of the terrain and/or of the ground obstacles (R) into the corresponding virtual envelope of protection.
  10. Equipment according to Claim 9, characterized in that, regardless of the instantaneous attitude of the aircraft (A): climbing, flying level or descending, the projection onto the horizontal of a feeler (W or C) of virtual envelope of protection of deployment is adopted as feeler (L) of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route.
  11. Equipment according to Claim 9, characterized in that, when the instantaneous attitude of the aircraft (A) is climbing or flying level, the projection onto the horizontal of a feeler (W or C) of virtual envelope of protection of deployment is adopted as feeler (L) of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route.
  12. Equipment according to Claim 9, characterized in that, when the instantaneous attitude of the aircraft (A) is descending, the projection according to an inclined plane dependent on the instantaneous descent slope of the aircraft of a feeler (W or C) of virtual envelope of protection of deployment is adopted as feeler (L) of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route.
  13. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that, when the instantaneous attitude of the aircraft (A) is descending, the projection along an inclined plane dependent on the instantaneous descent slope of the aircraft of a feeler (W or C) of virtual envelope of protection of deployment during a certain distance or flight time and then according to the horizontal is adopted as feeler (L) of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route.
  14. Equipment according to Claim 13, characterized in that, when the terrain anticollision equipment is provided with a display screen showing a representation of the terrain layers and/or of risk with the terrain and/or the obstacles overflown, the projection, in two planes, which is adopted as feeler (L) of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route is carried out in a manner consistent with that used on the screen for the representation of the terrain layers and/or of risk of collision with the terrain and/or the obstacles overflown.
  15. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that, when the aircraft (A) was climbing or holding level at the moment of the detection of a risk of terrain collision, the projection onto the horizontal of a feeler (W, C) of virtual envelope of protection of deployment is adopted as feeler (L) of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route.
  16. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that, when the aircraft (A) was descending at the moment of the detection of a risk of terrain collision, the projection, along an inclined plane having the descent slope of the aircraft (A) at the moment of the detection of the risk of terrain collision, of a feeler (W, C) of virtual envelope of protection of deployment is adopted as feeler (L) of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route.
  17. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that, when the means of determination of virtual envelope of protection produce two virtual envelopes of protection of deployment, the more distant (C) for a prealarm of terrain collision and the closer (W) for an alarm of terrain collision, the union of the projections onto the horizontal of the feelers (W, C) of the two virtual envelopes of protection of deployment is adopted as feeler (L) of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route.
  18. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that, when the means of determination of virtual envelope of projection produce two virtual envelopes of protection of deployment, the more distant (C) for a prealarm of terrain collision and the closer (W) for an alarm of terrain collision, the union of the projections, along an inclined plane having the descent slope of the aircraft (A) at the moment of the detection of the risk of terrain collision, of the feelers (W, C) of the two virtual envelopes of protection of deployment is adopted as feeler (L) of a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route.
  19. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that the indication signalling the possibility of ending an avoidance manoeuvre is given momentarily in aural and/or visual form.
  20. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that it produces an indication of holding of the avoidance manoeuvre in aural and/or visual form, upon the disappearance of a terrain alert and does so, until no risk of collision is detected by the virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route (L).
  21. Equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that the vertical distance under the aircraft at which a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route is placed is taken equal to that used for one of the virtual envelopes of protection of deployment.
  22. Equipment according to one at least of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when the terrain anticollision equipment is provided with a display screen showing a representation of the terrain layers and/or of risk with the terrain and/or the obstacles overflown, the vertical distance under the aircraft at which a virtual envelope of protection of resumption of route is placed is taken consistent with that used on the screen for the representation of the terrain layers and/or of risk of collision with the terrain and/or the obstacles overflown.
EP03796073A 2002-12-13 2003-12-02 Anticollision equipment on board an aeroplane with normal flight reversion aid Expired - Lifetime EP1570453B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR0215841 2002-12-13
FR0215841A FR2848661B1 (en) 2002-12-13 2002-12-13 EQUIPMENT ANTICOLLISION TERRAIN ON BOARD AIRCRAFT WITH HELP TO RETURN IN NORMAL FLIGHT
PCT/EP2003/050921 WO2004055752A1 (en) 2002-12-13 2003-12-02 Anticollision equipment on board an aeroplane with normal flight reversion aid

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EP1570453A1 EP1570453A1 (en) 2005-09-07
EP1570453B1 true EP1570453B1 (en) 2006-04-19

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EP03796073A Expired - Lifetime EP1570453B1 (en) 2002-12-13 2003-12-02 Anticollision equipment on board an aeroplane with normal flight reversion aid

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US (1) US7321813B2 (en)
EP (1) EP1570453B1 (en)
CA (1) CA2509698A1 (en)
DE (1) DE60304739T2 (en)
ES (1) ES2263063T3 (en)
FR (1) FR2848661B1 (en)
WO (1) WO2004055752A1 (en)

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Publication number Publication date
US7321813B2 (en) 2008-01-22
ES2263063T3 (en) 2006-12-01
FR2848661A1 (en) 2004-06-18
US20060052912A1 (en) 2006-03-09
CA2509698A1 (en) 2004-07-01
EP1570453A1 (en) 2005-09-07
WO2004055752A1 (en) 2004-07-01
DE60304739D1 (en) 2006-05-24
FR2848661B1 (en) 2005-03-04
DE60304739T2 (en) 2007-04-12

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