Predicting aircraft trajectory

摘要

The present invention provides a computer-implemented method of producing a description of aircraft intent expressed using a formal language. The description may be used to predict aircraft trajectory, for example by air traffic management. Rules are used in association with information provided to generate a set of instructions describing both the aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft and the motion of the aircraft. These instructions are checked to ensure that they describe unambiguously the aircraft's trajectory. The instructions are then expressed using a formal language.

主权项

1. A method of predicting a trajectory of an aircraft, comprising:
receiving, at a processor, information defining how the aircraft is to be flown during an operation interval, and storing the information in an information database; deriving, by the processor, a set of instructions from the information stored, wherein the set of instructions comprise configuration instructions that describe an aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft and motion instructions that describe an aircraft motion; requiring, by the processor, an operation that at least six instructions to be active simultaneously throughout the operation interval, wherein the at least six instructions are chosen from at least three groups selected from motion instructions and at least one group selected from configuration instructions; and confirming, by the processor, that the set of instructions comply with a set of rules stored in a rules database, that the configuration instructions define the aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft and that the motion instructions close degrees of freedom of equations of motion used to describe the aircraft motion during the time interval; and operating the aircraft according to the instructions.