Method and system for automatically modifying a lateral flight plan of an aircraft

摘要

A system for automatically modifying a lateral flight plan of an aircraft includes modifying means adapted to modify the flight plan by an action to chosen among the following actions: deleting, adding and moving at least one waypoint of an initial flight plan (T1). The modified flight plan (T3) includes one downstream waypoint (P6) defined as the waypoint on which the aircraft gets back to the initial flight plan (T1), and one upstream waypoint (P4) preceding the downstream waypoint (P6). By defining an intermediate point (P5′) between the upstream (P4) and downstream (P6) waypoints, the coordinates are calculated in order to allow the aircraft to reach the downstream waypoint (P6) with the same course as the initial flight plan (T1).

主权项

1. A method for automatically modifying a lateral flight plan of an aircraft, said flight plan being defined by a sequence of waypoints that the aircraft is to fly over and flight-path portions connecting the successive waypoints, wherein, for modifying a flight plan referred to as initial to become a modified flight plan, the method comprises:
performing, by a modification device, an action to be selected from the following actions: adding, deleting or moving at least one waypoint of the initial flight plan, said modified flight plan comprising a downstream waypoint defined as the waypoint at which the aircraft returns to the initial flight plan, and an upstream waypoint preceding the downstream waypoint, and defining, by the modification device, an intermediate point between said upstream and downstream waypoints, of which the coordinates are calculated to allow the aircraft to arrive at said downstream waypoint on the same course as that provided by the initial flight plan, wherein for defining the intermediate point, said method comprises: defining, by the modification device, a first upstream circle having a first predetermined radius, passing through a crossing point of the aircraft located after the upstream waypoint and positioned such that the direction of the aircraft at said crossing point is tangential to said first circle; defining, by the modification device, a second downstream circle having a second predetermined radius, passing through said downstream waypoint and positioned such that the flight path corresponding to the initial flight plan of the aircraft at said downstream waypoint is tangential to said second circle; defining, by the modification device, a straight line tangential to said first and second circles, said tangential straight line being tangential to the first circle at a first point of intersection and to the second circle at a second point of intersection; and defining, by the modification device, said intermediate point on said tangential straight line between said first and second points of intersection.