Patent ID: 7636635
Filing Date: 2009-12-22
Classification: G05D

Abstract:
1. A device for determining a flight trajectory of at least one follower aircraft, which allows said follower aircraft to follow a lead aircraft during a patrol flight, said device being mounted on said follower aircraft and comprising: a position information device for producing position information relating to said lead and follower aircraft, said position information device comprising at least one positioning element which measures the effective position of the follower aircraft; a determining device to determine, with the aid of information received from said position information device, a first trajectory corresponding to the flight trajectory actually followed by said lead aircraft; a producing device to produce a temporal offset between said lead and follower aircraft; and a second determining device to determine, with the aid of said first trajectory and of said temporal offset, a second trajectory which corresponds to said flight trajectory of the follower aircraft, wherein: said position information device furthermore comprises a data reception element which is formed in such a way as to receive the effective position of the lead aircraft, said effective positions of said follower and lead aircraft forming said position information, and a dating element which dates the measurements carried out by said positioning element in such a way as to produce dating information; said determining device determines said first trajectory with the aid of said position information and of said dating information; said data reception element is also formed in such a way as to receive flight parameters from the lead aircraft; and said second determining device using the flight parameters to refine said second trajectory which allows said follower aircraft to fly along one and the same flight profile possibly with a lateral separation as the lead aircraft, but with a posterior duration equal to said temporal offset.