US 12,340,702 B2
Method for managing the longitudinal position of a follower aircraft with respect to a leader aircraft
Jordan Lee Adams, Toulouse (FR); Guillaume Ta, Toulouse (FR); and Clément Frot, Toulouse (FR)
Assigned to Airbus SAS, Blagnac (FR)
Filed by Airbus SAS, Blagnac (FR)
Filed on Jun. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/333,841.
Claims priority of application No. 2205802 (FR), filed on Jun. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0410668 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. G08G 5/50 (2025.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G08G 5/20 (2025.01); G08G 5/55 (2025.01)
CPC G08G 5/50 (2025.01) [G05D 1/106 (2019.05); G08G 5/20 (2025.01); G08G 5/55 (2025.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for managing a longitudinal position of at least one follower aircraft following a leader aircraft in a formation flight, the method comprising:
(a) obtaining a position of a leader aircraft, a real longitudinal position Xr of a follower aircraft, a speed Sl of the leader aircraft, and a speed Sf of the follower aircraft;
(b) determining a target longitudinal position Xt of the follower aircraft with respect to the longitudinal position of the leader aircraft;
(c) calculating a difference Xt−Xr between the target longitudinal position Xt of the follower aircraft with respect to the leader aircraft and the obtained real longitudinal position Xr of the follower aircraft with respect to the leader aircraft;
(d) comparing a value of the difference Xt−Xr with at least one predefined threshold;
(e) choosing a control law SCf for controlling the speed Sf of the follower aircraft, from among at least two separate control laws SCf, on a basis of the comparing;
(f) applying the chosen control law SCf in order to manage the real longitudinal position Xr of the follower aircraft with respect to the position of the leader aircraft, and,
(g) applying, through the chosen control law SCf, when said chosen control law SCf comprises a term equal to a difference between the speed Sl of the leader aircraft and the speed Sf of the follower aircraft, a filter to a value of said difference between the speed Sl of the leader aircraft and the speed Sf of the follower aircraft in order to estimate a relative bias on the speed of the leader aircraft, and
wherein the follower aircraft executes the chosen control law SCf to adjust the real longitudinal position Xr of the follower aircraft with respect to the position of the leader aircraft.